Bolas de Fraile Filled with Dulce de Leche 🍩🥛
Today I’m sharing a delicious recipe for Bolas de Fraile filled with dulce de leche—soft, fluffy, golden fried pastries with a generous creamy filling inside.
These traditional treats are especially popular in Argentina and Uruguay, where they’re often enjoyed with coffee or mate. They’re wonderfully soft on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, coated in sugar, and filled with irresistible dulce de leche.
Ingredients
Makes about 14–16 bolas de fraile
For the Dough
- 500 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g instant or active dry yeast
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 200 ml warm milk
- 2 large eggs
- 60 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon or ½ orange, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
For Frying & Filling
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
- Granulated sugar, for coating
- 400–500 g dulce de leche
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Activate the Yeast
In a small bowl, combine the warm milk with the yeast, 1 teaspoon of the sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the flour.
Stir gently and let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes foamy on the surface.
2. Make the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, optional citrus zest, and the activated yeast mixture.
Mix until the ingredients begin to come together into a dough.
3. Add the Butter
Begin kneading the dough while gradually adding the softened butter a little at a time.
Continue kneading for approximately 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, soft, and very tender.
The dough should feel soft rather than stiff.
4. Shape the Balls
Divide the dough into approximately 14–16 portions, about 55–60 g each.
Shape each portion into a smooth, round ball, making sure the surface is nice and tight.
5. Second Rise
Place the dough balls on a lightly oiled surface or parchment-lined tray, leaving some space between them.
Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let them rise for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until noticeably puffy.
They should look light and well-risen before frying.
6. Fry the Bolas de Fraile
Heat a generous amount of neutral vegetable oil to approximately 165–170°C (330–340°F).
Carefully fry the dough balls in batches of 2–3 at a time, depending on the size of your pot.
Fry for about 2–3 minutes per side, turning them as needed, until they are evenly golden brown and cooked through.
Avoid overcrowding the pot, as this can cause the oil temperature to drop.
7. Coat with Sugar
Remove the fried pastries from the oil and let them drain briefly on paper towels.
While they’re still warm, roll each one generously in granulated sugar until completely coated.
8. Fill with Dulce de Leche
Allow the bolas de fraile to cool slightly.
Make a small opening on the side of each pastry using a knife or the tip of a piping nozzle.
Transfer the dulce de leche to a piping bag fitted with a long filling tip.
Pipe a generous amount of dulce de leche into each pastry.
Don’t be shy with the filling—the creamy center is what makes these pastries so irresistible! 😍
Tips for Perfect Bolas de Fraile
- Make sure your milk is warm, not hot, when activating the yeast.
- Knead the dough thoroughly to develop its elasticity and create a soft, fluffy texture.
- Don’t skip the rising time. Properly risen dough produces lighter pastries.
- Keep the frying oil around 165–170°C (330–340°F). If the oil is too hot, the outside can brown before the center cooks.
- Fry in small batches to maintain a steady oil temperature.
- Fill the pastries once they’ve cooled slightly but are still fresh.
- For easier piping, use dulce de leche that’s smooth and soft enough to squeeze through the piping bag.
How to Serve
Bolas de fraile are delicious served fresh with a cup of coffee, tea, or mate.
They’re especially tempting when the outside is still slightly warm, the sugar coating is soft, and you bite through the fluffy pastry into that rich dulce de leche center. 🍩❤️
Soft, Golden & Filled with Dulce de Leche!
These homemade bolas de fraile are the kind of treat that disappears quickly. The dough is tender and fluffy, the outside is golden and sugar-coated, and every bite has a delicious surprise of creamy dulce de leche.
Would you fill yours with dulce de leche, pastry cream, or jam? 😍
