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Suspiros de Monja (Nun's Sighs Fried Pastry Puffs)

Name: Suspiros de Monja (Nun's Sighs Fried Pastry Puffs)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 500 ml Vegetable oil for frying; 150 g Plain flour; 3 Eggs; 2 tbsp Caster sugar; 150 g Piloncillo (dark cane sugar); 1 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp Star anise or anise seeds; 1 palo Cinnamon stick; 30 g Butter; 0.25 tsp Salt

40 min (20 prep + 20 cook) Easy 6 servings Puebla

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Fried light dough puffs drenched in piloncillo syrup — a Pueblan convent sweet.

About this recipe

Suspiros de monja are a convent delicacy from Puebla: small balls of choux-style dough or egg batter fried in hot oil until golden and hollow, drenched in piloncillo syrup with cinnamon and anise. They are crisp on the outside and almost empty inside, with that ethereal texture that justifies their romantic name. They are Mexican cousins of buñuelos, churros and profiteroles, and are prepared especially for patron saint festivals and Day of the Dead celebrations.

History & Origin

The convent sweets of Puebla are a gastronomic heritage unique in Mexico and the world. During the colonial era, the convents of the bishopric of Puebla - especially the Convento de Santa Mónica, the Convento de la Santísima Trinidad and the Convento de Santa Catalina de Siena - became the main centres of sweet-making in New Spain, developing recipes that combined European confectionery techniques with American ingredients such as piloncillo, vanilla, cinnamon and chillies. Suspiros de monja belong to the family of convent sweets that evoked the afternoon prayers and contemplation of the nuns: small, ephemeral, light as a sigh. The technique of frying beaten egg dough predates the French choux but is very similar, and has remained practically unchanged since the seventeenth century. In Puebla, suspiros de monja are sold today in the traditional sweet shops on Calle 6 Oriente, near the cathedral, where the original convent recipes continue to be respected with pride.

Estimated cost

£4.00

Total cost

£0.67

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

260

Calories

Protein

38g

Carbohydrates

10g

Fat

0.5g

Fibre

100mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Make the syrup: dissolve the piloncillo in water with the cinnamon and anise over medium heat, stirring until you have a light syrup. Cook for 10 minutes. Keep warm.
2
Make the dough: mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix until you have a smooth, sticky dough that falls in ribbons from the spoon.
3
Heat plenty of oil in a deep frying pan to 170°C. Using two wet spoons, form walnut-sized balls of dough and gently drop them into the hot oil.
4
Fry the puffs in small batches, turning them with a wooden spoon so they brown evenly on all sides, 3–4 minutes. They are ready when they are golden and floating. Drain on kitchen paper.
5
Serve the puffs hot, generously drenched in the piloncillo syrup. Dust with ground cinnamon on top. Eat immediately, before they lose their crunch.