Colombian Buñuelos Recipe (2024)

Colombian buñuelos are deep fried cheese balls that are a holiday staple. They are crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the inside.

Before you make this recipe, please read through the entire post.

Buñuelos can be dangerous to make, as they can burst open when frying and splatter hot oil, causing serious burns.

Follow the instructions and use your best judgment when cooking this recipe.

I outlined my best tips and tricks to make buñuelos-making as safe and fool proof as possible. Again, read all the instructions and follow them closely.

Making Colombian buñuelos can be a feat.

However if you follow the right steps and use the correct ingredients, you too can achieve authentic Colombian cheese fritters.

Colombian buñuelos in the movie Encanto

In the Disney movie Encanto, Julieta Madrigal makes buñuelos. These are, after Colombian Empanadas, one of my favorite foods.

Buñuelos are a Christmas staple. They are paired with Natilla; a flan-like dessert that is sweet and compliments well with the salty flavor of buñuelos.

Buñuelos ingredients:

Authentic buñuelos use Queso Costeño; a hard, salty, fresh cheese.

Unfortunately, this cheese is hard to come by outside of Colombia, but don't worry, I found a perfect substitute for it.

There is also a pre mix flour blend (Mezcla lista) that is hard to find unless you have access to a Latin market, however, using the correct ratios of corn starch, cassava flour (or tapioca starch) and baking powder will yield the exact same results.

• Cotija cheese: This Mexican cheese is salty and dry, similar to parmesan cheese and it is the one the resembles Queso Costeño the best.
• Cassava flour: This will helps up make our buñuelos flour. Cassava comes from the yucca root and it will aid in making the buñuelos crunchy on the outside.
• Cornstarch: It's the base of the buñuelos mix and will help us create that soft, pillowy buñuelo interior.
• Baking powder: Helps with keeping the buñuelos from absorbing too much fat during the frying process.

Buñuelo making tips

• The cheese needs to be very finely grated, otherwise the dough won't be smooth and your bunuelos could burst open when frying.
• The oil temperature needs to be the same throughout the frying process. Too hot and your bunuelos will crack, and again, burst open which could cause serious burns.
• It is important to have the perfect ratio of flour to cheese. Too much flour will make your bunuelos tough on the inside, too much cheese and your bunuelos will turn very greasy.

How do Buñuelos taste like?

The perfect Buñuelo is slightly salty, crunchy, golden-brown shell on the outside with a pillowy, bread-like consistency in the inside.

Your buñuelos should not be greasy or feel like fried cheese. They should be easy to bite into but have a perfect crunch similar to that of a French baguette crust.

How to store and reheat buñuelos

If buñuelos are done right, they reheat very well. You can use the microwave for about 10-15 seconds but my all time favorite way to re heat my leftover buñuelos (if there is any!) is the air fryer.

To reheat, add your buñuelos to the air fryer at 250 Fahrenheit (120 celsius) for 6 minutes.