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You are here: Home » Recipes » Mexican Desserts

Mantecadas

Published: May 17, 2015 · Updated: Aug 12, 2019 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

Mexican muffins, called Mantecadas in Mexican bakeries. They are easy & quick to make sweet bread.

Mantecadas, super easy and quick recipe

mantecadas mexican muffins recipe - 1

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.

How to make Mantecadas | Mexican Desserts

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.

mantecadas mexican muffins recipe 2

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.

EL Nipi Taller Panaderia

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.

El Nipi Taller

I'm so proud of this young man. A promise for the future of Mexican bread making.

How to make mantecadas recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How to make Mantecadas | Ingredients

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mantecadas Muffin Mexicanos | Ingredients

  • 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.
How to make Mantecadas | Authentic Mexican Food Recipes
  • 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.
mantecadas mexican muffins recipe

¡Buen provecho!

Mely,

More recipes:
Peach Cake Roll
Easy Avocado Ice Cream, No Ice Cream Maker Needed

Mantecadas Recipe

Mely Martínez
Mantecadas - Sweet bread 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. 
4.86 from 71 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Breads
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 6 Mantecadas
Calories 298 kcal

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.

Video

Notes

*First and foremost, I will suggest that you buy a small kitchen scale, they are not that expensive, and are an essential tool for bread making. Baking is more like a science, where in order to have excellent results, your ingredients have to be measure using a reliable tool like a scale.
**Every baker chooses the flavoring of their choice. It could be vanilla, orange, cinnamon or almond.

Nutrition

Serving: 1MantecadaCalories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 38mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 110IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 1.3mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adri

    June 06, 2022 at 10:39 pm

    5 stars
    I made these muffins for the first time and came out super delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Aileen

    April 24, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    Thank you Mely. another question, are the muffins you made for jumbo or small size muffins? I made the muffins today with double measurement and I used the jumbo size but it only comes out 6 muffins. I have not try it yet still in the oven.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      April 25, 2022 at 10:31 am

      Hello Eileen,
      I use a small muffin pan. It has room for 6 muffins.

      Reply
  3. Aileen

    April 19, 2022 at 3:32 pm

    What kind of yeast did you use? Rapid Rise or Active Dry?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      April 20, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      Instant yeast (Rapid yeast)

      Reply
  4. Sandra Olvera

    March 29, 2022 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    Just as I remember them! Thank you for this recipe one of my childhood favorites.

    Reply
  5. Rosy

    March 01, 2022 at 9:02 pm

    Hello Mely,
    I was wondering what brand of instant yeast do you use?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      March 02, 2022 at 1:41 pm

      Hello Rosy,
      I use the SAF INSTANT YEAST

      Reply
    • Angelica

      March 07, 2022 at 7:12 pm

      Are you sure you didn't mean baking powder (levadura quimica o Royal) instead of instant yeast?

      Reply
      • Mely Martínez

        March 08, 2022 at 8:45 pm

        Hello Angelica,
        This recipe uses both yeast and baking powder. No baking soda in this recipe.
        I use instant yeast, the SAf Brand.

    • Amanda

      May 05, 2022 at 4:53 am

      I made these today for cinco de Mayo at work alongside conchas and churro donuts for breakfast buffet. I subbed gluten free flour and a teaspoon of xanthan gum - I need one gluten free item on my buffet! Wow wow wow. I am adding these to my breakfast pastry rotation! I can only imagine how perfect the regular flour version is. Thank you for this amazing recipe! So moist and fluffy and the orange and vanilla is perfection. I added some roasted sweet corn to half of the batter as well, delicious.

      Reply
  6. Lisa Hinojosa

    January 27, 2022 at 1:52 pm

    I just made this recipe and it was delicious! I used almond extract and I also added nutmeg. I also double the recipe. Thank you! Gracias!

    Reply
  7. Lillian Casselli

    August 26, 2021 at 12:12 am

    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?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      August 29, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      Hello Lillian,
      Do you mean the option to multiply the recipe is giving you incorrect quantities?

      Reply
      • Lillian Casselli

        November 05, 2021 at 1:20 am

        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

        November 05, 2021 at 7:55 am

        Hello Lillian,
        Yes, that's right.
        I give the grams option since bakers usually use a kitchen scale.

    • Lisa Hinojosa

      January 27, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! I added almond extract, nutmeg and I double the recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
  8. Cheryl

    May 28, 2021 at 9:23 am

    4 stars
    Just made these muffins on a cold rainy May morning!! Perfect!! Thank you!!

    Reply
  9. J. D. Stinson

    May 22, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 22, 2021 at 7:26 pm

      Hello J.D Stinson.

      Thank you for sharing your wonderful meals.
      Happy cooking!

      Reply
  10. esteban de smurfe

    May 18, 2021 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  11. Lilliana Hernandez

    May 16, 2021 at 8:17 pm

    I always make this 👌🏻 Love this recipe.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 17, 2021 at 11:53 am

      Hello Lilliana,
      Thank you for making the mantecadas recipe.

      Reply
  12. Jeylin

    March 02, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    can bread flour be used for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      March 03, 2021 at 1:04 pm

      Hello Jeylin,
      I have never used bread flour to make Mantecadas, but I think that if you use it, they will come out great!

      Reply
  13. Isabel

    January 24, 2021 at 2:08 pm

    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! 😁

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      January 24, 2021 at 5:11 pm

      Hello Isabel,
      Thank you for trying the Mantecadas recipe. Enjoy!

      Reply
  14. Yesica

    January 11, 2021 at 11:53 pm

    Super delicious mantecadas! Will make them very often. Just like the Mexican bakery. I just need the iconic red muffin liner.

    Reply
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ABOUT ME

Mexico in my kitchen | Mely Martinez

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.

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