Argentine Fried Sugar Puffs

Suspiros de monja are a beloved homemade dessert in Argentine kitchens: small pieces of fried dough, light and hollow inside, rolled in cinnamon sugar the moment they come out of the hot oil.

Their name points to the convent origins of this type of pastry, a legacy of Spanish baking traditions that took on local forms across Latin America. In Argentina they’re especially popular during the colder months, served as part of the family merienda alongside mate or coffee with milk.

Argentine Fried Sugar Puffs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

• Author: Recetas123
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 35
• Yield: 24 pieces
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

---

Ingredients

• 250 ml water of water (1 cup)
• 100 g butter of unsalted butter (7 tablespoons)
• 1 pinch salt of salt
• 150 g all-purpose flour of all-purpose flour (1 heaping cup)
• 4 eggs of large eggs
• 1 liter vegetable oil of vegetable oil (4 cups, for frying)
• 100 g sugar of granulated sugar (1/2 cup, for coating)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon of ground cinnamon (optional)

---

Instructions

1. Make the base dough, in a medium saucepan combine the water, butter, and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat until the butter has fully melted.
2. Add the flour, remove the pot from the heat, add all the flour at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until you get a smooth dough that pulls away from the sides of the pot.
3. Beat in the eggs, return the dough to low heat for a few seconds to dry it out slightly, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until you get a glossy, smooth dough similar to choux pastry.
4. Fry the puffs, heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat and, using two spoons, scoop small portions of dough and carefully slide them into the hot oil, frying in batches until they puff up and turn evenly golden on all sides.
5. Drain and coat, remove the puffs with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to remove excess oil, then, while still warm, roll them in the cinnamon sugar until fully coated.
6. Serve, arrange the suspiros de monja on a platter and enjoy them freshly made, when they’re crispiest on the outside and softest inside.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the oil at medium temperature, not too hot and not lukewarm, so the puffs cook through before the outside browns too quickly.
• If the oil is too hot, the dough will brown fast on the outside while staying raw in the center.
• Roll the puffs in sugar while they’re still warm so it sticks better.
• Perfume the sugar with a bit of lemon or orange zest for extra aroma.

Traditional variations

• Some families add a spoonful of sugar to the base dough for a slightly sweeter result.
• Some homemade versions fill the cooled puffs with dulce de leche through a small side incision.

How to Enjoy This Recipe

Suspiros de monja are served freshly made, still warm, lightly coated in cinnamon sugar, piled onto a platter or a basket lined with a cloth napkin.

Recommended sides

• Mate
• Coffee with milk
• Black tea

Origin and Tradition

The name suspiros de monja points to the convent origins of many traditional fried pastry recipes, once made by nuns across different Spanish-speaking regions as a way to use simple, inexpensive ingredients.

Over time, the recipe spread as a homemade treat in several countries, and in Argentina it became a wintertime dessert, common at family merienda gatherings shared over mate.