Vegan Mantecados
Mantecados are iconic crumbly, melt‑in‑the‑mouth Spanish shortbread, traditionally enjoyed during Christmas and festive seasons. This fully vegan version replaces lard and dairy butter with plant‑based alternatives, keeping the signature soft texture, nutty almond flavour, and sweet spiced warmth — with no animal products at all. They stay fresh for weeks and are perfect for gifting or sharing.
Shared by clever
Time
60 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
easy
đź›’ Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients;
- 250 g all‑purpose flour.. 100 g blanched almond flour or ground almonds
- 120 g solid vegan block butter (cold, not melted)
- 80–90 g icing sugar or caster sugar.. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp lemon zest,, Pinch of fine salt
- 1–2 tbsp ice‑cold plant milk (only if needed to bind)
- #Topping;
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds or flaked almonds
- Extra icing sugar for dusting
👩‍🍳 Instructions
- 1
Mix dry: Whisk flour, almond flour, sugar, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl.
- 2
Form dough: Add cold vegan butter and rub gently with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Press together to form a firm dough — add only a tiny splash of cold plant milk if it feels too dry. Do not over‑knead.
- 3
Chill: Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
- 4
Shape: Roll out to about 1.5 cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds or squares, place on a lined baking tray, and sprinkle with sesame seeds or almonds.
- 5
Bake: Bake at 170 °C (340 °F) for 18–20 minutes — they should remain pale and soft, only very lightly golden at the base. They will firm up as they cool.
- 6
Finish: Dust generously with extra icing sugar once completely cold. Store in an airtight container.