HOW TO MAKE MARRANITOS: Easy Recipe for Mexican Gingerbread Pig-shaped Cookies/Pan Dulce

If you've ever wanted to learn How to Make Marranitos, this step-by-step video tutorial is for you. The word "marranitos" is Spanish for "little pigs." They're basically Mexican gingerbread cookies in the shape of pigs, and they're among the most popular kind of pan dulce (sweet bread). They're also known as puerquitos or cochinitos, which are just other words for pigs. This video will also show you the difference between brown sugar and piloncillo. Both are options with this easy recipe. Read on for more.
Marranitos
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup vegetable shortening or butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. crushed anise seed
1 cup unsulphured molasses
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar or ground piloncillo
2 eggs, divided (1 will be used for egg wash)
1/4 cup whole milk
pig-shaped cookie cutter
In large bowl, cream together brown sugar and softened butter or shortening. Add anise, baking soda, and cinnamon and continue to mix well. Continue to mix after adding each of the following ingredients: vanilla, molasses, one egg, milk. When everything is well combined, begin adding flour a little at a time, until all six cups are mixed in. This should form a heavy dough and will require kneading by hand. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out with rolling pin to about 1/3" to 1/4" thickness. Use cookie cutter to cut pig shaped dough. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. In small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and brush over cookies, covering them completely with egg wash. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes.
This recipe makes 2 dozen marranitos using a 5" cookie cutter. Amounts will vary based on cookie size.
Thanks so much for checking out this video. I hope you like these marranitos as much as I do. Please, give it a Thumbs Up, Subscribe, and click that Notification Bell, so you'll be alerted when my next video comes out. You can also follow me on Instagram at / marcyinspired and on Facebook at / marcyinspired

[@riverarivera1092]

I’m eating one while I watch you, My favorite 😩❤️

[@marcyinspired1442]

Classic pan dulce! Gotta love it.

[@judyl.6550]

I’m SO glad I found this recipe!! When I was growing up in Las Cruces, the only place we bought marranitos was from Lujan’s Bakery.

[@opalrivas6646]

If I had known how easy they were to make, I would’ve done this years ago as these are a family favorite!

[@marcyinspired1442]

So happy to hear that. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@VickiewithanIE]

These are my husbands favorite.. I’m definitely going to make this recipe 🐖❤🤤

[@marcyinspired1442]

Hope you enjoy!

[@krissieflores9475]

Thank you for the demonstration!!! Also I love your sign on your wall of encouraging words from our LORD!!!

[@marcyinspired1442]

Thank YOU! I'm happy my video was helpful and encouraging.

[@L.Spencer]

I love these! It's interesting to see the form gingerbread takes in Mexico, and the variation. My mother-in-law makes a cake-type called "chichimbré" that only uses piloncillo (melted with a little water), flour, manteca, baking soda. It's very good, not as flavorful as gingerbread. She used to make it every week along with a dough she made into empanadas, and other breads. My husband would take the basket around the town and sell the bread. That was how they made their living, along with tailoring. Anyway, we've got to try to make these.

[@marcyinspired1442]

I enjoyed reading your comment and am just picturing that basket in my mind! I love how so many of our memories are tied to food, and how a recipe can be part of a legacy that our ancestors leave for future generations. Thanks for sharing that. Your mother-in-law sounds like a special lady. ❤️

[@martistgermain5951]

Hi my mom would make Mexican semitas and I would go and sell them.

[@marcyinspired1442]

@@martistgermain5951 I wasn't sure what that was but figured it had cemillas. So, I just looked it up. Yum! Tortas made with sesame seed bread look SO GOOD! How wonderful that your mom made them!

[@Charl20]

I just made these and they came out so delicious!! Thank you for this recipe. I have tried 2 others and they just didn't have that authentic taste I remember from when I was little that my Wela had. As for some saying it was dry, by the 6th cup the dough did get a little dry I just added a bit more milk to dough as I kneaded on counter and it came out perfect. Wish I could post a picture here. Definite keeper and go to recipe for Cochinitos.❤

[@marcyinspired1442]

That's so awesome! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a nice comment. I wish KZbin had a way to post pictures in the comments, too. You can post them on my FB page or tag me on Instagram. I'd love to see them.

[@taosjedi]

I'm gonna challenge my daughter to make these! Great job!

[@patf6220]

Marcy, my family loves these marranitos, so I think I’ll try making them now. I love watching your weekly videos, but just know I was so happy to see the ring back on your finger at the end of your post! 😅 Luv ya!!

[@marcyinspired1442]

Right!? That is too funny! Thanks for looking out for it. I was a little paranoid when I took it off. I should probably just stop wearing it on days when we shoot, just to be safe.

[@oceansally]

These always remind me of my dad. They were his very favorite Mexican bread. One of mine too! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I will have to make them & drink them with milk.

[@marcyinspired1442]

Awe. Makes me miss him. It's crazy how certain foods jog your memory.

[@oceansally]

@@marcyinspired1442 So true!

[@marysaenz114]

Marcy I have not had the chance to bake marranitos but I loved how you made it seem so easy. I am ordering my piggy cookie cutter now.

[@marcyinspired1442]

How fun! Excited for you to bake them. It's kind of a workout with the kneading, and will seem like it's going to be too dry, but just keep at it. It will work out in the end and they'll be so good!

[@greenghopper]

Wonderful!....brings back so many memories

[@marcyinspired1442]

For me, too. You’ll have to let me know if you make them. I remember you had requested this recipe.

[@greenghopper]

@@marcyinspired1442 Finally had a chance to make them and your recipe was a hit. We did not have a pig cookie cutter, but instead had a cat figure and simply called them gatos. For the anise seeds, we used the molcajete to grind them. Great recipe and our son loved them! Thank you again for sharing.

[@marcyinspired1442]

@@greenghopper I'm so happy to hear that. And I especially love that you made gatos. I bet they turned out cute. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.

[@DH-li1iv]

Looks so delicious

[@JBstr8up]

These are my favorite too! Thanks for sharing ❤

[@marcyinspired1442]

You are so welcome! Thank you for watching.

[@nosabo2sabo]

I have made a few different verisons of marranitos and these are the best!

[@inthevanwithalexa]

OMG 😮I CANT WAIT TO MAKE TY AMIGA ❤

[@marcyinspired1442]

Thank you so much. Hope you love them as much as I do.

[@mandag4971]

THANK YOU❤❤

[@marcyinspired1442]

You're welcome 😊

[@dianerhodes3877]

I tried the recipe it came out really good even my husband ate them and he doesn’t like gingerbrea

[@marcyinspired1442]

I'm happy to hear that. Thanks for coming back to tell me.

[@josiecalderon890]

Looks easy! Do have to use whole milk? I only use almond milk at home.

[@rosafierro3894]

Jajajaa los puerquitos 🐖 con el piloncillo que hiciste se supone que tenías qu hervir el piloncillo con una poca de agua canela y anís en semilla o Anis estrella y hasta hacer una miel pero bueno, descubriste cómo hacer las chorreadas “ otro delicioso pan con piloncillo rallado 😅❤

[@alexaflores9338]

Is there a substitute for molasses? Thank you

[@chelseamarquez325]

Surfing recipes for these favorite "Piggies" but do you have to add the anise??

[@marcyinspired1442]

Anise is a very distinct flavor in traditional marranitos, but you can, of course, leave it out.

[@jessicagutierrez1808]

I want to try your recipe! Is there a reason you add the flour last? I'm still learning....I thought you should add all dry ingredients first then add your wet ingredients 🤷‍♀️

[@marcyinspired1442]

You could add wet to dry or dry to wet. It just depends on the recipe. In this case, adding the flour to the pre-mixed wet ingredients makes more sense to me, but you can definitely try it the other way around. Thanks for the comment. Hope your marranitos turn out great.

[@jonhcontreras]

Marry me Marcy. I will keep your cupboards stocked well with brown sugar..😟😊😋

[@bettyw.6402]

Can this be made with gluten free flour?

[@bettyw.6402]

Can these be made using a Gluten Free flour?

[@KarenGarcia-rg4or]

This recipe may need 1/4 cup more flour, and less sugar and molasses ...for my taste anyway...It was very sticky when I rolled out the dough and had to keep adding flour throughout the rolling and cutting process...was very hard lifting them off the counter...maybe had something to do with the altitude where I live, possibly....

[@maryesthermcdaniel650]

Where can you get a pig cookie cutter?

[@marcyinspired1442]

I think you can find them on Amazon. Just be sure to check the size. I think mine is only about 5 inches long and the marranitos you buy at Mexican bakeries are bigger.

[@krystalherrington354]

why the milk for the marranitos? or any kind of milk

[@8183rmg]

My dough is so sticky and sticks to my rolling pin😞what am I doing wrong

[@defaultname2804]

Have any of the thumbs-up folks actually tried to make these using this recipe? Because it doesn't work! I followed it to the letter and the dough came out so dry they wouldn't hold together much less be able to roll them out. WAY too much flour. Other recipes call for only four cups plus additional moisture. The end dough looks nothing like video and produces much more. I think either there's a typo or you're leaving out critical explanations. I bake all the time and have been wanting to try these - should have listened to my gut. I will be using a different Channel next time!

[@marcyinspired1442]

I am so sorry it didn’t work out for you. This is a very dense dough that requires quite a bit of kneading, but the six cups of flour will eventually be absorbed into the moisture.

[@Begonepeasant]

I actually came across this issue as well. It was dry and crumbly, but it was a mistake on my part. I tried to weight out a cup, or 8oz of molasses instead of using a cup measurement for volume. 8oz of molasses was a lot less than 1 cup measurement of molasses. I’m not sure if that’s what you did, but I thought it would be a helpful detail(:

[@user-qg2vw8bb7p]

Do you add GINGER ? Confused 🫤