Chilean-Style Sopapillas, or Pumpkin Fritters

By
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes
Marian Blazes is a freelance writer and recipe developer with a passion for South American food. She wrote a cookbook focusing on the cuisine of Brazil.
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Updated on 08/10/19
A plate of sopapillas

Vcr2012 / Wikimedia Commons
Prep: 80 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 95 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
296 Calories
14g Fat
42g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 296
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 19%
Saturated Fat 4g 22%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 289mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Protein 2g
Calcium 74mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chilean-style sopapillas are fried rounds of pumpkin-spiced dough drenched in a brown sugar syrup.

They make a delicious fall breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee. Sopapillas, a cousin of Peruvian picarones, are traditionally eaten on rainy winter days in Chile.

If you can find chancaca, a type of firm dark brown sugar, which is a byproduct of sugar cane processing, these will taste even more authentic. These sopapillas are authentic with their special syrup, but if you're short on time, serve them warm with ​a dusting of ​​powdered sugar.

Ingredients

  • For the Sopapillas:
  • 1 small sugar pumpkin
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter (melted)
  • 1 bottle vegetable oil for frying
  • For the Syrup:
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar (or grated chancaca)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 small orange

Steps to Make It

Bake the Pumpkin

  1. Slice the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy parts. Reserve the seeds if desired for roasting.

  2. Rub a baking pan with the vegetable oil and place the pumpkin halves cut-side down in the pan.

  3. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 375 F. or until the pumpkin is soft and can be pierced with a fork. 

  4. Scrape the pumpkin out of the shell and press through a food mill or potato ricer. You will need 1 cup of packed pumpkin.

Make the Sopapillas

  1. Stir the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar in a bowl.

  2. Add the melted butter and pumpkin and mix.

  3. Add water gradually, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough is smooth.

  4. Knead the dough gently until well-mixed.

  5. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.

  6. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes, then cut out pieces with a 4-inch round cutter and prick the rounds with a fork several times.

  7. Heat several inches of oil in a deep skillet or deep-fat fryer to 350 F.

  8. Fry the sopapillas in batches, turning once, until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels. 

Make the Syrup

  1. Heat 1 cup brown sugar with 3/4 cup water, the cinnamon sticks, and cloves. 

  2. Quarter the orange and add to the sugar mixture. 

  3. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. 

  4. Strain and keep warm.

Serve the Sopapillas

  1. Serve the sopapillas warm, dipped in the syrup, with extra syrup on the side, as desired.

Roast the Seeds If Desired

The pumpkin seeds make a great snack, and you can roast them simultaneously with the pumpkin. Wash and dry the seeds and toss them in the baking pan with the pumpkin. Check frequently and remove the seeds when they are golden brown―the seeds will roast more quickly than the pumpkin. Toss the seeds with salt and store in an airtight container.