Festive Mexican Sprinkle Galletas [With Video]

Name: Festive Mexican Sprinkle Galletas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 30
Ingredients: 3 Sticks of Butter, room temperature; ¾ Cup of Vegetable Shortening; 2 Cups Granulated Sugar; 1 Tablespoon Mexican Vanilla; 2 Eggs; 6 Cups All Purpose Flour; 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder; Egg, for Egg Wash; Non-Pereils or Sprinkles of Choice

by JennaNovember 4, 20220 comment

Buttery sweet Mexican sprinkle galletas are a fast and fun treat for any occasion! Crumbly cookies with crispy sprinkled topping make these a staple in almost every panaderia.

These beautiful Mexican sprinkle galletas are made with a few simple ingredients like fresh butter and colorful non-pereils. They’re so easy to make and are the perfect treat to make for beginner bakers of all ages. Serve them on their own with a steaming cup of Mexican hot chocolate during the colder months or sandwich them with ice cream during the summer. This festive Mexican sprinkle galletas recipe will be your go-to cookie for life milestones and even for every day celebrations.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS MEXICAN GALLETA RECIPE

Fast and Easy – No refrigeration time means you can have a fresh cookie in as little as 30 minutes.
Festive – You can make this cookie all year round, just use different sprinkles!
Great for Decorating – Mexican sugar cookies make a delicious base for intricate royal icing decorating!
So flavorful – Crispy and buttery cookie with just the right amount of sugar. Don’t forget that punch of vanilla! This recipe uses double the vanilla compared to traditional American sugar cookies.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED

The regular baker will likely have all of the ingredients for Mexican sprinkle galletas already handy. Here’s a quick shopping list with the full measurements down below.

Butter

Vegetable Shortening – You can substitute with butter, if needed.

Granulated Sugar

Eggs

All Purpose Flour

Baking Powder

Really Good Mexican Vanilla

HOW IS MEXICAN VANILLA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER VANILLAS?

Vanilla and chocolate are not only two of the most popular flavors in baking, they’re two flavors that came from Mexico! Vanilla beans that come from Mexico have a pronounced bold and smoky flavor compared to other varieties. They’re perfect for when you want a rich, complex vanilla flavor, like these Mexican sprinkle galletas. It’s also one of the less expensive versions of vanilla that is more readily available in stores. Use any kind of natural vanilla flavoring in this cookie–just don’t use imitation! Fake extracts can leave a chemical aftertaste if too much is added.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN SPRINKLE GALLETAS

MEXICAN GALLETAS WITH FESTIVE HALLOWEEN SPRINKLES

This Mexican sprinkle cookies recipe shows how to make these colorful pan dulce by hand, but you can definitely make them in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer if you prefer. There’s no equipment discrimination with this recipe!

Cream the butter and shortening: Start by mixing together the butter and vegetable shortening. Because we want the real vanilla flavor to shine, be sure to use an unflavored vegetable shortening instead of butter flavored.

Add in Sugar and Flavorings: Mix in the granulated sugar and vanilla extract. Cream together for about a minute.

Mix in the Eggs: Add in the eggs and give the mixture a good stir to combine.

Incorporate the dry ingredients: Add in the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Mix together until combined.

Prepare baking equipment: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. If you like really blond cookies, double stack your trays.

Cut out the cookies: Roll out the dough to about ⅓-⅕ inch thick. If you’re using small cookie cutters (2” or less), keep the dough thinner. Use a circle cookie cutter, the mouth of a glass, or a cutter of your choice to cut out the cookies. Cut out as many as you can from that first cut. Pretend it’s a logic game–you want to get as many shapes as you can per roll. Place the cut cookies on the cookie tray and re-roll the dough. Don’t roll it out more than twice, three times if there’s a lot left. The more the dough is rolled, the tougher it will be when baked. Trust me, I’m a professional.

Coat with sprinkles: Crack one of the eggs into a bowl and give it a good mix. Use a clean pastry brush to coat the tops of the galletas with egg wash. Dip the cookies into the sprinkles of your choice and place back on the tray.

Bake and enjoy: Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool completely before enjoying!

RECIPE NOTES AND TIPS

Freezing Sugar Cookie Dough: You can freeze both the dough and the cookies(!) ahead of time. Freeze pre-baked and baked cookies tightly wrapped in an airtight container for up to 3 months. For pre-baked dough, let thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour before rolling. For baked cookies, you can eat them straight from the freezer. I know from experience.

Traditional Mexican Sprinkles: Most panaderias use the small, round sprinkles called non-pereils. If you can’t find them, or don’t like them, you can use American sprinkles, too!

Substitution for Shortening: Vegetable shortening is a bit controversial. Feel free to use butter and vegetable shortening interchangeably. You can also use dairy-free butter if you’d like.Flavor Substitutions: Although this recipe calls for vanilla, feel free to use any flavoring of your choice. For lemon and orange extracts, use 1 teaspoon. For nut extracts, mints, and floral essences, use a half teaspoon.

SHOP OUR RELATED KITCHEN GIFTS

Mexican Horchata Mug

Round Cookie Cutter

Day of the Dead Floursack Towels

Bake the World Kit – Mexico

If you tried this galletas recipe and love it as much as I do, leave me some feedback in the comment section below! Feel free to share it with others, too!
Be sure to follow us on INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | PINTEREST for all of our latest blog posts, recipes, and globally inspired gifts.

Yield: 30