Pestiños (Andalusian Honey Fritters)
Crisp, bubbly ribbons of wine and olive oil dough, fried and soaked in warm honey. An Andalusian Christmas favourite.
- Time1 hr 15
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.42 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Warm the olive oil gently with the orange zest and aniseed for 3 minutes. Leave to cool a little.
3 min - 2
Mix the flour, sesame seeds and salt in a bowl. Pour in the infused oil and wine and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 3 minutes, then rest under a cloth for 30 minutes.
30 min - 3
Roll the dough out as thinly as you can, about 2 mm. Cut into strips 4 cm wide and 12 cm long. Fold the two ends to the middle and pinch together to make a bow shape.
- 4
Heat the sunflower oil in a deep pan to 180°C (160°C fan) or until a scrap of dough sizzles at once. Fry the pestiños in batches for 1 to 2 minutes until puffed and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
- 5
Warm the honey, water and cinnamon stick in a wide pan for 3 minutes. Take off the heat.
3 min - 6
Dip each pestiño in the warm honey for a few seconds, turn, then lift out onto a rack. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm or cool.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
