Buñuelos Cubanos (Yuca and Malanga Fritters in Anise Syrup)
Figure-eight fritters made from mashed yuca and malanga, fried until golden and drenched in a warm syrup scented with anise, cinnamon and lime. A Cuban Christmas tradition.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Boil the roots
Put the and in a pot, cover with water by about 5 cm, and add the anise seeds and salt. Boil for 25 minutes until very tender, then drain, remove any woody fibres from the , mash until smooth, and let cool.
- 400 g
- 300 g
- 1 tsp anise seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 L water
✅ Done when: roots are fork-tender and mash into a smooth, lump-free puree
Make the anise syrup
Simmer the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, lime peel and star anise together for 10 minutes until it turns slightly syrupy. Stir in the lime juice and keep the syrup warm.
- 300 g sugar
- 250 ml water, for the syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- peel of 1 lime lime peel
- 1 star anise
- juice of 1 lime lime juice
✅ Done when: syrup thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon
Make the dough
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Shape figure eights
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Fry
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Soak and serve
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Boil the roots
Put the and in a pot, cover with water by about 5 cm, and add the anise seeds and salt. Boil for 25 minutes until very tender, then drain, remove any woody fibres from the , mash until smooth, and let cool.
- 400 g
- 300 g
- 1 tsp anise seeds
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 L water
✅ Done when: roots are fork-tender and mash into a smooth, lump-free puree
Make the anise syrup
Simmer the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, lime peel and star anise together for 10 minutes until it turns slightly syrupy. Stir in the lime juice and keep the syrup warm.
- 300 g sugar
- 250 ml water, for the syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- peel of 1 lime lime peel
- 1 star anise
- juice of 1 lime lime juice
✅ Done when: syrup thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon
Make the dough
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Shape figure eights
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Fry
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Soak and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Buñuelos arrived from Spain, but in Cuba they're made from yuca and malanga instead of wheat dough, giving them a unique chewy texture. The figure-eight shape is traditional.
They're the sweet of Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and the end-of-year holidays.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Crisp, chewy and soaked in fragrant syrup, they taste like a Cuban Christmas.
💡 Fun Fact
Shaping the eights is often a family job, with grandmothers teaching children the trick of the twist.
All over Cuba
23.11°N, -82.37°W
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