Pestiños (Andalusian Honey Fritters)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pastries doughnuts Medium

Crisp bows of wine- and olive oil-enriched dough fried until blistered, then coated in honey syrup or cinnamon sugar. Makes 30 pestiños in about 1 hr 40 min.

Prep 45 min

Cook 25 min

Cooling 30 min

Total 1 hr 40 min

Yield 30 pestiños

Ingredients

Adjust yield

pestiños

3 ¼ cups (400 g)all-purpose flour
1 cup (240 ml)dry white wine, warm
½ cup (120 ml)olive oil, for the dough
1orange peel, wide strips, no white pith
2whole cloves
3 tbsp (25 g)toasted sesame seeds
1 pinchsalt
4 ¼ cups (1000 ml)oil for frying
½ cup (170 g)honey
¼ cup (60 ml)hot water

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Instructions

Fry the orange peel in the olive oil over medium heat until golden, then remove the peel and let the oil cool.
Grind the sesame seeds and cloves, then mix them with the flour and salt.
Add the warm wine and strained cooled oil and knead into a smooth, soft dough, adding flour if it sticks. Rest 30 minutes.
Pinch walnut-sized balls and roll each very thin. Bring the two opposite ends to the middle and press to make a bow.
Heat the frying oil to 350 F (175 C). Fry a few at a time for about 30 to 60 seconds until golden and blistered, then drain.
Stir the honey and hot water together. Dip the cooled pestiños in the syrup, let excess drip off, and set on a rack.

Tips

Keep the oil at 350 F or they will be greasy.
Cinnamon sugar is a classic alternative to honey; toss while hot.
Roll thin so they stay crisp.
Fry only with a thermometer at 350 F (175 C) and never leave hot oil unattended.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make pestiños (andalusian honey fritters)?

Plan on 45 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 30 pestiños.

How should I store pestiños (andalusian honey fritters)?

Store airtight at room temperature up to 5 days.

Can I make pestiños (andalusian honey fritters) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

An Andalusian fried sweet linked to Moorish pastries, made at Christmas and during Holy Week. Serve it with coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 30 servings this recipe makes.

189 Calories / serving

12.2g Fat

16.6g Carbs

1.5g Protein

5.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (30 servings): ~5670 cal · 366g fat · 498g carbs · 45g protein · 174g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.