Spanish Polvorones

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 09/2/21
Polvorones: Spanish Almond Cookies

The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 60 mins
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
2792 Calories
158g Fat
312g Carbs
38g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 2792
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 158g 202%
Saturated Fat 75g 375%
Cholesterol 305mg 102%
Sodium 652mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 312g 114%
Dietary Fiber 15g 55%
Total Sugars 155g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 286mg 22%
Iron 12mg 66%
Potassium 859mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Polvorones are traditional Spanish Christmas cookies flavored with almonds and crumbly in texture. Like polvo, "powder" or "dust" in Spanish, these cookies will crumble to a dust-like consistency in your hand or mouth, but the name also derives from the fact that some choose to dust them with generous amounts of powdered sugar, making them dusty on the outside.

Polvorones are a type of mantecado, a variety of Spanish shortbread made with manteca, or pork fat. Traditionally, these cookies were prepared from September to January only, but nowadays are available all year-round.

Polvorones have quite a history: during the Spanish Inquisition, officials decreed that polvorones were to be made with pork fat as a way to detect if there were Muslims or Jews hiding in the regions of Southern Spain. When asked to eat the pork-full cookies these individuals had to decline because of their faith and were then taken by the inquisidores to face trial. Today, polvorones recipes often replace the pork fat with shortening, butter or margarine, but have maintained their status in Spanish cuisine as a favorite holiday cookie, used now simply to sweeten our life.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup raw almonds

  • 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Confectioners's sugar, for dusting, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Polvorones: Spanish Almond Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour flour onto a cookie sheet.

    flour on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Place the flour in the oven and toast it for about 8 minutes, occasionally stirring it so it toasts evenly. Alternatively, place flour in a non-reactive pan on the stove at medium heat and toast for 8 to 10 minutes while stirring. Remove from oven or pan and set aside.

    flour on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Place raw almonds on another cookie sheet. Toast the almonds until they change color just slightly, or about 8 to 10 minutes.

    almonds on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Remove and place almonds into a food processor. Process almonds until they are finely ground into a flour-like texture.

    almonds in a food processor

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Reduce oven temperature to 250 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla together with a hand or electric whisk.

    Cream butter, sugar, cinnamon in a bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Add the flour and finely ground almonds to the butter mixture and incorporate all the ingredients well. The resulting dough will be very crumbly.

    cookie dough in a bowl, hand mixer

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  8. Place a sheet of waxed paper on a cutting board or another flat work surface. Press the dough together to form a ball. Then press the dough onto the waxed paper.

    cookie dough on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  9. Carefully flatten it down with a floured rolling pin, into a 1/2-inch uniform thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.

    cookie cutter, cookie dough on parchment paper

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  10. Since the dough is dry and flakey, use a small spatula to carefully move the cookies to the cookie sheet.

    raw cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  11. Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes until you see golden brown on the edges. Allow cookies to cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet. They are so delicate that moving them while still hot will break them apart.

    cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  12. Once cooled, sift powdered sugar over the cookies and serve. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

    Polvorones: Spanish Almond Cookies

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Flavored Polvorones

In origin, polvorones don't have additional flavoring because the almonds provide enough sweet and mild taste. But more often than not, home cooks add spices, other nuts, and zest to make their own version of this classic Spanish cookie. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Replace the almonds with hazelnuts or cashews for an earthier flavor.
  • Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the dough.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of orange or lime zest for a citrus flavor.
  • Combine 50 grams of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and dust the cookies once they are cool.
  • Add 1/2 cup of grated Mexican chocolate to make a chocolate version.
  • Add a few drops of natural food coloring, from beets or pomegranate, to make a pink dough and shape the cookies as hearts, an ideal treat for Saint Valentine's Day. Use green coloring for Saint Patrick's shamrock-shaped cookies, or orange for pumpkin-shaped Halloween treats. Use green and red for tree-shaped Christmas cookies.