Colombian buñuelos are a fried treat made of fresh, white, and salty cheese called queso costeño, tapioca starch, and cornstarch. They are crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. Buñuelos are an important part of the Colombian Christmas tradition, but are also popular the rest of the year.
Jump to RecipeHaz clic en Buñuelos Colombianos para la receta en español.
Colombian Christmas Tradition
On December 7th the Colombian Christmas season officially starts. Colombia has some typical traditions around Christmas.
To begin with, the season kicks off with the Día de las Velitas, where people go outside to light candles.
Another traditional custom is getting together the nine days before Christmas for novenas, remembering the journey Maria and Joseph made to Bethlehem. Although a part of the novena consists of praying and singing, most people nowadays attend to enjoy time together with family and friends.
Traditional snacks to eat during the Christmas season are buñuelos and natilla (Christmas cornstarch pudding with blackberry sauce).
Colombian Buñuelos (Buñuelos Colombianos)
Buñuelos are cheese fritters. The main ingredients are cheese, cornstarch, and tapioca starch (tapioca flour, cassava starch). They are crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside.
Although buñuelos are a typical Christmassy snack, you can find them year-round in panaderias in Colombia. They are known to be highly addictive, and you will eat way more than you are supposed to, but hey it is Christmas!
Ingredients
Queso costeño is a salty, fresh, firm, white cheese, easily found in Colombia. Outside of Colombia, you can replace it by using a combination of fresh white cheese and feta cheese (check out this recipe from My Colombian Recipes).
Tapioca starch is made from the starches of the root of the cassava plant. Sometimes it also goes by the names tapioca flour or cassava starch. In Spanish, it is called almidón de yuca. Do not replace it with cassava flour, that is a different product. See this post for a more elaborate explanation.
Instructions
1. Mix together the grated cheese, cornstarch, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, and the egg
2. Add milk, a spoon at a time, while kneading with your hands
3. Knead well so the cheese is fully incorporated. The dough needs to be firm, smooth, and slightly sticky
4. Divide in 15 balls of approx. 40 grams each. Knead well to make the balls firm
5. Fry in vegetable oil on a low temperature for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and cooked on the inside
6. Take the buñuelos out of the frying pan and drain them on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Tips for making the best buñuelos
Tip 1
The dough needs to be firm and keep its shape. If not, you won’t get the perfect round ball you are looking for. Make sure you don’t add too much milk. How wet the dough is, will depend on the type of cheese used. Begin with adding no milk, and add by the tablespoon to make a consistent dough.
Tip 2
The temperature of the oil is the single most important thing. It needs to be colder than you would use for frying, for example, french fries. If you have an electrical frying pan, use it. Set the temperature at around 150 to 160 degrees Celsius (about 300 -320 Fahrenheit). If not, try the smallest and lowest source of heat you can use on your stove. If the oil is too hot the inside will still be raw and the buñuelo could burst open, ruining the perfect ball-like shape.
Tip 3
The last pro tip is making the buñuelos a bit smaller than their “official” size. I make buñuelos of about 40 grams, which tend to be a bit smaller than bakery-bought ones. They will grow a bit when frying. Plus it is easier to get them all the way cooked through.
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Colombian Buñuelos (Buñuelos Colombianos)
Equipment
- electrical deepfrying pan or a heavy based frying pan
Ingredients
- 200 g queso costeño, grated finely (replace with fresh white cheese and feta, see recipe link in blog post)
- 30 g tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 200 g cornstarch (maizena)
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 25 g white sugar
- milk, depending on how wet the dough is (0 to about 12 tablespoons)
- vegetable oil for frying (for example sunflower oil)
Instructions
- Make the doughMix together the grated cheese, tapioca starch, cornstarch, egg, baking powder and sugar. Knead well with your hands until the cheese is fully incorporated in the dough. Add milk if necessary, by the tablespoon, until you have a consistent and smooth but firm dough
- Divide in ballsDivide the dough in about 15 balls of 40 grams each. Shape them well into a firm and round ball
- Heat up the oilHeat up the oil to about 150 -160 degrees Celsius (300 to 320 Fahrenheit). If you can't measure the temperature, use a low source of heat. Check if the oil is ready by placing a little bit of the dough in the oil. It needs to sizzle and bubble a bit, but not immediately color
- FryFry the buñuelos in batches, for about 10-12 minutes per batch, and until golden brown. If they color too rapidly, turn down the heat
- DrainPlace the buñuelos on paper towels to drain excess oil
- Serve immediately
