Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe (2024)

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By: Oriana Romero/Published: May 28, 2021/Updated: November 23, 2021/ 50 Comments

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These classic Venezuelan PolvorosasCookies are always a big hit. They practically melt in your mouth. Easy to make, easier to eat. They’re absolutely the BEST!

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Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe (4)

Table of Contents hide

1.Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe

2.Recipe Highlights

3.Venezuelan Polvorosas Ingredients

4.How To Make Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Step-by-Step

5.Recipe Tips

6.Storing Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies

7.Frequently Asked Questions

8.More Venezuelan Recipes You’ll Love!

9.Recipe Card 📖

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 Recipe (5)

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, tryhomemade 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.

Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe (6)

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.

Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe (7)

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 myfavorite 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).

Venezuelan Polvorosas Cookies Recipe (8)

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

Oriana Romero

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)

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.

Nutrition

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

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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 abouteggless baking.

FAQs

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!

Welcome to my eggless kitchen!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

April Prince says
October 4, 2023 at 6:00 pm

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!
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  October 24, 2023 at 9:03 am
  
  Hello April! I’m so glad you both loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback.
  Reply
bin bin says
May 22, 2023 at 9:03 pm

bae these r so good i made them for spanish project we love mommy
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  July 9, 2023 at 8:06 am
  
  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
  Reply
Alyssa says
May 19, 2022 at 12:59 am

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!
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  May 20, 2022 at 3:33 pm
  
  Hello Alyssa! I LOVE these too. Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback and review!
  Reply
Heylen says
November 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm

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😘
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  November 21, 2020 at 7:09 am
  
  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 =)
  Reply
Indhira says
August 27, 2020 at 4:57 pm

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
See Also
Easy Pandebono Recipe -A Delicious Colombian Cheese Bread Must Try - Cool Moms Cool Tips
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  August 28, 2020 at 6:33 am
  
  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.
  Reply
Angelica samaan says
June 22, 2020 at 11:53 am

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,.
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  June 24, 2020 at 5:48 am
  
  Hello Angelica! I am glad you found me. Happy Cooking!
  Reply
Jacki says
October 21, 2019 at 8:33 pm

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!
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  October 23, 2019 at 10:10 am
  
  Hello Jacki! So glad everyone enjoyed it!! I’m glad you found it easy to make.
  Reply
Grace M Manacop says
April 30, 2019 at 8:56 pm

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!!
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  May 1, 2019 at 6:41 am
  
  Hello Grace! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks so much for trying my recipe!
  Reply
- Carol says
  May 2, 2019 at 10:37 pm
  
  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
  Reply
  - Oriana Romero says
    May 8, 2019 at 5:24 am
    
    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.
    Reply
Danyiell says
March 28, 2019 at 4:27 pm

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?
Reply
- Oriana Romero says
  March 29, 2019 at 2:22 pm
  
  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.?
  Reply
Jen Formel says
March 15, 2019 at 12:42 am

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.
Reply
- Oriana says
  March 19, 2019 at 5:59 am
  
  Hello Jen! So glad everyone enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for your feedback and for trying my recipe.
  Reply
Nina Hutchinson says
October 28, 2018 at 6:40 am

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
Reply
- Oriana says
  October 30, 2018 at 6:10 am
  
  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!?
  Reply
GFly says
October 16, 2018 at 12:19 am

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..
Reply
- Oriana says
  October 16, 2018 at 4:20 am
  
  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.
  Reply
Marzena says
September 18, 2018 at 9:14 pm

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?
Reply
- Oriana says
  September 19, 2018 at 6:42 am
  
  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!
  Reply
Ryn says
April 25, 2018 at 10:33 pm

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.
Reply
- Oriana says
  April 27, 2018 at 10:57 am
  
  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. ?
  Reply
Sophia Carawan says
March 26, 2018 at 8:40 pm

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?
Reply
- Oriana says
  March 27, 2018 at 3:25 pm
  
  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.
  Reply
Rosa says
December 25, 2017 at 9:27 pm

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?
Reply
- Oriana says
  December 27, 2017 at 11:11 am
  
  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!
  Reply
  - Valentina says
    December 23, 2020 at 7:29 pm
    
    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!
    Reply
    - Oriana Romero says
      December 31, 2020 at 10:21 am
      
      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 😉
      Reply
Regina says
July 8, 2017 at 11:15 am

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?
Reply
- Oriana says
  July 10, 2017 at 10:28 pm
  
  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. ????
  Reply
Dillon says
May 18, 2017 at 9:45 pm

I just made these for a spanish project and they’re the bomb
Reply
- Oriana says
  May 19, 2017 at 11:26 am
  
  WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed these, Dillon. Thanks so much for trying my recipe!
  Reply
Marie says
February 15, 2017 at 10:10 pm

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.
Reply
- Oriana says
  February 16, 2017 at 3:58 pm
  
  Hello Marie, I’m glad you enjoyed these cookies. Thanks so much for trying my recipe!
  Reply
Sam says
September 12, 2016 at 12:16 am

I’m planning to make these for a Venezuelan themed Spanish Heritage Month project. Any tips for baking these for the first time??
Reply
- Oriana says
  September 16, 2016 at 3:01 pm
  
  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!
  Reply
mariana says
May 11, 2016 at 9:00 pm

I tried it and after 9 minutes the borders of the cookies were basically black, they also lost shape 🙁
Reply
- mommyhoodsdiary says
  May 12, 2016 at 2:25 pm
  
  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!
  Reply
Rae says
March 5, 2016 at 12:56 am

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
Reply
- mommyhoodsdiary says
  March 7, 2016 at 10:12 am
  
  Thanks Rae for your kind comment!! My readers’s words are my fuel.
  Reply
Mayito Castillo says
December 17, 2015 at 7:44 pm

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!
Reply
mira says
December 17, 2015 at 7:36 pm

Love that you shared a childhood favorite recipe! These look gorgeous! Pinned!
Reply