Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies)

Mantecaditos are classic Puerto Rican shortbread cookies that feature a guava paste center, and are especially popular for Christmas!

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Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies AKA Mantecaditos are buttery, crisp, sweet and oh so festive! These tender shortbread style cookies feature a guava paste center, and are especially popular for Christmas!

Is it just me, or does the holiday season keep arriving sooner and sooner? By the time September rolls around, I’m already seeing Christmas decorations in all the stores! It’s like society has decided, screw Fall, let’s get right to the point, and do all the Christmas things! It’s gotten kind of insane, if you ask me. I wouldn’t mind if things slow down a bit, as the hectic nature of the holidays can leave me feeling, well, like I need a vacation from the holidays!

But there is one surefire sign that Christmas is definitely around the corner…it’s when my mom starts baking mantecaditos! These tender, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a Christmas tradition in my house, and many Puerto Rican households. Mantecaditos are definitely a labor of love if you don’t have an electric mixer, but if you’ve got the will (and some killer upper body strength), you can absolutely make these by hand.

Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies)

In case you’re wondering why these are called Mantecaditos, Manteca means lard or butter in Spanish so you could translate these as little butter cookies. It’s definitely a better name than “little lard cookies”, don’t you think? Shortbread cookies are the perfect cookies for novice bakers, because there are no leavening agents, so you don’t have to worry about them not rising. And the best part is that these cookies are made with just a few simple ingredients, so you can whip them up in a flash!

Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies)

Mantecaditos are the perfect cookie, if you ask me. They’re buttery and crunchy, with a hint of almond and the tang of guava. A sprinkle of colorful nonpareils are the perfect finishing touch. We make lots of them during the Christmas season, and then give away small tins of them as gifts! I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies)
Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies)
5 from 5 votes
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Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Thumbprint Cookies)

Course Dessert
Cuisine Puerto Rican
Keyword mantecaditos
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 100 cookies
Author Delish D’Lites

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening (AKA 8 oz)
  • 2 sticks salted butter, softened to room temp (AKA 1 cup of butter)
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 cups all purpose flour sifted
  • guava jelly or paste
  • nonpareil sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the shortening, butter and sugar in a bowl. Blend with an electric mixer or wooden spoon until the mixture is fluffy.

  2. Add the egg yolks, almond extract, and salt. Mix thoroughly to combine.

  3. Slowly incorporate the flour into the shortening/butter mixture. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, 1/4 cup at a time.

  4. Divide dough into small balls, about 1 ½ teaspoons each.

  5. Create an indent in each cookie with your thumb.

  6. Add a small cube of guava jelly or paste (about 1/4 teaspoon). Top with nonpareil sprinkles.

  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F or until edges are golden.

  8. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Mantecaditos (Puerto Rican Guava Thumbprint Cookies)

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9 Responses

  1. 5 stars
    I looooove how they turned out; I added a splash of vanilla and used coconut oil instead of vegetable shortening. But either way, they turned out crisp on the edges, and the guava jelly I made gave them the perfect sweetness. These little bites took me back to my childhood!!!

  2. 5 stars
    Made them! They turned out fantastic. Had to add an additional 1/2 a cup of flour. Mixture was still a bit sticky, but getting my hands rinsed for each “mantecadito ball” helped me sculpt a perfectly round ball. Other than that. Fantastic.

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Hola

I’m Jannese, Founder of Delish D’lites

I’m a Puerto Rican girl living in paradise (Florida), and the creative mind behind Delish D’Lites. I love sharing my family recipes and travel inspired cuisine! My favorite things include collecting passport stamps, twerking to Latin music, and kissing puppies. Follow along on social.