Concha
concha
The most popular and widely-known Mexican pan dulce. It has a dome shape and it's decorated with a unique four and sugar paste resembling a seashell, which gives it its name. The paste topping can be white, brown, or the iconic pink.
Churro
Churro
Originally from Spain, churros are made from a basic choux pastry dough made of flour, salt and water (although some add eggs, sugar and even lard), squeezed through an extruder and deep-fried. In Mexico, it's the norm to cover them in sugar and they can be filled with caramel, jelly or chocolate.
galleta
galleta
Cookies, or galletas, in Mexican bakeries typically refers to shortbread-like cookies that are a bit drier and not overly sweet. Pan Dulce galletas are particularly recognized for the smiles designed on top with strawberry jam but they can come in a variety of toppings.
The rainbow sprinkled galleta is popular among kids and is easy to spot among other pan dulces. Another popular favorite is the chocolate chip galleta. Unlike store bought chocolate chip cookies, the chocolate chip galleta is more crumbly because of the short-bread base.
besos
besos
Made from a raised dough, the baker makes two spheres with it, bakes, joins them using a jam or jelly, and covers them with butter and powdered sugar. It owes its name to the figurative kiss between the two pieces or spheres. It can be found mostly in the central part of Mexico.
orejas
orejas
Puff pastry cookies of French origin, orejas are sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, or sugar alone, between layers and rolled to resemble the shape of an ear. This is one of the most popular types of Mexican pan dulce along with the concha.
empanada
empanada de fruta
A fruit-filled hand pie, which can be made from a pie crust-like dough, flaky puff pastry or a less buttery dough made with lard. It can also be sprinkled with sugar or painted with an egg-wash to achieve a glossy finish. Empanadas come in a variety of fillings. Most traditionally in Mexico, they are filled with fruit. In other Latin American countries like Colombia or El Salvador, they are filled with meats and veggies.
marranito
marranito
A cookie in the shape of a pig—thus the name—made with piloncillo. Very typical of Western Veracruz and Eastern Puebla. It can be found throughout the country and the recipe may vary slightly, but its main ingredients are flour, eggs, piloncillo, cinnamon, baking powder and an egg wash for its shiny finish.
The pan dulce is also sometimes known as puerquitos or cochinitos.
cuerno
cuerno
Cookie texture on the outside with a soft 3-paste center. It is flavored with cinnamon or sugar depending on the baker. The pastry is rolled to create the crescent shape that resembles that of a bull's horn, as for the name 'cuerno.'
polvoron
polvoron
Buttery, crumbly shortbread cookie made with powdered sugar. These cookies may have received their name because they're sometimes offered as dessert at country weddings. Although not technically bread, they're still considered a type of pan dulce by many and are available at most Mexican bakeries.
The cookie comes in three flavors, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. The flavoring is very subtle so preference is made with color. Feeling indecisive? Try the tri-color triangle polvoron.
mantecada
mantecada
A synonym of panqué, a buttery pound cake. Sometimes confused with cupcakes due to their shape and iconic red paper wrapper. This is a favorite among older groups. The mantecada is often paired with a nice warm up of coffee or tea.
ojo de buey
ojo de buey
A bread or pastry dough piece filled or capped with a sugar paste similar to that used atop a concha, usually orb-shaped, and made to resemble an eye. The inner circle is made of different In some regions, the pan dulce listed above here as a “beso” is also called ojo de buey. Literally means “ox's eye.”
palmera
palmera
See orejas. Larger in size than orejas and formed in a circle shape to resemble a palm leaf. It is a puff pastry dough layered with sugar or cinnamon sugar that break apart very easily in flakes. When eating this pastry it is best to use a plate.
