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Piloncillo-Filled Coyotas

Name: Piloncillo-Filled Coyotas
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 300 g Piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar); 0.5 tsp Salt; 150 g Lard; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon

50 min (30 prep + 20 cook) Easy 12 servings Sonora

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 12 May 2026

Sonoran wheat pastry filled with caramelised piloncillo, crisp and treacly.

About this recipe

Piloncillo coyotas are the most rustic and authentic version of this Sonoran sweet pastry: two thin wheat flour discs sealed with grated piloncillo that caramelises during baking, leaving the inside slightly molten and the outside crisp. They are the most popular sweet pastry in Hermosillo, sold at artisan bakeries from six in the morning. The simplicity of their ingredients contrasts with their deep flavour of molasses, cinnamon and toasted flour.

History & Origin

Coyotas are the baking pride of Sonora, considered by Sonorans to be as representative of the state as carne asada burritos or Mennonite cheese. Their origin dates to the seventeenth century, when Jesuit missions in north-western Mexico cultivated wheat on the fertile plains of the Yaqui and Sonora rivers. The friars introduced European breadmaking techniques that the Yaqui, Mayo and Pima peoples adopted and adapted with local sweeteners: piloncillo from sugarcane and agave honey. The result was this flat, simple and extraordinarily tasty pastry that required no brick oven — just a clay griddle. The basic coyota is pure piloncillo, but over time variants emerged: cajeta, sweet potato, walnut and combinations. In the traditional bakeries of Hermosillo, Ciudad Obregón and Navojoa, coyotas are made by hand every pre-dawn and are the breakfast of Sonorans with black coffee or warm milk.

Estimated cost

£6.00

Total cost

£0.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

245

Calories

3.5g

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

Fat

0.8g

Fibre

180mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Make the dough: mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the cold lard cut into cubes and work with your fingers until you achieve a sandy texture. Add the cold water gradually and knead briefly until you have a smooth dough that does not stick. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
💡 Do not over-knead or the pastry will be tough.
2
Prepare the filling: finely grate or crumble the piloncillo. Mix with the ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
3
Divide the dough into 24 equal balls. Flatten each ball with a rolling pin or your palm into very thin discs about 10 cm in diameter. Use flour if the dough sticks.
4
Place a disc on a floured surface. Add a heaped tablespoon of piloncillo in the centre, leaving a 1 cm border. Dampen the edge with a little water and place another disc on top. Press the edges firmly to seal, crimping with your fingers.
5
Preheat the oven to 190°C or heat a heavy griddle over medium-low heat. If using the oven, place the coyotas on an ungreased baking tray and bake for 18–22 minutes until lightly golden. If using a griddle, cook for 8 minutes per side.
💡 Do not over-brown: they should be pale with light golden spots.
6
Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes. The piloncillo filling will be liquid when they come out of the oven but will solidify as they cool. Serve warm.
💡 If eating straight from the oven, be careful: the liquid piloncillo is very hot.