Colombian buñuelos or cheese fritters, are a mouthful of textures and flavors. They have a soft crumb and a crispy crust with a hint of sweetness and are a typical Colombian Christmas treat.
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Christmas In Colombia
Christmas in Colombia begins on December 7th with the celebration of Día de las Velitas (Day of the Candles) where people place hundreds of candles at the doors of their homes and in their neighborhood to guide the way of the Virgin Mary.
Friends and families gather together to sing Christmas carols and enjoy Christmas treats.
Although Colombian buñuelos are enjoyed all year around, these little balls are an iconic food for the holidays.
You can find buñuelos all around South America. Sweet or savory. Made with white flour, corn flour, cassava flour, or mashed cassava.
What Are Colombian Buñuelos?
Colombian buñuelos are made with a mixture of cassava flour and cornstarch. The ratio of these two starches varies from house to house.
Cassava, tapioca or yuca, is a root very much used in South America. From this root, we get cassava flour or starch that has a similar texture to cornstarch and is a great option for gluten-free treats.
Some recipes for Colombian buñuelos are made with only cornstarch. I find that cassava flour adds a little bit of chewiness to these fritters.
My Buñuelo Recipe
Queso costeño is the traditional cheese used for this recipe. It’s a semi-hard and very salty cheese.
Cassava flour and cornstarch absorb liquids very easily. So, mix all your dry ingredients, cheese, egg, and butter first, before adding the milk.
If you are using mozzarella cheese, add 1-1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Because this cheese is semi-soft, you’ll only need to add 2 tablespoons of milk.
Another option is to use ¾ cup feta cheese + ¼ cup queso fresco. You might need to reduce the salt to ¾ teaspoon. Now you have two soft cheeses, that means more moisture for the dough. You’ll need to add 1 teaspoon milk at a time until you have a playdough like dough.
Or, use 1 cup of feta cheese and adapt your recipe to option above.
Once you have your dough ready, you can either keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, freeze it for up to 2 months, or use it immediately.
Frying Buñuelos (Cheese Fritters)
The oil temperature to fry these buñuelos is very important. If your oil is too hot, the fritters will pop open, splashing hot oil everywhere, and they will not cook all the way through.
If the oil is too cold, the buñuelos will absorb too much oil.
If you own a candy thermometer, the oil should be between 320 – 340 F (160 – 170 C).
But, if you don’t have a way to measure the oil temperature, heat the oil on low and after 3 minutes add 1 buñuelo. The buñuelo should rise to the top in the next 5 to 8 seconds. If it doesn’t, the oil is not hot enough.
Once you have the right temperature, cook 3 to 4 buñuelos at a time. There is no need to turn them, as these buñuelos cook, they turn around by themselves.
During the holidays, buñuelos are served with Colombian Natilla (custard). Those two go hand in hand. An amazing combination of crispy, chewy, savory buñuelo and a cold, creamy, cinnamon custard.
Colombian Buñuelos (Cheese Fritters)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) cassava flour
- ½ cup (65g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (150g) shredded cheese *
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons (14.2g) butter, at room temperature
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
- In a big mixing bowl, add cassava flour, cornstarch, cheese, sugar, salt, baking powder, butter and egg. Mix with the tip of your fingers.
- Bring the dough together with milk. The dough has a playdough texture.
- In a medium pan, heat oil on low or keep between 320 – 340 F (160 – 170 C).
- Divide the dough in 32 equal portions. Roll the dough into balls.
- Fry 3 to 4 buñuelos at a time, for 5 minutes.
- Place them on a paper towel. Serve immediately.
Notes
Also, 70g buñuelos make the perfect size that I have had in Colombia and this recipe makes about 8. The oil temperature is perfect and fry 10-15mins.
I agree with Oscar. The milk was far from enough. I used a a half cup milk and increased the yuca flour to 150g and starch to 70g. I adding an additional tbsp of sugar. I used homemade cheese, the milk/ vinegar method. They were perfect! Fried them and watched them float and self turn! My wife is Colombian and said they were perfect. In Colombia, the outer surface is very crispy but mine were not very crispy though. Need to figure this one out.
I’m glad they turned out great for you with the modifications.
Can you make the balls and freeze them and fry them as you need it
I haven’t tried freezing these buñuelos. I think it’s possible.
Before frying, let them come to room temperature, so you don’t have to guess the cooking time.
So me and my cousins got together on zoom to make your recipe we all had the same conclusion not sure what went wrong with the recipe but when we mixed the dry ingredients with the cheese, butter and egg the two table spoons of milk were not enough to make the dough into play dough texture as explained
The amount of milk depends on the kind of cheese you use. You can add more milk, but always a tablespoon at a time until you have the right texture.
Mine are coming out with a little hallow, any tips?
Hi Dave, are you using both cassava flour and cornstarch? Talking with some Colombians, they mentioned that the holes are very common.
Did it have an unpleasant texture?
I followed the receipt posted except I used Cottage Cheese but:
– the bunuelos were sinking and sticking on the floor of a 6 qt pot.
– The 2 cups of oil was not enough
– The bunuelos were too salty
– The inside didn’t resemble the bunuelos I am used to.
– I got 20 pieces not 32
– Let a novice verify the receipt works then re- post it.
Hi Jose. We’re sorry you’re having trouble with this recipe. Substituting cottage cheese is making a big change to the ingredients, and is likely why your bunuelos were too salty (cottage cheese has added salt) and didn’t resemble bunuelos you’re used to. If you only got 20 pieces, likely you shaped them larger than indicated, which could also impact the consistency. The recipe calls for 3 cups of oil in a medium pan (which is typically 1.5-2 quarts) for frying, which is why you found 2 cups of oil to be to little in your 6 qt pot and had trouble with the bunuelos sticking. Hope you have better luck next time!
Can I bake it or air fry?
Can you use real cassava if you do not have cassava flour?
HI Judith, for these buñuelos you can not use fresh cassava.
Do I need to refrigerate after making? Or can they be left out
Hi Tammy. It can be left out, no need for refrigeration.
Buñuelos are always best eaten the same day they were made. Enjoy!