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!

A stack of four Venezuelan polvorosas cookies.

Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe

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 cookies on a wooden board with sugar dusted on top.

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.

How To Make Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Step-by-Step

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.

A stack of four Venezuelan polvorosas cookies beside a glass of milk.

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.

A stack of Venezuelan polvorosas cookies with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Storing Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies

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

Can I use butter instead of shortening?

If you want to make traditional Venezuelan Polvorosas, I do not recommend using butter.

Can I make these gluten-free?

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.

How many cookies does this recipe yield?

This recipe makes about 22 – 24 cookies (about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie).

biten venezuelan polvorosa cookie showing inside texture.

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Recipe Card 📖

stack of venezuelan polvorosas cookies with a glass of milk

Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies

Oriana Romero
These classic Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies are always a big hit. Easy to make, easier to eat! They’re absolutely the BEST!
4.37 from 74 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 22 -24 polvorosas

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.
Oriana’s Notes
 
STORE: Store extra cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
FREEZE: 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 baking time by a couple of minutes.
QUICK 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.
  • 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. 
 
 
 Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
 
Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.
I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!Recipe reviews on the website are extremely valuable to other readers online. So, please don’t forget to give it a 5-star rating below.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPotassium: 12mgSugar: 11gCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Course Dessert
Cuisine Venezuelan
Calories 170
Keyword cookies dessert easy eggfree Eggless Polvorosas recipe venezuelan

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! 

4.37 from 74 votes (62 ratings without comment)

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50 Comments

  1. 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!

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 5 stars
    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😘

  4. Es el segundo comentario que le dejo, el primero no lo publicó, use los ingredientes mencionados con la medida exacta y fue un desastre la masa se volvió una sola a los pocos minutos de hornear, tuve que botarlo y perder todos los materiales, esperaba que me dijese si las medidas esta segura que son las correctas. Le faltaba consistencia eso si lo noté pero que se haya vuelto todo una sola pasta llena de agujeros que no se iba a cocer fue una sorpresa

    1. Hola Indhira! Es imposible saber qué hiciste mal en la receta que resulto un desastre. Esta receta ha estado en mi familia por muchos años y siempre resulta bien. Si tomaste el tiempo de leer los comentarios, veras que hasta niños la han hecho para compartir en sus colegios. De todas formas, muchas gracias por probar mi receta.

      Hi Indhira! It is impossible to know what you did wrong in the recipe that resulted in a disaster. This recipe has been in my family for many years and it always turns out well. If you took the time to read the comments, you will see that even children have made it to share in their schools. Anyway, thank you very much for trying my recipe.

  5. Hi I’m a Venezuelan.Also a mother of 3 ,cooking is my passion and my profession. I directed nursing home kitchen for 25 years.During corona virus i made Polvorosas and distributed among my neighbors ,one of then one the recibe and i have in Spanish so i was looking for recipe in English so i did no have to translate and i found you,.

  6. 5 stars
    My son & I just made this for extra credit for his Spanish class. His country of study was Guatemala & Polvorosa cookies came up as a dessert. Of course I found recipes for Guatemalan, Columbian & Venezuelan Polvorosas. So glad we tried your recipe. My son loves them & they were so easy to make! Followed your recipe exactly even after reading through the comments. Gracias!

  7. 5 stars
    Hello!!
    I made these cookies for my culture and food presentation on Venezuela and the cookies were a success! I like to thank you for the family recipe. I love these cookies!!

    1. Are they suppose to crumble when out of the oven? The cookies still feel like batter. I cooked them for 30 minutes. I followed the exact recipe, but I never made them before so maybe that’s how they are suppose to be

      1. Hello Carol! The cookies hold their shape, they will crumble just when you eat it. if you try the recipe again make sure that the vegetable shortening is room temperature (softened) but not melted.