Marranitos, Mexican gingerbread pigs
Soft, dark, spiced gingerbread cookies in the shape of little pigs, sweetened with brown sugar syrup.
- Time50 mins
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.13 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the muscovado, water, cinnamon stick and treacle in a small pan. Simmer for 5 minutes until syrupy, then take off the heat and leave to cool completely. Remove the cinnamon stick.
5 min - 2
Mix the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingers until it looks like fine crumbs.
- 3
Beat the egg into the cooled syrup. Pour into the flour and mix to a soft dough, adding a splash of milk or water only if it is dry. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 min - 4
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Roll the dough 1 cm thick on a floured surface and cut out pig shapes with a cutter, or cut into rectangles. Place on lined trays.
- 5
Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until puffed, firm and the edges are set. They should stay soft inside. Cool on a rack.
15 min - 6
Keep in an airtight tin. They are lovely dunked in coffee or hot chocolate.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.