Champurradas
Champurradas
Shortbread Cookie Dough
Demo and Recipe Below!
This month, we celebrate Champurradas, the crisp, golden cookies deeply rooted in Guatemalan baking tradition. These sesame-studded pastries have been a staple in panaderías for generations, known for their texture and subtle sweetness, often paired with coffee. Their history reflects Spanish influence on Mesoamerican baking, blending European-style crisp cookies with native ingredients like sesame seeds and piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar).
Though traditionally Guatemalan, Champurradas have become a beloved staple in Mexican bakeries across the U.S., brought by Central American bakers who enriched the diverse flavors of today’s panaderías.
This month’s recipe holds special meaning, passed down to me by the itinerant bakers who worked at my family bakery. They shaped my understanding of pan dulce, and in that spirit, we’re sharing a signature version that honors tradition while offering new possibilities. Our recipe stays true to toasted sesame seeds and a rich, crisp texture, but we also introduce variations—experimenting with piloncillo, brown sugar, or granulated sugar and swapping vegetable shortening for unsalted butter for a more delicate finish.
Baking is more than following a recipe—it’s about stories, traditions, and the hands that shape them. Recently, Mirna, a returning student, asked about Champurradas, not just to learn the recipe, but to reconnect with her past. Seeing her nostalgia, I knew this was a chance to share this tradition with our entire baking community. Whether it’s a cherished childhood memory, a family tradition, or a new discovery, baking links us across generations and cultures, carrying flavors and stories from one home to another.
Join us in celebrating community through baking with this month’s recipe—an ode to the past with room for creativity, just as the best traditions should be. As always, we’d love to see your creations and any twists you add.
Yield: 16, 40-gram cookies
Ingredients
Champurradas Dough
250 grams (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking powder
2 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt
150 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar
50 milliliters (1 large - unshelled) egg
50 milliliters (1/4 cup) whole milk
5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
115 grams (1/2 cup) vegetable shortening
Champurradas Variation
Butter and Shortening: Substitute vegetable shortening with unsalted butter (cubed) 1:1.
Dark Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: Substitute dark brown sugar for granulated sugar 1:1.
Additional Spice: Add fine ground cinnamon at 3 grams (1 teaspoon) to the recipe.
Follow the remaining steps of the recipe as usual to bake your champurradas.
Equipment:
Electric stand mixer with paddle attachment to mix the cookie dough.
One rubber spatula that you will use to scrape the sides of the mixer bowl when mixing the cookie dough.
Wire whisk to mix in dry ingredients.
2 quart mixing bowl to incorporate dry ingredients.
One 2-ounce portion scoop to divide the cookie dough
A digital scale to weigh the cookie dough. The digital scale is also an important piece of equipment when making bread or pastries at home. A precise dough weight makes for a more consistent bake. Be sure that your scale offers a gram measurement.
5, ¼ sheet baking trays or 3, ½ sheet baking trays
Dough Mixing & Procedure
Prepare the Dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon (optional). Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the egg, milk, vanilla extract, sugar and shortening and mix at 2nd speed for one minute using the paddle attachment. Scrape the bowl and continue to mix for 2 minutes on 4th speed.
Note on Vegetable Shortening:
Substituting shortening for butter creates a flakier, more delicate texture, which is common in traditional champurrada recipes. While butter gives flavor, shortening provides a crispier texture and is often used in Mexican bakeries.
Shape the Dough
For Flat Disc Champurradas:
Divide the dough into 45-gram portions (1.6 ounces each). Roll each portion into a ball.
Place the dough balls on a parchment-lined tray. Leave about one inch space in between each so they do not touch when pressed.
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper over the dough balls.
Use a second tray or a flat object to press down on the dough balls, flattening them slightly.
For uniform thickness, flatten them to 1/4-inch (6mm) using the bottom of a cup or a 2-4 lb (1-2 kg) weight.
Decorate the flattened discs with sesame seeds, pressing them gently into the dough.
For Log-Style Champurradas:
Roll some of the dough portions into logs about 3 inches (7.62 cm) long.
Roll the logs in granulated sugar until fully coated.
Place them on a parchment-lined tray.
Using your finger, make three indentations on each log, spaced evenly.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 400°F to 425°F (200°C to 220°C).
Place the trays in the oven. Do not overcrowd the trays.
Bake the flat champurradas for 9 to 11 minutes, until golden around the edges and firm to the touch.
Bake the log-style champurradas for a similar time, checking for a golden color and a slight crispness.
Serve
Let the champurradas cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This helps them firm up and makes them easier to handle.
More posts and recipes!
Alex Peña
“Baking is the most rewarding part of my culinary experiences.”
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