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!
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- 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!
Could I use pure cane sugar instead of graduated sugar . I am making these for a Spanish project. Would it affect the way they turn out?
Hello Danyiell! I haven’t tested this recipe with cane sugar but I think it would change the texture. If you do try using this alternative ingredient, please let me know the outcome. Thanks for your interest in my recipe.?
Amazing. My daughter made them for her Spanish class. She had to do a Venezuelan presentation with a dessert and we chose this recipe. What a success.
Hello Jen! So glad everyone enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
tried these for my sons school project for a trial run and they worked really well. Is there a particular type of sugar that works best for making them? Thanks x
Hello Nina! Granulated sugar is the best for this recipe. I’m SO GLAD you like it. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!?
I tried making these for my son’s Spanish project, and like other comments, my cookies lost all shape and were basically flat. I measured all ingredients carefully and used vegetable shortening. I bake often, so I know my oven temp is accurate. I noticed there is no leavening agent in the recipe-do you use all purpose or self-.rising flour? I just want to figure out where I went wrong..
Hello GFly! I am sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. I use all-purpose flour. This recipe, in particular, does not need leavening. Thanks for trying my recipe though.
I made the cookies for a school project, followed the recipe and proportions. Cookies are tasty but lost shape, are large, round and flat. What did I do wrong?
Hello Marzena! Thanks so much for trying my recipe. Did you measure the ingredients properly? Also, did you use vegetable shortening? In this particular recipe, you can not substitute the shortening for butter. Hope you give another try soon!
I have a question. If I were to make the batter, then put it in the fridge over night to make the next day. Would the cookies still be the same? It’s my first time making these and I just though I should ask.
Hello Ryn! Yes, you can refrigerate the dough just leave it at room temperature 10-15 minutes before baking. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it. ?
Hi! I’m making these cookies for a spanish project and I need to know the origin of these cookies. Any idea where they came from?
Hello Sophia! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. The origin of the polvorosas occurs in the colonial period when the Spanish conquerors bring from Spain the best of their sweets. After the years the original recipe has been adapted to the tastes of Venezuelans. Hope this help.
Venezuelan American here! I’ve been looking at recipes related to my heritage and found your Polvorosas recipe. I want to try making these cookies but I tend to not use shortening. Can I use butter and how much?
Hola Rosa! I have never made polvorosas with butter. My guess is that the texture will be different since shortening is 100% fat and butter is composed of about 85% fat and 15% water. My suggestion is to use a “healthy-ish” vegetable shortening like this one: http://amzn.to/2BYlg4V . Thanks for stopping by!
Hi! I tried this recipe with Nutiva shortening, it is a blend of sustainably sourced red palm oil and coconut oil and they work out GREAT!! These were my favorite cookies when I was little in Venezuela and still are! Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Valentina! It sounds like you nailed it! These are my fave too =) Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know. Happy 2021 😉
I just found this recipe and want to try it today. But I don’t have an electric stand mixer. Any tips for those of us who want to try this without electric tools?
Hello Regina! You can definitely make these without an electric mixer, just mix using a wooden spoon or spatula. Please come back and let me know who you like these cookies. ????
I just made these for a spanish project and they’re the bomb
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed these, Dillon. Thanks so much for trying my recipe!
I made 4 batches of these cookies for my classmates for international food festival and when I did the first batch they looked like normal cookies and when I did the 2 batch, they looked more like the picture. TIP: Put a little extra flour in them, and it’s okay if they are a little crumbly, just make a sphere with your hands and push with fork. And don’t forget to turn them 180 degrees after half of the time! Other than that they turned out really good.
Hello Marie, I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks so much for trying my recipe!
I’m planning to make these for a Venezuelan themed Spanish Heritage Month project. Any tips for baking these for the first time??
Hi Sam!! These cookies are very easy to make. TIP: As the cookies are fragile right out of the oven, let cool slightly before moving. Good luck and be sure to shout out if you have any questions!
I tried it and after 9 minutes the borders of the cookies were basically black, they also lost shape 🙁
ohh… I’m so sorry to hear that Mariana! Is your oven set to fahrenheit or celsius? These cookies are suppose to be bake at 350 fahrenheit. If that wasn’t the problem maybe is a good idea if you check if your oven is working properly. If your oven isn’t cooking properly, it may not be heating to the set temperature like it should. You can do that with a oven thermometer. I have never had this problem! This is a family recipe, which I’ve made tons of times. Please let me know if you try the recipe again. Thanks!
I just found your blog and am crazy in love with it! Gonna make these and learn to pronounce the name *hides face* for my son’s profesora next weekend
Thanks Rae for your kind comment!! My readers’s words are my fuel.
Uuffff! Estas polvorosas me traen gratos recuerdos de mi madre, ella me las hacia muy a menudo. Ya teniendo la receta las hare lo mas pronto posible! Felices fiestas amiga!
Love that you shared a childhood favorite recipe! These look gorgeous! Pinned!