Taco Bell is known for it's innovative Tex-Mex recipes. Today you can enjoy an easy recipe off their dessert menu. These Taco Bell cinnamon twists are crunchy, sweet and just a bit salty! And they are gluten free too!
The original recipe for Taco Bell cinnamon twists are a favorite treat by those who frequent Taco Bell. Taco Bell fries duros or duritos wheat pasta (found at Mexican markets) in oil then tosses the fried pasta in cinnamon and sugar before serving.
We have plenty of delicious Taco Bell recipes on our site including our Taco Bell caramel apple empanadas. It pairs well with a taco salad, our ranch tacos, steak tacos, or any of these delicious Cinco de Mayo recipes.
Ingredients
You only need 4 ingredients to make this recipe. You will need:
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- salt
- corn pasta
Instructions
For Deep Frying:
- Heat two to three inches of oil in a deep fryer or saucepan until it reaches 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Fry the uncooked pasta in the hot oil for about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally with a large spoon or tongs. Ensure even cooking.
- Remove the fried pasta from the oil and let it drain for a couple of minutes on layered paper towels on a plate.
- Toss the fried pasta in the cinnamon, sugar, and salt mixture until evenly coated.
For Air Frying:
- Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the package instructions. Drain and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly spray the cooked pasta with cooking oil spray, then coat it in the cinnamon, sugar, and salt mixture.
- Place the pasta in the air fryer (you may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your air fryer) and cook for four minutes.
- Open the air fryer, flip the pasta using a spatula, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to a paper towel-lined plate and, if needed, spray and toss it in the cinnamon, sugar, and salt mixture again before serving.
Substitutions
This gluten free version uses corn pasta (or a combination of corn and rice pasta) and fries it in hot oil. For a healthier version we have a simple and easy air fryer recipe too! The corn pasta will not puff up like duros pasta will but still gives a satisfying crunch and makes for a delicious sweet, salty and crunchy dessert!
Gluten free pastas that worked:
- Barilla Rice and Corn Rotini (available in most grocery stores)
- Sam Mills Gluten Free Fusilli Corn Pasta (available in some health food stores and on Amazon)
- La Veneziane Corn Gluten Free Rigatoni or Other Spiral Pasta (available on Amazon and in select specialty food stores)****Most recommended!!!*****
Equipment
You will need something to deep fry your pasta in or you can do an air fryer method. The air fryer method requires a little more work. The best is the good old fryer as you can toss the pasta immediately in the salt, sugar and cinnamon and it sticks really well. The air fryer version may require you to spray the pasta lightly with cooking oil after removing it from the air fryer before tossing it in the salt, cinnamon and sugar mixture.
FAQ
Yes, Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists are vegan-friendly. They are made without any animal-derived ingredients, making them suitable for individuals following a vegan diet.
One serving of Taco Bell's Cinnamon Twists typically contains around 170 calories. However, calorie content may vary depending on serving size and any additional toppings or sauces.
The twists sold at the restaurant are not gluten free. But we did make sure to make some gluten free options at Taco Bell available to you at home by providing a gluten free option for making these cinnamon twists.
Copycat Gluten Free Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists
Equipment
- air fryer
- deep fryer
Ingredients
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (sugar free can be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz corn pasta
Instructions
For Deep Frying:
- Preheat two-three inches of oil in a deep fryer or saucepan to 325 degrees farenheit.
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Fry the uncooked pasta in the hot oil for approximately 1-2 minutes. Use a large spoon or tongs to stir pasta part way through cooking. Remove the fried pasta from the oil and and let it drain for a couple of minutes on several layers of paper towels lining a plate. Toss pasta in cinnamon, salt and sugar mixture.
For Air Fryer:
- Cook pasta in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta, allow to sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Lightly spray pasta with cooking oil spray, then toss in cinnamon, sugar and salt mixture.
- Place pasta in air fryer (depending on size of air fryer this may need to be done in batches) and cook for four minutes. Open air fryer, flip pasta with a spatula and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Transfer cooked pasta to a paper towel lined plate and spray and toss pasta in cinnamon, sugar and salt mixture again prior to serving if needed.
Notes
Storage
You can store your cinnamon twists in an airtight container for up to one week.Nutrition
GF Corn frying recommendations courtesy FakingItGFStyle
Sarah
Loved these they turned out amazing!