Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists

Taco Bell’s cinnamon twists are well-loved and for good reason. They are crunchy, fluffy, and beautifully seasoned. The only issue is that you have to drive all the way there to eat them! And if you are getting the food to go, the twists won’t be as good as when they were made fresh. 

Luckily, these cinnamon twists are easy to make at home, so you never have to worry about getting soggy cinnamon twists again. This Taco Bell copycat recipe uses an ingredient called duros or duritos. Duros are a Mexican pasta made from wheat flour and cornstarch that puff up when fried. You can easily find these online or at a local Mexican grocery store! 

Start skipping the drive-through and make your own yummy Taco Bell inspired cinnamon twists at home.

Jump to:

• INGREDIENTS 
• HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT TACO BELL CINNAMON TWISTS
• QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECIPE
• TIPS
• Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists

INGREDIENTS 

Granulated Sugar: It is best to use granulated sugar as opposed to brown sugar because it’s a much finer grain. Granulated sugar will stick to the fried duros much easier than brown sugar.

Ground Cinnamon: This is what adds the warm flavor to the twists. Feel free to mix in ground nutmeg to bump up the warm notes.

Duros: A Mexican pasta that is made from a specific type of wheat and cornstarch. Do not use regular pasta instead of duros. Unfortunately, you cannot substitute this ingredient. 

Vegetable Oil: Any neutral-flavored oil works with this recipe. It will be used to fry the duros, so it is best to use an oil with a high smoke point.

HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT TACO BELL CINNAMON TWISTS

Making these cinnamon twists is easy, but since you will be frying the duros, please be careful! 

Pour enough oil into a deep fryer or dutch oven to fully submerge the duritos pasta (around 2 inches up the pot). Heat up the oil until it reaches 350°F. We recommend using an oil thermometer in the oil to keep track of the oil’s temperature while cooking.

While the oil heats up, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Get your cooling station ready as well. Place some paper towels on a plate, or bring out your favorite cooling rack. 

Let’s start frying! Carefully add the duros to the oil and fry them in batches for about a minute. You will know they are done when they puff up and start floating to the top of the oil. Use a spider strainer to move the pasta around, so they don’t stick together. 

Once the duritos are nice and puffy, remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate or cooling rack.

There are two ways to make sure the fried duros are fully covered in the cinnamon sugar mix. The first is to simply use your hands to heavily sprinkle the mix onto the pasta and toss them. The second is to add the cinnamon sugar into a bag while the fried pasta is cooling. Quickly add in the pasta while it is still hot and shake that bag up! Both methods work, just make sure you are coating all sides of the fried duritos. 

Now they are ready to eat - happy snacking!

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RECIPE

Can I add in other spices?

Yes! Feel free to add any other spice to the mix. It’s best to use ones with warm notes like nutmeg. 

What are duros?

Duros, or duritos or a type of Mexican pasta. They are made from wheat and cornstarch. This unique mix makes them puff up when cooked. These are the same noodles that Taco Bell uses for their cinnamon twists! 

Can I use any type of pasta for this recipe?

Sadly, no. Normal pasta is not made with the same ingredients as duros, so they do not puff. If you use regular pasta, you will have crunchy fried pasta instead of the puffy twists. 

Is this recipe air fryer friendly?

Air fryers are awesome, but they are not good for this recipe. The pasta will puff up, but because there is not much oil the cinnamon sugar does not stick. 

What else can I use duros for?

Fry them up and turn them into snacks! Make a more traditional Mexican snack and toss the fried duritos in chili powder. It’s a great spicy treat that will balance well with the sweet cinnamon twists.

TIPS

• Cover the duritos with the cinnamon sugar mix as soon as possible after frying them. This will help the sugar stick easier to the duros. 
• Don’t fry all the duros at once. Overcrowding the pan will prevent even cooking, and you will not get the lovely puffy twists. 
• Keep an eye on the duritos when they are frying. They cook super fast, so the cooking time may vary. 
• An easy way to coat the duros is by shaking them with the spices in a paper or Ziploc bag. Duritos are strong, so they won’t break easily.

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