This cuñapé frito is like a savory donut. Made with cassava starch and a lot of cheese, it is a good gluten-free snack.

Cuñapé is a recipe from eastern Bolivia where cassava abounds. In this case cassava starch is used, which is a white powder extracted from the cassava root.

There are three ways to prepare cuñapé; baked, fried and abizcochado (double baked), kind of like a biscotti, firm and crunchy and need to be dunked in a drink.

The three kinds of cuñapé use the same ingredients, but in different quantities, which gives them different textures. The main ingredients are cassava starch, lots of cheese, eggs, milk and butter.

Bolivian cheese is dry, and very salty. If you do not have a cheese like that, replace it with mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. Try to avoid fresh cheeses which has more liquid.

The dough for cuñapé comes together pretty quickly. The texture reminds me of playdough.

For this fried cuñapé, the kneading is very important. As I mentioned, this dough has a different texture compare to bread made with regular flour. I recommend that you separate your dough into 10 equal portions first, and then knead each individual portion. You need to press the dough with the palm of your hand and move it away from your body while still pressing. Bring the dough together again. Do this 3 or 4 times.

If your dough is well kneaded, when making a rope it will not come apart. Make a rope and join the ends together to make a ring. The rings need to be thin, the thickness of your finger. It is important to place the rings on a silicone mat or a cotton towel, otherwise they´ll stick to the surface and fall apart when removed.

After frying, the cuñapé comes out crispy on the outside and very spongy on the inside. In Bolivia it is accompanied with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and served as a snack. I like to dunk mine in some molasses.

Note: This recipe was published for the first time on March 12th, 2012 on my old blog. As we celebrate Bolivia’s independence in the month of August, I thought it was a good time to update my Bolivian recipes.

If you liked the recipe above, please consider rating the recipe and leaving a comment below! and share your picture on Instagram with the hashtag #chipabythedozen

More Bolivian recipes:

Pan de Arroz (Bolivian Gluten-Free Bread)

Majadito Batido de Pollo (Bolivian Chicken and Rice)

Sonso de Yuca Frito (Cheesy and Fluffy Bolivian Pancake)

Rollo de Queso Picante – Spicy Bolivian Bread

Baked Cuñapé (Bolivian Bread)

Llajua (Bolivian Spicy Sauce)

Cuñapé Frito (Bolivian Cheesy Fried Donut)

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Cuñapé Frito (Bolivian Cheesy Fried Donut)

This cuñapé frito is like a savory donut. Made with cassava starch and a lot of cheese, it is a good gluten-free snack.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time12

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: Bolivian

Servings:

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Lizet Bowen

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cheese (250g)
2 cups cassava starch (244g)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 egg
1 teaspoon of salt
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
2 cup oil for frying

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
Knead one portion at a time. You need to press the dough with the palm of your hand and move it away from your body while still pressing. Bring the dough together again. Do this 3 or 4 times.
Form a rope, join the ends forming a ring. Set the rings on a cotton towel and repeat with the rest of the dough.
Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium heat. If the oil is very hot, the cuñapé will crack and the oil will splash.
Cook each cuñapé for 1 minute each side, or until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot.

Notes

The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Different cassava starch brands absorb liquid differently. Start with 2 tablespoons of milk. If your dough doesn´t come together add an extra tablespoon of milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal

Comments

Mariflor Navía

April 23, 2020 at 4:22 pm

Hola Lizet, me alegra encontrar una receta de cuñapé con todo claro (sin "lo necesario", "ni muy seco ni muy húmedo", "horno caliente" - a qué temperatura? cuánto tiempo?). Durante la cuarentena quiero experimentar con las diferentes formas que mencionas.
Una duda: en la versión frita entra el doble de queso que en la horneada? Voy a usar un queso tipo menonita (soy boliviana, estoy viviendo en Sucre).
Gracias,
Mariflor
P.S. Has posteado la versión abizcochada? Looking forward.

- Lizet
  
  April 23, 2020 at 8:42 pm
  
  😅 cómo me frustran esas rectas. Pero la verdad que depende de qué tan húmedo es tu queso. Si es fresco y tiene mas líquido, necesitas menos leche. Si es bien seco, más leche. 🤷‍♀️
  Puedes poner el doble de queso con esta receta también. Pero si lo haces, varía nuevamente la cantidad de leche que necesitas. Y si tu queso tiene mucho líquido, más almidón. 😬
  El abizcochado se viene para agosto! Cuando publico recetas bolivianas para celebrar el día de independencia 😊
  Espero que te salga bien.
  Si tienes tiempo, cuéntame de algunos platos típicos de Sucre, y vemos si podemos publicar alguno acá 😊
  
  - Mariflor
    
    May 24, 2020 at 12:29 am
    
    Hola Lizet,
    Al fin hice los cuñapés pero al horno (el panorama de tener que limpiar la cocina después de freír me desanimó de los fritos). Salieron muy sabrosos. Ya me animaré a hacerlos fritos.
    En cuanto a los platos típicos de Sucre, la ciudad es famosa por sus picantes. Los de lengua y de cola son mis favoritos. También hay otros platos riquísimos y famosos como los chorizos chuquisaqueños, el k'arapecho, la sullka... mmmm!. También están los famosos helados del parque Bolívar con café y natas - aaahhh... Se abre el apetito!
  - Lizet
    
    May 24, 2020 at 7:42 pm
    
    Me alegro que te salió bien. Sí, yo tampoco hago seguido el frito, justamente por eso.
    La verdad que nunca he escuchado de los platos de Sucre. Me encantaría charlar más para aprender y ver si podemos compartir algunas en el blog.
    Si te animas, me puedes escribir a lizet @chipabythedozen.com por favor.
Paula desde Canada

March 04, 2019 at 1:06 am

Thank you for this excellent recipe!! I used feta cheese and they came out great. The only variation I made was to use only one egg as it was all I had. The result: crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Definitely a keeper.
Gracias por la deliciosa receta!! Yo usé queso feta y salieron muy bien. La única variación que hice fue usar un solo huevo ya que era lo único que tenía. El resultado: crujientes por fuera y esponjosos en el centro. Me guardo esta receta.

- Lizet Flores de Bowen
  
  March 04, 2019 at 2:29 pm
  
  I'm so happy you liked this recipe Paula! Me alegro que te salieron bien 🙂
  
GSK

February 28, 2018 at 9:16 pm

Hi - what's the best cheese to use in these? Trying to recreate the hard cuñapés from horneados unicos de luz marina! Gracias!

- Lizet Flores de Bowen
  
  March 01, 2018 at 10:53 pm
  
  Hi there! use some kind of hard cheese. Fresh cheese doesn´t work because it has too much water. This recipe is for fried cuñape, and they are soft. Are you looking for cuñapé abizcochado?
  
Lizet

August 18, 2015 at 5:55 pm

Alguien me dijo que había hecho con harina de papas. Pero no sé si tendría el mismo resultado.

Cynthia Jones

August 06, 2015 at 1:15 pm

nunca probe el cuñape, me animare a hacer. Gracias por compartir tus recetas Lizzy

Ahogada en la variedad

June 11, 2014 at 10:07 am

Mi dilema...encontrar almidón de yuca 🙁

Marleny Rodríguez Ch.

September 05, 2013 at 12:05 am

Que delicia...no hay nada como un CUÑAPE a la hora del té y compartir junto a los amigos o junto a la familia para FORTALECERSE.