These classic Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies are always a big hit. They practically melt in your mouth. Easy to make, easier to eat. They’re absolutely the BEST!
When I feel nostalgic and want to recreate my childhood’s most comforting food memories in my kitchen, I make Venezuelan Polvorosas.
These cookies were my weakness when I was a child. Okay … Let me rephrase that; they still are!! Oh man… they are so good!! The name “Polvorosas” refers to the sandy texture of these delicate and crumbly cookies.
These cookies conjure up many memories for me. My aunt was a great baker, and I remember that every time we went to visit her, she had these humongous glass jars filled with all kinds of sweets. Papitas (little milk truffles), Catalinas (Venezuelan molasses cookies), Conservas de Coco (sweets made with coconut), Polvorosas, of course, and many, many more. As you can imagine, that was like heaven for me.
Besides my aunt’s house, Polvorosas cookies were present at every birthday, baptism, communion, wedding event, you name it, and they were there too.
Now you can make them yourself and see why I am so obsessed with these cookies. Let’s get started!
Recipe Highlights
- They’re uniquely flavorful and dense with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Super easy to make.
- Only a few simple ingredients.
- Perfect for gifting.
- Surprisingly addicting; you can’t stop at one!
Venezuelan Polvorosas Ingredients
Amounts are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down). You’ll need:
- Vegetable shortening: For traditional Venezuelan Polvorosas, shortening is a MUST. This made them soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender. This is the one I use, Vegetable shortening.
- Sugar: Regular white granulated sugar o caster sugar. I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the polvorosas.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
- Cinnamon: For extra flavor!
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients, in my opinion.
- Powdered sugar: This is optional for coating the cookies after they are baked.
Detailed instructions are included in the printable recipe below (scroll down).
Step 1 – Prepare The Equipment
Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2 — Make The Dough
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix shortening on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add in sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon; continue mixing for 2 – 3 minutes. Add in flour slowly with a mixer set on low speed and mix just until combined.
Step 3 — Bake The Cookies
Roll balls of dough (about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie). Arrange the balls on a large baking sheet, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Press a fork into the tops to flatten them a little. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then once cookies are cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
Recipe Tips
You can add a little bit of lemon or orange zest to the polvorosas to change things up.
For traditional Venezuelan Polvorosas, shortening is a MUST. This made them soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Avoid over-mixing the cookie batter, or you’ll get dense cookies.
I recommend using real vanilla extract and not artificial extract for the best results.
Made too many cookies? Is there such a thing as too many cookies? Either way, here’s how to store these Polvorosas.
Leftovers
Store extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Freezer
You can freeze these cookies before or after you bake them. Flash freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan until frozen and transfer them to a freezer bag or container. You can bake these straight from frozen; simply increase the time by a couple of minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to make traditional Venezuelan Polvorosas, I do not recommend using butter.
I haven’t tested this recipe to be gluten-free, but I think it could work if you substitute all-purpose flour for 1-to-1 Gluten-Free flour. This is my favorite brand. Just be sure to stir the dough longer than normal to help give the baked goods proper structure. Also, gluten-free batters need to rest. So let your batter rest for about 30 minutes, so the flour has time to hydrate and soften before baking it.
This recipe makes about 22 – 24 cookies (about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie).
More Venezuelan Recipes You’ll Love!
- Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa
- Venezuelan Flan Quesillo
- Easy Arroz con Leche [Recipe+Video]
- Venezuelan Papitas de Leche {Milk Truffles}
- Venezuelan Eggnog Ponche Crema
- Eggless Flan Cookies
- Browse more recipes…
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Recipe Card 📖
Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) vegetable shortening (at room temperature)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspooon salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups (280 g) all- purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar for coating (optional)
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (180º C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix shortening on medium speed until softened and creamy, about 1 -2 minutes. Add in sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon; continue mixing for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, add in flour slowly; mix just until combined.
- Roll balls of dough (about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie). Arrange the balls on a large baking sheet, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Press the tops with a fork to flatten them a little.
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the sides. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool, then once cookies are cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. NOTE: Make sure your bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect.
- You can add a little bit of lemon or orange zest to the polvorosas to change things up.
- For traditional Venezuelan Polvorosas, shortening is a MUST. This made them soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- Avoid over-mixing the cookie batter, or you’ll get dense cookies.
- I recommend using real vanilla extract and not artificial extract for the best results.
- Bake the cookies until they are JUST golden around the outside. The cookies might still look a little raw in the center, but once they cool, they will be perfect. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for just 5 minutes. If you leave the cookies on the baking sheets for too long, they will continue cooking, and they will be hard.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
This recipe was originally published on December 2015. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in November 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
I made these as a surprise for my father’s 80th birthday party and it took him straight back to his childhood in Venezuela (before the sad chaos now) They were amazing! THANK YOU for sharing this family recipe; I am grateful to include this in OUR family recipes. Thank you again, April!
Hello April! I’m so glad you both loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback.
bae these r so good i made them for spanish project we love mommy
Thanks so much, bin bin! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know. xo
Holy moly, these are good. I wanted to make a dessert and we were out of eggs and butter. The light texture is wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Alyssa! I LOVE these too. Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review!
Thank you for sharing your family recipe. These polvorosas took me back to my childhood in Caracas. I am so glad to be able to able to share this now with my children. They loved them! I substituted with King Arthur’s GF All puporse flour and palm oil shortening and they turned out perfectly! Mil gracias😘
Hola Heylen! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know =)