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Loading...Tortas fritas are a beloved Honduran street-food classic: simple flour-based dough circles fried until puffed and golden brown, then dusted with sugar or drizzled with honey. They are crisp at the edges, tender and pillowy in the middle, and traditionally enjoyed with a cup of coffee or a mug of warm atol.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings (about 12 small cakes)
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 380 kcalCalories
- 18 gFat
- 5 gSaturated Fat
- 50 gCarbs
- 2 gFiber
- 9 gSugar
- 8 gProtein
- 320 mgSodium
- 120 mgPotassium
- 80 mgCalcium
- 3 mgIron
- 0 mgVitamin C
- 50 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For frying and finishing
- 3 cups neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), for frying
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for dusting
- Ground cinnamon, for finishing (optional)
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Add the softened butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk and vanilla, then pour into the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms; turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute until smooth.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, then flatten each one into a round disc about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches across, using a rolling pin or your palm.
- Heat the oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet to 350°F (175°C), checking with a thermometer so the cakes cook through without burning.
- Fry the dough discs in small batches of 3 to 4 at a time for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, flipping once when the underside is deep golden, until puffed and cooked through.
- Lift the cakes out with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- While still warm, toss each batch with the dusting sugar (and a pinch of cinnamon if using), then transfer to a wire rack so they stay crisp at the edges.
- Serve immediately, either plain or drizzled with warm honey, alongside strong coffee or hot chocolate for the classic Honduran experience.
Cook’s Notes
- Keep the oil steady at 350°F (175°C); too cool and the cakes absorb grease, too hot and they brown before cooking inside.
- For a savory Honduran twist, knead 1/2 cup of crumbled queso fresco into the dough and skip the sugar for a cheese-stuffed version.
- Resting the shaped discs on a tray for 5 minutes before frying helps them puff more evenly in the oil.
- Leftover cakes can be refreshed in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to recapture their crisp edges.
- Drizzling with warm honey, cream, or a thin syrup of panela (unrefined cane sugar) turns these into a true dessert treat.
