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Cheese Fritter Balls

Name: Cheese Fritter Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 pinch Salt; 3 cdas Icing sugar; 150 g Fresh cheese; 100 g Piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar); 180 ml Warm water; 1 cdita Sugar; 500 ml Vegetable oil; 200 g Masa harina (nixtamalised maize flour)

30 min (15 prep + 15 cook) Easy 5 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Fried maize and fresh cheese balls, crispy on the outside and soft within.

About this recipe

Cheese fritter balls are crispy fried rounds made from a dough of nixtamalised maize flour mixed with crumbled fresh cheese. They are fried until golden and slightly puffed, with the cheese melting inside and creating pockets of flavour in every bite. Popular across Mexico as a snack, dessert or teatime treat, they are served dusted with sugar or drizzled with piloncillo syrup, guava syrup or vanilla ice cream.

History & Origin

Buñuelos have Spanish and Arabic roots that arrived in Mexico during the colonial period. The original buñuelo was a flat wheat flour fritter typical of Christmas, but in Mexico it evolved into dozens of regional variants: the round Oaxacan buñuelo, the knee-rolled Guerrero buñuelo, the Veracruz wind buñuelo, and the cheese buñuelo found nationwide. Adding cheese is a wholly Mexican adaptation that turns the sweet into an irresistible sweet-savoury bite. At Christmas markets it is traditional to smash the clay plate it is served on to make a wish - a custom that persists in Oaxaca and Mexico City. Today cheese fritter balls are eaten year-round as a festive snack.

Estimated cost

£5.00

Total cost

£1.00

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

350

Calories

Protein

40g

Carbohydrates

20g

Fat

Fibre

150mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Mix 200 g masa harina (nixtamalised maize flour) with 150 g crumbled fresh cheese, 1 tsp sugar, a pinch of salt and enough warm water to form a soft dough that doesn't stick to your hands (approx. 180 ml).
💡 The dough should be firm but pliable. If it cracks when rolling, add a little more water.
2
Take portions of dough and roll into balls the size of a walnut. You should get 20-25 balls.
3
Heat plenty of vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to 170°C. Fry in batches of 5-6 for 4-5 minutes until golden and slightly puffed.
💡 Gently stir with a slotted spoon for even browning.
4
Drain on kitchen paper. Dust with icing sugar or cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately on their own or with piloncillo syrup.
💡 For piloncillo syrup: dissolve 100 g piloncillo in 100 ml water over medium heat until a thick syrup forms.