Cuban Bunuelos with Cinnamon-Anise Syrup
I’ll admit, when I was a kid, the idea of any dessert made from root vegetables was not my cup of tea. I was more of a flan de queso y arroz con leche kinda gal, to be honest.
Now, as an adult, I can totally appreciate the uniqueness of these delicious buñuelos Cubanos!
They were often found at the dessert table on Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) or New Year’s Eve and were enjoyed after our big Cuban Christmas dinner, my favorite time of year!
What are Bunuelos?
Cuban Bunuelos [pronounced boo-nyweh-lohs] are fried pastries, made from root vegetables like yuca, malanga, calabaza (Cuban pumpkin), and/or boniato (Cuban sweet potatoes which we also use to make boniatillo con coco). Que rico!
We boil the peeled root vegetables, make a dough, and then shaped them into figure 8s. We then serve with all coated in a homemade cinnamon-anise syrup. IT’S SO GOOD.
Let me show you how to make them!
Recommended For This Recipe
Deep Skillet
A 10-inch skillet perfect for cooking all kinds of dishes! It’s non-stick, with a wide flat bottom for frying, sautéing, or browning.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Make the cinnamon-anise syrup. In a saucepan, add sugar, water, cinnamon stick, star anise, lime juice, and lime zest. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat then remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Let the syrup cool. Set aside.
Buñuelos should be pillowy soft and doughy on the inside and golden brown and well coated with cinnamon-anise syrup on the outside.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Mix and match tubers. Cuban buñuelos are typically made with yuca, boniato, malanga (or malanga amarilla), and/or calabaza. Feel free to mix and match which ones you’d like to use. For example, you can make this recipe with yuca and boniato (or sweet potato) instead of malanga. You can also use 2lbs of one of the above, like yuca by itself. You do you!
- Use frozen yuca. You can substitute frozen yuca for fresh yuca in a pinch. You can find frozen yuca in the freezer section of your grocery store. Any leftover frozen yuca can be used for my Cuban yuca con mojo!
- No mushy vegetables! When boiling the tubers, make sure they are fork-tender but not too soft or mushy. Some root vegetables will cook faster than others, be sure to keep an eye on them.
Storage Tips
- Buñuelos are best served warm right out of the fryer with the anise syrup. If you have any leftovers, you can transfer them to an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature.
- Freezer Instructions. You can make the dough up to step 4, sprinkle them with flour, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 6 months.
Cuban Bunuelos with Cinnamon-Anise Syrup
Equipment
Ingredients
For syrup:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice from 1 lime, plus 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
For the pastries:
- 1 lb yuca, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 lb malanga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1 teaspoon anise extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add sugar, water, cinnamon stick, star anise, lime juice, and lime zest. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat then remove the cinnamon stick and star anise. Let the syrup cool. Set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the cubed yuca and malanga with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the root vegetables are fork-tender but not too soft or mushy. Drain. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Remove the fibrous core from the yuca.
- In a large bowl, mash the tender yuca and malanga using a potato ricer/masher until no lumps remain. Mix in the beaten egg, anise extract, and salt until combined. Add the flour and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms (not sticky). You may have to do this on a clean and floured work surface to really incorporate all the ingredients well.
- Cut the dough into 12-14 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 14-inch long and 1/2-inch thick rope. Shape each rope into a figure 8 shape making sure to press the ends together to seal them so they don’t fall apart when frying. Transfer them to a baking sheet or large plate.
- In a deep skillet, heat 3-4 inches of oil (enough to cover the buñuelos well) at medium-high heat until it reaches 375ºF. Working in batches, fry the buñuelos for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer them to paper towel lined plates to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining buñuelos.
- Serve the buñuelos with the cinnamon-anise syrup on the side or generously spoon the syrup over them. Buñuelos should be pillowy soft and doughy on the inside and golden brown and well coated with cinnamon-anise syrup on the outside. Enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Mix and match tubers. Cuban buñuelos are typically made with yuca, boniato, malanga (or malanga amarilla), and/or calabaza. Feel free to mix and match which ones you’d like to use. For example, you can make this recipe with yuca and boniato (or sweet potato) instead of malanga. You can also use 2lbs of one of the above, like yuca by itself. You do you!
- Use frozen yuca. You can substitute frozen yuca for fresh yuca in a pinch. You can find frozen yuca in the freezer section of your grocery store. Any leftover frozen yuca can be used for my Cuban yuca con mojo!
- No mushy vegetables! When boiling the tubers, make sure they are fork-tender but not too soft or mushy. Some root vegetables will cook faster than others, be sure to keep an eye on them.
Storage Tips
- Buñuelos are best served warm right out of the fryer with the anise syrup. If you have any leftovers, you can transfer them to an airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature.
- Freezer Instructions. You can make the dough up to step 4, sprinkle them with flour, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze them for up to 6 months.
Jamie, can you make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate and then fry when ready to serve?
Hi! I’ve never done that before but try it! I’d do it a day before just in case. Alternatively, you can also fry them and reheat them before serving.
Hi Jamie! My Abuela’s signature dessert was buñuelos, so I’m trying to revive the family tradition. I’m having some trouble with the frying though. They are exploding open in the middle of the figure 8. And they seem a bit undercooked on the inside, while quite crispy on the outside. I think the thickness is causing the under-fried issue, but do you know why they would be exploding open (like a crack)? Thanks!
Hi! It could be that your heat is on too high OR that your dough wasn’t completely sealed. Make sure when you roll the figure 8s that you can sealing all the ends of the dough so they don’t explode. Since not all stoves are created equal, I’d recommend you test out different heat levels to see what the best temp is for you. Hope that helps!
Hola Jamie,
You just made my childhood memories come to life. You got the same identical recipe my mom used to make in Cuba. She was an excellent cook. She will also make it with boniato blanco instead of malamga. Both are delicious! Same ratio as you have for malanga in your recipe.
My dear love all of your recipes. Thanks for posting this recipe, I have misplaced mine some whereas, getting old now. lol!! Your recipes are on point! thanks again.
This makes me so happy, Bev, thank you! So happy you loved the recipe!