Ree Drummond, or the Pioneer Woman, is renowned for her comfort food recipes and laid-back Southern charm. One of her latest Tex-Mex dishes is sopapillas, a tasty Mexican dessert that's addictingly delicious.
Videos by Wide Open Country
What are Sopapillas?
Sopapillas, also called sopaipillas, are a yummy combo of sugar, ground cinnamon, chile powder and crescent-roll dough. These cinnamon sugar delights are fried in hot oil until golden brown, making them essentially a cinnamon-sugar bagel turned doughnut. Is there anything better than sugary fried dough?
These crispy desserts are a staple of Mexican food, often found on the menus of Mexican restaurants or on the streets of various countries throughout Central and South America. They are also popular in the Southwest of the United States, in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Although this dessert recipe is often made with a deep fryer, the Pioneer Woman makes do with a large pot or dutch oven.
Traditional sopapillas like in the video below are made with leavened wheat dough, while some homemade sopapillas recipes use flour tortillas. However, Ree Drummond's recipe uses crescent roll dough instead, making for a thicker and sweeter sopapilla and removing the need to roll your dough out with a rolling pin and knead it. You can also use powdered sugar in place of granulated sugar. Along with this, some sopapillas recipes call for lard or vegetable shortening rather than vegetable oil. For a sweet variation, try making sopapilla cheesecake pie!
How to Make Sopapillas
To make the Pioneer Woman's sopapillas, fill a dutch oven or large, heavy pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil or canola oil. Heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer shows 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Mix the sugar, cinnamon and chipotle chile powder together in a small bowl.
Unroll the crescent-roll dough and press the sesame together. Cut dough into 2-inch to 3-inch squares. Fry the dough in batches in the hot oil until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the sopapillas with a slotted spoon, placing them onto the baking sheet.
Liberally sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture onto the sopapillas, turning them over to ensure both sides are coated. Transfer them to a platter and serve with honey for dipping.
