Polvoron is a Filipino-style shortbread made of toasted flour, powdered milk, sugar, and butter. Sweet, buttery, and easy to customize with different flavors, it’s a delicious snack or dessert and great for gift-giving, too!
Every time I visit the Philippines, I bring at least a dozen polvoron molds back with me to the U.S. I love making different flavors of this Filipino shortbread throughout the year but I always seem to misplace my molds and can’t find any when I need them.
Of course, when I DON’T need them, I find them everywhere.
What are Polvorones
Polvoron is a shortbread popular in Spain and its former colonies in Latin America and the Philippines. As its name, which comes from the Spanish word polvo (“powder” or “dust”) suggests, it’s a soft, crumbly confection made of flour, milk, sugar, fat, and nuts.
The traditional Filipino version uses powdered full cream milk such as Nido brand, toasted flour, sugar, and butter or margarine but other ingredients such as ube (purple yam), strawberry, pinipig (crispy rice), cashew, and cookies are also commonly added as flavor variants.
The mixture is shaped into small portions using tin molds and then wrapped individually in colorful cellophane or Japanese paper for presentation.
Helpful tips
- I find the ratio of 2 cups toasted flour, 1 cup powdered milk, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup melted butter yields a buttery and crumbly but sturdy texture. Combine the mixture until slightly moistened like a wet sand; if it feels a bit dry, add additional melted butter in 1 tablespoon increments.
- Pack the molds as compactly as possible to keep from falling apart. You can also freeze them before wrapping for about 3 to 5 minutes or until firm to help them hold shape.
Make them extra special
Besides adding nuts, crushed cookies, cereals, and other flavorings, you can give these buttery cookies another layer of yum with a chocolate coating. Freeze the polvoron and then dip them in melted white or dark chocolate!
How to serve and store
- The buttery cookies make a great snack or dessert and are best enjoyed at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Refrigerate for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months.
More sweet treats
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup powdered full cream milk (Nido)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, melted
For the Pinipig Flavor
- 1/2 cup pinipig
For the Cashew or Peanut Flavor
- 1/2 cup unsalted cashew or peanut
For the Cookies and Cream Flavor
- 6 Oreo cookies
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
Equipment
- 1 Polvoron mold
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, add flour. Toast, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and aromatic. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together toasted flour, powdered milk, and sugar until well-combined. Add butter and continue to stir until well-combined.
- Transfer mixture into a flat baking dish and using a polvoron mold, shape into solid cookies. Make sure mold is as compact as possible.
- Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm for about 30 minutes.
- Wrap individually in cellophane or Japanese paper wrappers.
For the Pinipig Flavor
- In a skillet over medium heat, add pinipig. Toast, stirring regularly, until lightly browned and begins to pop. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
- In a food processor, process until coarsely ground.
- Add to polvoron mixture and whisk together until well-combined.
For the Cashew or Peanut Flavor
- In a skillet over medium heat, add cashews or peanuts. Toast, stirring regularly, until aromatic. Remove from pan and allow to cool.
- In a food processor, process until coarsely ground.
- Add to polvoron mixture and whisk together until well-combined.
For the Cookies and Cream Flavor
- Scrape off cream filling from cookies.
- In a food processor, process until coarsely ground.
- Add to polvoron mixture plus additional 1 tablespoon butter and whisk together until well-combined.
Video
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Lileth Rose says
I will try your recepy. Thank you for your kawalingng pinoy program.
Nena says
Please DON’T say this dish is Filipino when infact it’s SPANISH FROM SPAIN. You have no idea
Pam Mantuano says
This is my first time to make polvoron. I made plain polvoron and it tastes so good. My son likes it so much! Next time i will make polvoron with cashews.
Jessica Chavez says
What do you use serves them with? I picked up a box of them from a grocery store. I am imagining these would go really well with Bangali chair but I wonder what people usually put with them.
Thanks for posting the recipe btw 😊
Mary Christine R. Jayme says
this is really nice ^^ ty for the instructions ^^
E Escobar says
It has the right taste but the texture is a little bit coarser than the store-bought ones. I may need to use a food processor to achieve a smoother polvoron.
Vilma says
Thank you. It’s seem easy. I will try it.
From california
Blessie operario says
Delicious
Tee says
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I would like to make ube flavored. Can you provide instruction? Do it just add extract? Jam? shredded?
lib says
bravo! love it
Gwen says
You nailed it! Thank you! The best polvoron recipe. My American folks love it. They always beg for more but I can only make one batch at a time 😬☺️
Michelle Magdura says
HI po anung pwd gawin Sa polvoron to make it crispy, taste like toasted
Jessie Angeles says
Please kindly change 1 cup of cream milk to NFD or dry milk
Carli Thomas says
Your recipe called for 1 cup full cream milk which means it’s liquid milk. However, on your instructions you said whisk powdered milk. I believe your recipe needs to be revised to say Powdered Milk. And possibly tell us what brand you used or suggest. Thank you!
Lalaine Manalo says
Full cream milk is powdered milk like Nido 🙂
JL says
Why does your recipe say cream milk but the instructions say powdered milk?
Lalaine Manalo says
Nido is full cream powdered milk 🙂
cath says
Gaano kahaba po ang shelf life nito?