• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Combo Plate

Food from all over the Americas

  • Index
  • About the Cooks
  • Rescued Recipes
You are here: Home / Snacks / Mexican Piggy Cookies

Mexican Piggy Cookies

February 22, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Mexican Piggy Cookies (marranitos, puerquitos) cochinitos)
Mexican Piggy Cookies, called cochinitos, marranitos, or puerquitos in their country of origin. (c) Robin Grose

Robin: In Mexico, these piggies would probably not be called galletas (cookies) at all; there they are one of the dozens of traditional panes dulces (sweet breads) that are part of the fabric of daily life. Cookies in Mexico tend to be fancy, delicate little things, and these hog shaped pieces of baked dough are unassuming and relatively large. Whatever you call them, however, they are one of the most beloved items in any Mexican bakery. They make a delicious breakfast, teatime treat, or evening snack.

Piggy cookies are referred to as “Mexican gingerbread” by some, and they do have a similar rustic feel. Piggies do not contain any ginger, however, and they are not particularly associated with winter or the holidays. Their homey dough is not overly sweet and only lightly spiced. When and how this rustic dough product came to be universally associated with a porcine shape is lost to memory.

Usually made in the shape of a pig (or a least a rounded, oblong-ish form vaguely reminiscent of a pig), these delicious, rustic cookies can be made in any size and shape you desire. (c) Robin Grose

In all the many years that I lived in Mexico City, I never once made piggy cookies. Why would I, when they can be inexpensively purchased at any neighborhood or supermarket bakery? They are called puerquitos, cochinitos, or marranitos there—all terms which translate to “little pigs.” My favorite source was an older gentleman who sold them by the bag from a folding table he set up on the sidewalk down near the Básilica de Guadalupe. His product was full of rustic flavor and aroma, slightly softer than any others I had tried, and although the pig shape was almost imperceptible (they looked more like rounded rectangles than anything else), I would buy a couple dozen large puerquitos every week or so in order to have plenty to eat myself and lots left over to share.

Once back in the USA—and not living in a Mexican neighborhood—the cochinitos were hard to find. I ended up developing this recipe in order to get my fix when I hadn’t had any piggies in a long time. As I was unable to find a pig-shaped cookie cutter that was large enough, my loving husband made one for me from pipe hanger material from the hardware store. I doubt if any piggy cookie recipe will ever equal my favorite street vendor’s product, but this recipe makes a reasonably respectable hog, if I do say so myself.

Ingredient note: Piggies are traditionally made with piloncillo, a wonderful rough sugar product alternately known also as panela, panocha, rapadura, tapa de dulce, chancaca, or papelón, depending on what part of the Spanish speaking world you are in. It is the unrefined, complex flavor of this sweetener that gives the cookies their characteristic flavor. If you are unable to locate piloncillo, you can substitute dark brown sugar, but add a tablespoon molasses to the mix, as well, to replicate some of the flavor notes of the traditional product.

Print
Mexican Piggy Cookies (marranitos, puerquitos) cochinitos)

Mexican Piggy Cookies

The traditional large, pig-shaped cookies that are one of the most beloved items in a Mexican bakery (where they are known as cochinitos, puerquitos, or marranitos). It you are unable to find the rustic, flavorful sugar product known as piloncillo, substitute 1 and ¼ cups of packed brown sugar and add a tablespoon of molasses to the mix.
Course bread, Breakfast, Cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Authentic Mexican
Keyword cochinitos, cookies, marranitos, pan dulce, piggy, piloncillo, puerquitos
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting time 8 hours
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 18 large cookies
Calories 335 kcal
Author Robin Grose / comboplate.net

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces (250 grams) piloncillo
  • 1 and 1/2 cups water
  • 2 sticks cinnamon
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 2 pieces (“stars”) of star anise
  • 2 whole dried allspice berries
  • 4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups pork lard or vegetable shortening
  • 4 eggs, divided (3 for the dough and the other for “varnishing” the tops)

Instructions

  1. Make the piloncillo syrup: If the piloncillo is in one large piece, try to break into chunks so that it will dissolve more easily; if it is too hard to break, leave it whole, but realize that it will take longer to break down.

    Put the piloncillo into a saucepan with the water, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and allspice berries. Place the pan on the stove over low heat for 20 minutes or so, until the piloncillo is completely dissolved and has formed a light syrup.

    Remove the syrup from the stove and allow it to come to room temperature. Once cooled, strain it and discard the whole spices.

  2. Prepare the dough: In a medium-sized bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the lard or vegetable shortening and mix well, using a wooden spoon and rubber scraper. Add 3 of the eggs and the piloncillo syrup and continue to stir with both utensils until well combined.

    Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 8 hours (or up to 2 days).

  3. Cut and bake your cookies: Preheat oven to 350F/ 180C. Prepare a couple of cookie sheets by greasing and flouring them or lining them with parchment paper.

    Break the other egg into a small cup and beat it with a fork until the white and yolk are well mixed. You’ll use this to “varnish” the unbaked cookies.

    Take about a fourth of the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Use cookie cutters or a sharp knife to cut out the traditional large pig shapes or another shape. Place shapes on the prepared baking sheet. Work slowly and patiently, as dough will be soft and you will need to be careful with it.

    Once cookies are on the baking sheet, brush each one with a little of the beaten egg.

    Bake the cookies until they have browned and the egg “varnish” on them has turned shiny, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on cookie size. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a wire rack or a flat surface covered with paper towels to cool.

    Continue this process until you run out of dough, making sure to allow baking sheets to cool between uses. 

  4. Serve your piggy cookies with hot chocolate, hot coffee, or cold milk. Eat them plain or top with jelly, butter, or peanut butter. Store leftover pieces tightly covered.

More delicious, rustic sweeteness:

  • Sweet Potato and Cinnamon Gelatin
  • Sweet Corn Pie
  • My Mom’s Pear Cake

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp

Filed Under: Snacks, Sweets & Desserts Tagged With: breakfast, cochinitos, cookies, marranitos, piggy, piloncillo, puerquitos

Previous Post: « Joy’s Dill Dip
Next Post: Grandpa Foley Special (Smoked Sausage Dinner) »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Your hosts, Robin & Ed

Ed Valdizan Robin Grose

Life's too short to eat just one type of food! Come with us as we cook our way through North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.

  • Follow us on Facebook

Follow Us

  • Facebook
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Let’s Get Cookin’

  • 5 Toxic Myths About Cooking
  • 6 Tips for Successfully Following a Recipe
  • Alphabetical Index (All Content)
  • Groundhog
  • Links to Our Content Published Elsewhere
  • Meet the Cooks
  • Rescued Recipes
    • Rescued Salad Recipes

Browse Recipes by Category

  • Appetizers
  • Breads
  • Condiments & Sauces
  • Dips, Spreads, & Toppings
  • Extra Easy
  • Gluten-Free
  • Ingredients
  • Main Dishes
    • One-dish Meals
  • Pasta
  • Salads & Sides
  • Snacks
  • Soups
  • Sweets & Desserts
  • Vegetarian

Featured Posts

Banana-Blueberry and Banana-Cherry Breads

Blueberry banana and cherry banana breads

South American Beef Empanadas

Argentinian Beef Empanadas

Chili Powder vs. Ground Chile

Chili powder ingredients

Grandpa Foley Special (Smoked Sausage Dinner)

Smoked Sausage Dinner, known in our family as Grandpa Foley Special

Easy Ham and Potato Chowder

Ham and Potato Chowder (Gluten Free)

Tuna-Stuffed Avocado

Tuna-Stuffed Avocado

Creamy Jicama and Carrot Slaw

Jicama Slaw

Mexican Spaghetti (Sopa seca de fideos)

Mexican Spaghetti / Sopa seca de fideo

Zucchini and Pepper Salad

Zucchini and Pepper Salad

Easy Pickled Jalapeño Carrot Slices

Spicy Pickled Jalapeño Carrot Slices

Coconut Merengue Cookies

Gluten- and lactose-free Coconut Merengue Cookies

Mexican Meatballs (Albóndigas)

Making meatballs
  • Index
  • About the Cooks
  • Rescued Recipes

Archives

Blog Stats

  • 158,217 hits

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework