Colombian buñuelos are round cheese fritters with a golden crust and a tender center. The cheese is mixed into the dough, so every bite carries its savory flavor.
They are especially popular at Christmas alongside natilla, but they also make a warming breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee or hot chocolate. This guide focuses on the two details that matter most: a dough that holds its shape and controlled frying temperature.
Jump to Recipe · Frying and Dough Tips
What Makes Colombian Buñuelos Different?
Colombian buñuelos use cheese and starches to make round fritters. They are different from the thin, sweet buñuelos found in some other Latin American traditions. Queso costeño, a salty Colombian white cheese, gives this version its characteristic flavor.
Rather than adding a separate cheese filling, finely grate the cheese and work it throughout the dough. Large lumps make it harder to roll a smooth, even ball.
Ingredients and Equipment That Matter
- Queso costeño: Use the cheese specified below when possible. Fresh cheeses vary in moisture and saltiness, so the amount of milk is deliberately flexible.
- Cornstarch and tapioca starch: These are the starches in this recipe. Choose tapioca starch, sometimes labeled tapioca flour; whole cassava flour is a different product. Cornmeal and ordinary wheat flour are not equivalent substitutes.
- Milk: Add it gradually. Stop when the dough holds a smooth ball; do not pour in the maximum amount automatically.
- A kitchen scale: Weighing the cheese and starches avoids the variation that comes from packing grated cheese into cups.
- A frying thermometer and deep, heavy pot: Checking the oil is more dependable than judging its temperature from bubbling or a fixed stove setting.
Can I Use Feta or Queso Fresco?
A mixture of feta and queso fresco is used in Erica Dinho’s buñuelos recipe. Her formula has different starch and cheese quantities. If you need that substitution, use a complete recipe developed for those cheeses rather than assuming every cheese will behave identically in this one. Mozzarella is not a guaranteed direct replacement.
How to Make Colombian Buñuelos
Makes 15 buñuelos. Allow approximately 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to fry in batches. These are planning estimates, not independently kitchen-tested timings.
Ingredients
- 200 g queso costeño, finely grated
- 200 g cornstarch
- 30 g tapioca starch (not whole cassava flour)
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- Milk, added 1 tablespoon at a time only as needed (up to about 3/4 cup; you may need much less)
- Neutral vegetable oil, enough for deep-frying
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Mix the finely grated cheese, cornstarch, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder and egg. Add milk gradually only until the dough is smooth, pliable and holds a ball without slumping.
- Divide into 15 equal portions and roll into smooth balls. Keep the sizes consistent.
- Heat oil in a deep, heavy pot to 300–320°F (150–160°C), checking with a frying thermometer. Leave ample room for the oil to rise; do not fill the pot more than halfway.
- Carefully lower one test ball into the oil. Fry until golden, about 10–12 minutes, turning as needed. Remove, cool briefly and cut open: the center should be set, with no wet dough. Adjust heat or cooking time before frying the rest. Never taste raw dough.
- Fry the remaining balls in small batches at the same temperature, leaving space for expansion. Drain on paper towels and serve warm once cool enough to eat.
Troubleshooting the Dough and Frying
Why Is My Dough Too Sticky?
First, stop adding milk. Check that you used starch, not a different flour, and that the cheese was finely grated. Add a little cornstarch at a time only if necessary to make the dough hold its shape. Large additions change the recipe and can leave the fritters dense; avoid repeatedly adding starch and milk back and forth.
Why Does the Dough Crack When I Roll It?
If it crumbles or splits as you shape it, work in a small amount of milk and try again. Aim for an even surface without deep seams. Do not add extra liquid once the balls are smooth and stable.
Why Are My Buñuelos Dark Outside but Raw Inside?
Check the thermometer and the size of the balls. Oil that is too hot can brown the crust before the center sets. Keep the oil at 300–320°F (150–160°C), make equal portions, and check the cut center of the test fritter before committing the whole batch. Browning alone does not establish doneness.
Why Are They Greasy or Splitting?
Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and makes turning difficult. Fry a few at a time and allow the temperature to recover between batches. Excessive heat, uneven dough or large cheese pieces can also cause problems. Lower each ball carefully with a suitable utensil; never drop it from a height or add water to hot oil.
Season with a cooked sample: This dough contains raw egg. Let the test fritter cool enough to taste before deciding whether the batch needs any additional seasoning.
What to Serve With Buñuelos
Serve them warm with Colombian natilla, Colombian coffee or hot chocolate. For a sweeter accompaniment, offer a little arequipe, Colombia’s milk caramel, on the side.
Storage and Reheating
Buñuelos have their best texture freshly fried. Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container and use within 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot throughout; the time depends on size. This is a reheating temperature, not the frying temperature. The texture will not be identical to a freshly cooked batch.
Avoid refrying frozen buñuelos in hot oil. For a gathering, prepare your ingredients and equipment ahead and plan to fry near serving time.
Helpful Ingredients and Tools
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If you need equipment, a deep-fry thermometer on Amazon helps you monitor the oil, while a digital kitchen scale helps you measure the starches and cheese. You can also compare tapioca starch options; read the ingredient label before buying.
Printable Colombian Buñuelos Recipe
The card below matches the ingredient list and method above. The proportions are adapted from Vecina Vegetariana’s Colombian buñuelos, with frying guidance cross-checked against My Colombian Recipes. This adaptation has not been independently kitchen-tested by AmigoFoods.
Colombian Buñuelos (Cheese Fritters)
Colombian cheese fritters with a golden crust. Weigh the starches and cheese, add milk gradually, and fry a test fritter before cooking the full batch.
Ingredients
- 200 g queso costeño, finely grated
- 200 g cornstarch
- 30 g tapioca starch (not whole cassava flour)
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg
- Milk, added 1 tablespoon at a time only as needed (up to about 3/4 cup; you may need much less)
- Neutral vegetable oil, enough for deep-frying
Instructions
- Mix the finely grated cheese, cornstarch, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder and egg. Add milk gradually only until the dough is smooth, pliable and holds a ball without slumping.
- Divide into 15 equal portions and roll into smooth balls. Keep the sizes consistent.
- Heat oil in a deep, heavy pot to 300–320°F (150–160°C), checking with a frying thermometer. Leave ample room for the oil to rise; do not fill the pot more than halfway.
- Carefully lower one test ball into the oil. Fry until golden, about 10–12 minutes, turning as needed. Remove, cool briefly and cut open: the center should be set, with no wet dough. Adjust heat or cooking time before frying the rest. Never taste raw dough.
- Fry the remaining balls in small batches at the same temperature, leaving space for expansion. Drain on paper towels and serve warm once cool enough to eat.
Notes
Recipe proportions adapted from Vecina Vegetariana’s Colombian buñuelos; frying guidance also cross-checked against My Colombian Recipes. This version has not been independently kitchen-tested by AmigoFoods. Prep and total cooking times are estimates; the number of batches and cheese moisture affect timing.
Use a kitchen scale for the cheese and starches. Queso costeño is salty, so no extra salt is listed. Milk is an adjustment, not a quantity to pour in all at once. The cheese is mixed into the dough, not used as a separate filling.
More Colombian Foods to Explore
Make natilla to accompany your buñuelos, or browse our Colombian food guides and recipes for your next dish.
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.