A buñuelo is the Mexican dessert made from fried dough and commonly drenched in a sweet syrup. Mexican buñuelos are often thin, crisp fritters or discs, though shapes and recipes vary by region and family tradition.
The dough may include flour, yeast or leavening, anise, and other flavorings. After frying, buñuelos are finished with a syrup made from piloncillo or brown sugar, often infused with cinnamon and guava. Powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar may also be used. They are especially associated with fairs, carnivals, Christmas celebrations, and Las Posadas.
Buñuelos have a much wider history than Mexico alone. Related fried-dough foods appear across Spain, Latin America, and other regions influenced by Spanish cooking. The name covers many local forms: some are filled, some are ball-shaped, and others are flat and crisp. A churro is a related fried-dough sweet, but it is usually ridged and piped before frying. A sopaipilla is also fried dough, yet its preparation and regional identity differ. For the wording of this question, buñuelo is the intended canonical answer.