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Mantecadas are a fluffy and sweet pan dulce found in most Mexican bakeries. These mantecada muffins have a signature red cupcake liner and are simple to make at home, using common ingredients and only minimal equipment!
If you love Mexican sweet bread, you’ve got to try my cortadillo, conchas, and Mexican donuts!
A Note from Isabel
Lately, I’ve been making all the traditional Mexican bakery pan dulce recipes, and Mantecadas were next on my list! I was surprised by how easy they were to make and after recipe testing several times, I’ve found the perfect one that gives you a moist, fluffy, and perfectly sweet treat.
Pan dulce can feel intimidating to make at home, but these mantecadas are super simple and easy to make by hand without any fancy equipment. Some pan dulce recipes require precision and technique, but these are so easy that my five-year-old and my toddler both helped make them, and they love them.
What Are Mantecadas?
Mantecadas are a staple Mexican sweet bread, similar to muffins, that are known for their light texture and sweet vanilla flavor with a hint of orange. They’re very common in Mexican bakeries and stand out with their golden-yellow color and bright red cupcake liners.
Some panaderías carry different variations mixed with nuts and dried fruit, but my favorite is the classic mantecada muffin. They’re the perfect pairing with a mug of café de olla, champurrado, or a big glass of milk.
Ingredients in Mantecadas
- Eggs: I used 3 large eggs at room temperature.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is good for baking, but you can also use raw cane sugar for a richer taste.
- Orange zest and vanilla extract: These ingredients add more depth of flavor and pair well with the sweetness from the sugar. Orange zest adds a subtle citrusy note that pairs well with the vanilla extract. I don’t recommend using orange extract as it gives the muffins an overpowering fake orange flavor.
- Whole milk: Adds more creaminess, but feel free to use 2% milk.
- All-purpose flour: A baking staple for most pan dulce recipes.
- Baking powder: This is the main leavening agent for this recipe and creates the signature domed muffin tops.
- Salt: A hint of salt helps balance the sweetness.
- Vegetable oil: Using vegetable oil makes the mantecadas moist but still fluffy. You can substitute any neutral tasting oil.
How to Make Mantecadas
Add everything to the bowl. Whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow, then whisk in the orange zest, vanilla, and milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt right on top and pour in the oil.
Whisk the batter. Keep whisking until it’s completely smooth.
Fill the muffin cups. Divide the batter between 12 lined muffin cups and tap the pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Tips
- This is a quick and easy recipe to make by hand using just a mixing bowl and whisk, but feel free to use a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
- Mantecadas have a signature look with their red cupcake liners, but feel free to use any color.
Mantecadas FAQs
It comes from manteca, the Spanish word for lard or butter.
They’re really close, which is why so many people call them mantecada muffins. They’re lighter and fluffier than most muffins, with a simple vanilla and orange flavor and that classic red liner you see at every panadería.
You can! They won’t be quite as fluffy or moist as they are with oil, but they’ll still be delicious.
Mantecadas (Mexican Muffins)
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil (canola or avocado work great)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved.
- Whisk in the orange zest, vanilla extract, and milk.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together to mostly combine.
- Add the vegetable oil and whisk together until the batter is completely smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Lightly tap the cupcake pan on the counter 2-3 times to help even out the batter and get rid of any large air bubbles.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow them to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Storing: Keep mantecadas in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can warm them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving if you’d like.
- Milk: 2% milk works in place of whole milk.
- No mixer needed: These are easy to make by hand with a bowl and whisk, but a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment works too.
- Liners: Red liners give you the classic panadería look, but any color works.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Mexican Desserts
This post was originally published in December 2023 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
