This is my take on the classic Dominican Buñuelos de yuca recipe. These cassava 'beignets' in spiced syrup are puffy and crispy outside and airy and creamy inside. Learn how to make this amazing dessert that's traditionally served during Lent or enjoyed year-round.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Nov 9, 2015
Why we ❤️ it
Buñuelos de yuca is the Dominican buñuelo, very popular during the Lenten season, and a dish that's been consumed in our country for a long time. But these aren't grandma's buñuelos. Not that there's anything wrong with grandma's buñuelos.
These are closer to beignets, borrowing inspiration from our traditional Buñuelos de viento, and an amazing little dish that I'd serve with pride to anyone.
What are buñuelos de yuca?
Buñuelos are beignets in Spanish. Fried puffy dough balls. They may be sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, or - as is preferred in the Dominican Republic - bathed in a spiced light syrup.
Buñuelos de yuca are unique in that instead of using flour, they are cassava-based. Yuca gives these a lighter, creamier texture.
Buñuelos de yuca.
How to serve
As mentioned above, Buñuelos de yuca are served with a spiced syrup. Traditionally they are submerged in syrup, which soaks in. In my version, the syrup is drizzled right before serving to preserve the fluffiness of the buñuelos. I also like freshly fried, hot off the stove even.
Top tips
- Processor: While you could make this by mashing the yuca instead of using a food processor or blender, the texture is not as good as using a processor.
- Batter: Instead of purée cassava (yuca), like traditional Buñuelos de Yuca, this is made with a batter, which means that you cannot shape them into perfectly round balls. The batter will harden some by chilling them, which will allow you to shape them with two small spoons.
About this recipe
Grandma's Buñuelos de Yuca are perfectly round but a lot denser than these, and therein lies my problem. I thought that they would work better if they were closer to beignets, so I started experimenting with ways to get there. And I did.
Unlike traditional Buñuelos de Yuca, these are puffy and crispy on the outside, but airy and creamy inside, and with a touch of spice that will have you dreaming of them for a long time.
They have all the goodness of grandma's buñuelos, but such a nice texture that I'm hoping you'll love them as much as I did.
Video
Recipe
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Buñuelos de Yuca [Video+Recipe] Cassava 'Beignets' in Spiced Syrup
Ingredients
For the spiced syrup
- ½ cup sugar, (white, granulated)
- 2 star anise
- 2 small sticks of cinnamon
- 1 doz cloves
For the Buñuelos de Yuca
- ½ pound yuca (cassava)
- 4 tablespoons sugar , (white, granulated)
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, (salted)
- 1 egg , (medium)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons salt, (divided)
- 1½ cup oil for frying, (soy, corn or peanut)
Instructions
1. Boil yuca
Peel the yuca, chop, and rinse.Place in a small saucepan and boil with a teaspoon of salt. When it's fork-tender (about 15 minutes, depending on size) remove from the heat and discard the water.
2. Making buñuelo batter
- Cool yuca to room temperature. Remove and discard the center nerve. Place in the food processor bowl or blender. Add butter, egg, baking powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and sugar. Blend until it turns into a smooth batter.
3. Chilling
- Pour the batter into a bowl. Cover the bowl and chill the batter for 3 hours in the fridge (or 20 minutes in the freezer).
4. Making syrup
- While the batter is chilling, mix all the ingredients (sugar, anise, cinnamon, and cloves) with a cup of water and simmer over very low heat until the liquid has reduced to half. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Set aside.
5. Frying
- Heat oil over medium heat in a 1 qt [1 lt] saucepan. Scoop batter with a small spoon, shape into a roundish ball using a second small spoon. Place it into the hot oil, being careful with hot oil splatters. Scoop 3 more balls and place into the oil.Fry four balls at a time until they turn golden brown all over (turn if needed), and you've used up the batter.Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
6. Serving
Place them still warm into 4 small bowls or dessert glasses, pour equal amount of syrup over them. Serve immediately.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More yuca recipes
Yuca is one of our favorite and most ancient ingredients, so we have a great collection of yuca recipes for you to enjoy. We love it boiled, made into bread, fried, or made into fritters - among other things. If you want to try another yuca recipes, tried our yuca pudding.
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