Mexican muffins, called Mantecadas in Mexican bakeries. They are easy & quick to make sweet bread.
Mantecadas, super easy and quick recipe
Sweetbread has a culture of its own in Mexico and is a tradition that has been embraced and deeply loved for generations. We have primarily Spain and France to thank for that, as their influence is why we have such a passion for sweet pastry and pieces of bread plus a love for that classic combination: coffee and bread.
The shapes and flavors of Mexican sweet pieces of bread amount to more than a thousand, each one with its unique and sometimes picturesque names, like: bows, braids, kisses, brides, bicycles, stones, baldies, lovers, bricks, yoyos, and rails, just to mention a few. We obviously cannot forget to mention the famous “Conchas”, which resemble a seashell and come in many flavors.
Among these baked treats are yeast pieces of bread, puff pastries, cookie-type pieces of bread, and cake-like pieces of bread, like these delicious bread “Mantecadas”, which are really quick and easy to make in your oven. They’re perfect for having a late afternoon coffee with, or for a weekend breakfast in bed, or even for when you have last minute visitors coming over for a cup of coffee or tea.
Mexican bakers are usually men that have learned the trade from one generation to another; some arrived at the baking business as an apprentice, starting their career in bread making from there. Thanks to the internet and social media, I’ve met quite a few of these men, called “panaderos” in Mexico.
Some have many years of experience and are now teaching the younger aspiring bakers in Mexico, as they want the Mexican Traditional Bakery to be preserved. They are always happy to share their expertise with me and answer my many questions about baking, and for that, I am very thankful.
But there are also many newcomers, the young bakers, who graduated from culinary school and have fallen in love with bread making, like my friend Hector M. Oliva Balderas, a young man only in his mid 20’s who’s opened his own bakery in the small town of Teotihuacan.
Being a baker is hard work, but that doesn’t stop him from his dream of keeping the tradition of artisanal bakery alive. He even delivers his bread on his bicycle a couple days a week. I hope that there’ll be more young people like him out there keeping our customs and traditions.
I'm so proud of this young man. A promise for the future of Mexican bread making.
How to make mantecadas recipe
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place muffin paper liners in muffin pan. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Sift together flour, baking powder and yeast in one medium size bowl, and set aside. Place egg and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until sugar has dissolved.
- Add milk and the flavoring of your choice and mix.
- Incorporate the oil in a gentle stream and whisk again to form a homogenous mixture.
- Slowly stir in the dry ingredients plus the pinch of salt, mixing gently until you have a very uniform batter. Do not over mix. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
- With the help of a pitcher or a ladle, pour the batter into the already prepared muffin pan. Fill it up just a little bit below the edge. See picture above.
- Carefully place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes on a cooling rack. They keep well for 2 to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.
¡Buen provecho!
Mely,
More recipes:
Peach Cake Roll
Easy Avocado Ice Cream, No Ice Cream Maker Needed
Mantecadas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 125 grams of sugar ½ cup + 1 tbs*
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or orange essence**
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
- 125 grams of All Purpose flour 1 cup minus 1 tbs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1 pinch of salt
COOKING UTENSILS NEEDED:
- Bowls whisk, measuring cups and spoons, muffin paper liners, muffin pan, pitcher or a ladle to pour the batter.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Place muffin paper liners in muffin pan.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and yeast in one medium size bowl, and set aside. Place egg and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until sugar has dissolved.
- Add milk and the flavoring of your choice (vanilla, orange essence plus orange zest) and mix.
- Incorporate the oil in a gentle stream and whisk again to form a homogenous mixture.
- Slowly stir in the dry ingredients plus the pinch of salt, mixing gently until you have a very uniform batter. Do not over mix. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
- With the help of a pitcher or a ladle, pour the batter into the already prepared muffin pan. Fill it up just a little bit bellow the edge. See picture above.
- Carefully place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes on a cooling rack. They keep well for 2 to 3 days when stored in an airtight container.
Lillian Casselli
I was going to double the recipe but it calls for the same amount of flour as a single amount or triple amount which is 1 cup minus 1 tbl. This is not correct right?
Mely Martínez
Hello Lillian,
Do you mean the option to multiply the recipe is giving you incorrect quantities?
Lillian Casselli
At the top of the recipe it Has an option of 1×2 times or three times. It shows the increase in grams only. I live in Los Angeles and don’t deal in grams. So I’m assuming it would be 2 cups of flour -2 tablespoons?
Mely Martínez
Hello Lillian,
Yes, that's right.
I give the grams option since bakers usually use a kitchen scale.
Cheryl
Just made these muffins on a cold rainy May morning!! Perfect!! Thank you!!
J. D. Stinson
I just made these for the first time this afternoon. I doubled the recipe and I took some to neighbors. Everybody agrees...these are the best muffins they've ever eaten. I made orange flavored. I absolutely must stop making Mely's recipes and taking them to the neighborhood, because everyone insists that I bring them the next thing I make. I'm getting too old for cook for all these people. All the Best, Sister. Many thanks and keep up the good work.
Mely Martínez
Hello J.D Stinson.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful meals.
Happy cooking!
esteban de smurfe
These were made, these were devoured quickly. These are the real deal. We bake a lot of pan dulce. My wife says these will be our go-to mantecades recipe.
Lilliana Hernandez
I always make this 👌🏻 Love this recipe.
Mely Martínez
Hello Lilliana,
Thank you for making the mantecadas recipe.
Jeylin
can bread flour be used for this recipe?
Mely Martínez
Hello Jeylin,
I have never used bread flour to make Mantecadas, but I think that if you use it, they will come out great!
Isabel
Buenas Tardes,
I just found your recipe. Super easy to make. Thank you. I used a 1/4 dry measuring cup to pour into the muffin tins and I was able to get a full dozen mantecadas! Deliciosos! Muchas Gracias! 😁
Mely Martínez
Hello Isabel,
Thank you for trying the Mantecadas recipe. Enjoy!
Yesica
Super delicious mantecadas! Will make them very often. Just like the Mexican bakery. I just need the iconic red muffin liner.