• Recipes
  • Urban Homesteading
  • Organic Gardening
  • Faith and Family
  • Homeschool
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

My Humble Kitchen

food • faith • family

  • New? Start Here!
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Beverages
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Egg Dishes
    • Meat and Fish
    • Pasta
    • Rice and Legumes
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetables
    • Sandwiches
    • Casserole Meals
    • Crockpot Recipes
    • Odd Bits Recipes
    • Spanish Food
    • Naturally Sweetened Sweets and Treats
    • Condiments
    • Homemade Jams and Preserves
    • Whole Grains
    • Ferments
  • Shopping Guide
  • eBooks
You are here: Home / Topics / Recipes / Naturally Sweetened Sweets and Treats / Polvorones de Aceite – Spanish Christmas Almond Cookies Made With Olive Oil

Naturally Sweetened Sweets and Treats Recipes

Polvorones de Aceite – Spanish Christmas Almond Cookies Made With Olive Oil

polvorones2

I am so excited… giddy, jumping up and down… literally, to share this polvorones recipe with you.

As I’ve shared over the past couple of years, polvorones and mantecados are one of the most popular Christmas cookies in Spain.  I can’t imagine a Christmas without a soft crumbly Spanish almond cookie.

As I’ve shared in the past, they’re traditionally made using pork lard.  I’d spend a day home rendering lard specifically for these cookies and then spend a couple of days making batches to share with family and friends.

As good as the polvorones turned out, they didn’t seem to quite match up to what you would find packaged in fine wooden boxes in pastelerias throughout Spain.

That is until NOW!

I don’t want to gloat, but let me tell you, “these are spot on!”

My secret… extra virgin olive oil.

I know…. I know… I was just as surprised.  In this batch I also added pure anise extract with orange zest to the toasted flour and ground roasted almonds.  The combination of flavors was perfect.

Polvorones de Aceite – Spanish Christmas Almond Cookies Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

polvorones

Ingredients:

ingredients

  • 500grams (4 1/2 cups) whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all purpose flour (*important, the cup measurement is using fresh ground flour.  If using store bought flour the cups may be less since it’s denser.  For the best results, weigh the flour)
  •  250grams (1 cup) organic sugar, pulverized to powdered sugar in the blender
  • 1 cup, Star brand, California extra virgin olive oil
  • 100grams (3/4 cup) almonds, roasted
  • 1 1/2 tsp pure anise extract
  • 1 tbls orange zest

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 325F degrees.

2. Place your flour in an ovenproof bowl and toast for 20 minutes in the oven making sure to mix the flour every five minutes.  Set aside and allow to cool.

3. Roast your almonds in the oven for 20 minutes making sure to mix them up halfway through.  Once roasted, allow to cool.  Once cooled, grind them in a food processor or blender.

ground_toasted_almonds

4. In a blender, pulverize the organic granulated sugar to a powdered sugar.

ground_sugar

5. Zest your orange.

orange_zest

6. In a mixer add the toasted flour, roasted almonds, powdered sugar, and orange zest.  Mix through.

7. Once mixed, add the anise and turn the mixer onto low speed (speed 2 on my kitchenaid).  Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil.

pouring_oil

8. Increase the speed one notch until it’s blended through (speed 3 on my kitchenaid).  Do not overmix.  The final dough should be soft and supple and not stick.

9. Place the dough on the counter and form a rectangle about a half inch thick.  I used my rolling pin.

10. You can either cut out shapes with cookie cutters or simply cut in small rectangles with a knife.

11. Raise the oven temperature to 350F.

12. Place cut cookie shapes onto a cookie sheet or pizza stone and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they start to crack on top.  *tip Once you see the cracks forming, they are done.  (I used cooled pizza stones per batch which took 22 minutes to cook through)

cracks_on_polvorones

The results are soft, crumbly, stick to the roof of your mouth goodness.  Seriously, make a batch; take a bite; close your eyes; and travel back to Spain.

Buen Provecho!


This post is sponsored by Star Fine Foods and their new line of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil.


33 Comments

About Diana Bauman

Diana is a mother of three, proud wife, and humbled daughter of God. She finds the most joy meeting with Jesus in her organic gardens. She is completely blessed to be able to call herself a stay at home mom where she home educates her children, joyfully serves her husband, and cooks nourishing, real food, for her family. She loves connecting with people on facebook, google+, pinterest, and instagram.

« Simple Lives Thursday, #75
Simple Lives Thursday, #76 »

Comments

  1. Jo says

    December 22, 2011 at 8:40 am

    Thanks so much for posting this, Diana! Making them today!!

    Reply
  2. Belinda @zomppa says

    December 22, 2011 at 2:54 pm

    Great secret! These totally look spot on. Looks perfect for afternoon tea.

    Reply
  3. Mare @ just-making-noise says

    December 22, 2011 at 4:00 pm

    Looks yummy!!

    Reply
  4. Jo Harrington says

    December 23, 2011 at 10:20 am

    I have been looking for a chocolate turron recipe – does anyone have one to share??

    Reply
  5. A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says

    December 23, 2011 at 10:51 am

    Jo, you can find great recipes on youtube. They’ll be in Spanish, but I love going through the recipes there!

    Reply
  6. Jo Harrington says

    December 23, 2011 at 10:53 am

    I think I found one that will work on The Winter Guest’s page. Time will tell!

    Reply
  7. Gwen Roach says

    December 27, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    Your blog is a new favorite! Keep it up!

    Reply
  8. A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says

    December 27, 2011 at 2:23 pm

    Thanks Gwen!

    Reply
  9. Jenn @LeftoverQueen says

    January 3, 2012 at 2:51 pm

    These sound wonderful!

    Reply
  10. Emma says

    May 6, 2012 at 7:13 am

    I made these the other day and dipped the tops in melted chocolate -so delicious! The only change I made was using spelt flour instead of whole wheat. I didn’t have any wheat at the time, and the spelt worked just as well.

    Reply
  11. Roger says

    December 5, 2012 at 5:10 am

    I’ve just made these and they turned out delicious. I used ground aniseed instead of extract as I couldn’t find it in the shops. I prefer this recipe, as a veggie I’m not so keen on lard =)

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      December 5, 2012 at 7:57 am

      Thanks for the feedback, Roger! I’m so glad they turned out well for you!

      Reply
  12. Silvia says

    December 13, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    Ummmmm…. It looks amazing! In Spain, polvorones usually have sesame seeds on top (it is not mandatory, but usual). My favorite polvorones are made with cinnamon powder and pork lard, but with olive oil are nice too!

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      December 13, 2012 at 3:59 pm

      Thanks, Silvia! Yes, I love them with sesame seeds as well 🙂 I also have a recipe for pork lard polvorones, http://www.spain-in-iowa.com/2009/12/12-days-of-sharing-spanish-christmas/. I love these so much 😀

      Reply
  13. Sara says

    December 16, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    These are amazing! And they were easy to make, which was a bonus 🙂 (even without a stand mixer). My aunt lived in Spain for thirty years, so I’m always looking for Spanish recipes to try. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      December 16, 2012 at 10:17 pm

      That’s great to know Sara! Thanks for sharing that with me!

      Reply
  14. Annie Ferrer says

    December 24, 2012 at 11:08 pm

    I just made these and they’re like out of the wooden box! I divided the dried ingredients in two batches and made one with cinnamon and the other one with aniseed extract and lemon zest. Now I’m trying to think of the other flavors that usually come in a Seleccion de Polvorones. I will try cacao and coconut. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      December 25, 2012 at 9:20 am

      That’s great, Annie!! I definitely know what wooden box you are referring to ;D The flavor combos you suggested sound great, let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
  15. laura says

    January 19, 2013 at 8:43 pm

    I am finally making this! House to myself tonight, so I get to indulge in my pregnant cravings with this mouthwatering recipe. Back to my childhood in Spain, here I come! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      January 20, 2013 at 2:27 pm

      Let me know how they turn out for you, Laura!

      Reply
  16. Gianna McMurrey says

    May 16, 2013 at 8:55 pm

    I just made these for my daughter to take to school for her Spanish class. As she told me last minute and it is late at night and I didn’t want to have too much clean up on my hands……I made them entirely in the food processor. They turned out great!

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      May 17, 2013 at 5:39 am

      That’s great to hear, Gianna! Thanks for sharing that with me 😀

      Reply
  17. Janine says

    December 22, 2013 at 10:22 am

    I’ve just tried this recipe and I’m disappointed that I can’t get the dough to stick together enough to get the cut shapes onto a cookie sheet without falling apart. Perhaps I’ve added too much flour, now that I’ve read your note in this post (this would have been helpful to include in the book. Also, the addition of the anise extract is not mentioned in the book.)

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      December 26, 2013 at 1:41 pm

      I apologize for that Janine. I’m going to have to re-do that recipe in the book! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

      Reply
  18. Jennie says

    January 6, 2014 at 8:54 pm

    I’m really excited to try these. My box of E.Moreno Christmas polvorones is almost empty! I was wondering what you would think of replacing the flour with gofio (from the Canary Islands).

    Reply
  19. Tara says

    December 6, 2014 at 9:26 pm

    These were delicious! I had my reservations about making a cookie without butter or eggs, but the texture was perfect. Loved how each bite was melt in your mouth with the perfect amount of orange and anise.

    Reply
    • Diana Bauman says

      December 8, 2014 at 9:34 am

      I’m so glad to hear that, Tara!

      Reply
  20. Carol Carr says

    December 10, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    Excited to make these!
    I do not have a food processor but do have ground almonds and/or flour – any idea how much 3/4 cup of almonds turns into in cups when ground?
    also how many cookies does this make – I need like 10 dozen!
    Thanks!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Naturally Sweetened, Whole Wheat, Sugar Cookies - A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa says:
    December 7, 2012 at 10:36 am

    […] can’t imagine a Christmas without polvorones, mantecados, buñuelos de viento, turron, and […]

    Reply
  2. Powder Puffs [Olive Oil Polvorones] | Kate's Plate says:
    February 27, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    […] advantage of the long weekend) instead of Andalucía, but to celebrate I will leave you with this recipe for a traditional Spanish […]

    Reply
  3. Naturally Sweetened Chewy Molasses Cookies - Keeper of the Home says:
    December 16, 2013 at 9:22 am

    […] sticky, find delight in baking holiday treats. Of course we have our traditional favorites like polvorones, bunuelos, and turron de navidad that my boys always seem to ask for as soon as large snowflakes […]

    Reply
  4. Honey Sweetened, Einkorn Spritz Cookies and Giveaway! - My Humble Kitchen says:
    December 8, 2014 at 4:31 pm

    […] favorite cookies that we make year after year are Spanish polvorones. We also enjoy to make a double batch of soft sugar cookies sweetened with honey – a recipe you […]

    Reply
  5. Naturally Sweetened Chewy Molasses Cookies | Keeper of the Home says:
    February 23, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    […] sticky, find delight in baking holiday treats. Of course we have our traditional favorites like polvorones, bunuelos, and turron de navidad that my boys always seem to ask for as soon as large snowflakes […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 

My family of 7

I’m Diana – mother of five, proud wife, and daughter to an amazing God. Here you’ll find an encouraging community seeking to nourish our families both physically and spiritually. You’ll find us in our kitchens, gardens, and homeschool rooms pursuing a simple life in food, faith, and family.

Read More…

Real Food, Faith, and Family Straight to Your Inbox!

PLUS, receive my eBook a Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours and a Real Food Menu Plan Printable FREE!

Living Foods

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch - Gluten-Free

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch

How To Make Milk Kefir - A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink | myhumblekitchen.com

How To Make Milk Kefir – A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink

Charlotte Mason Homeschool Planner

Winter Recipes

Honey Sweetened, Christmas Granola - Candy Canes and Chocolate Chips | myhumblekitchen.com

Honey Sweetened Christmas Granola with Candy Canes and Chocolate Chips

A Simple Beef and Barley Stew | myhumblekitchen.com

A Simple Beef and Barley Stew

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Fudge Brownies | myhumblekitchen.com

Almond Flour Fudge Brownies

A Vegetable Curry

Quick Bake Einkorn Biscuits | myhumblekitchen.com

Quick Bake Einkorn Biscuits

View More Winter Recipes

#probioticseveryday

How To Make Milk Kefir - A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink | myhumblekitchen.com

How To Make Milk Kefir – A Probiotic Yogurt-Type Drink

Homemade Yogurt | myhumblekitchen.com

Homemade Yogurt

Naturally Pickled Leafy Greens and Stems with Onions

A Simple Recipe for Homemade Natural Fermented Pickles

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch - Gluten-Free

Fermented Buckwheat Crunch

View More Gut Healthy Recipes

Copyright © 2025 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in