Bring a taste of the Azores into your home with these traditional Portuguese Biscoitos. These ring-shaped cookies offer the perfect balance of buttery richness, a subtle hint of lemon, and a satisfying crunch. Whether you’re pairing them with your morning coffee, tea, or serving them alongside a Portuguese-inspired dinner, these simple, pantry-staple biscuits are a timeless family favorite. Discover the secret to achieving that classic bakery-style texture right in your own kitchen.
This recipe was originally published on May 19, 2021 and has been updated with tips and tricks for success.
The Portuguese are known for their love of sweets, and these delicious biscuits are no exception. Made from pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and butter; they can be served with coffee or tea as a snack or dessert. Hint: They’re a perfect dessert to my popular Shrimp Mozambique dinner or a crunchy companion to Portuguese Sweet Rice Pudding!
Just like Vovó made, these Portuguese cookies are dry, crunchy, and can be dipped in hot coffee or tea. They are a staple in Azorean Portuguese bakeries across the Northeast and can be found in Portuguese cookie jars or pantries across this region. You know you’re Portuguese when you show up to your Vovó’s (grandmother) kitchen and these were spread out from the counter to the tables! Boy, do I miss those days!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bakery Quality: Get that classic, dry, crunchy texture you find in Northeast Portuguese bakeries at home.
- Simple Staples: Made with pantry essentials like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.
- Versatile: Enjoy them plain, or follow my easy icing guide for an extra touch of sweetness.
- Perfect Pairings: A delicious dessert to serve after my Shrimp Mozambique dinner.
Ingredients
Leavening: 1 tsp baking powder.
Flour: 4 cups all-purpose flour (the base of your dough).
Butter: 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened.
Sugar: ¾ cup granulated sugar.
Eggs: 3 large fresh eggs, at room temperature.
Milk: 4 tablespoons whole milk (use to adjust dough consistency).
Flavorings: 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp lemon zest (or 1 tsp lemon extract). If you prefer to just do a vanilla flavor, increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
Equipment
- Clean work surface for rolling
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 2 medium or one large baking sheet(s)
- Parchment paper
Expert Tips for Success
- Consistency is Key: The dough should feel like play-dough. If it’s too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If it’s too dry to roll, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Toastiness: If you prefer a crispier cookie, bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until deep golden brown.
- Flavor Matters: Don’t skip the lemon zest or vanilla! These cookies are designed to be “not too sweet,” so these aromatics are essential for that classic bakery flavor.
- The Icing: If you prefer the iced variety, whisk 1 cup of confectionary sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of milk, and 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla. Dip the cooled cookies and let them set for 30 minutes.
Storage Instructions
Freezer: Store in airtight bags for up to 3 months. Tip: Keep them away from strong-smelling foods like garlic or fish, as the cookies will absorb the odors!
Room Temp: Keep in an airtight container at 68-72°F (avoid humidity) for up to 2 weeks.
More Portuguese Recipes to Try Today
- Portuguese Orange Cake
- Portuguese Steak (Fall River style)
- Portuguese Chicken Mozambique
- Portuguese Stuffed Quahogs
- Portuguese Shrimp Mozambique
Portuguese Biscoitos Recipe (Traditional Biscuit Cookies)
Equipment
- Standmixer with paddle attachment
- oven
- Large Baking Sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large fresh eggs
- 4 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest *or 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. If you prefer just vanilla flavor skip this and increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly flour a clean cutting board or work surface.
- In the bowl of a standmixer, add the butter, and sugar. Cream until light and fluffy.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside. Add the eggs, extracts, and milk and mix until combined.
- Turn down the mixer speed and slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough should form a ball on the paddle. If it is too dry add 1 tablespoon of additional milk. If it is overly stick add one tablespoon of flour until it is workable.
- Remove the dough from the stand mixer and knead on the floured workspace. The dough should be the consistency of play dough.
- I used a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to scoop out tablespoon-sized balls.
- On the floured work space, roll on dough with the palms of your hand to create a 5 inch "snake". Bring together the ends to form a ring. Place cookies 1 inch apart of the baking sheet.
- These cookies bake for 20-25 minutes to get toasty deep golden-brown bottoms and tan golden-brown top surfaces. *See images
- Cool cookies for ten minutes before removing and baking the next batch. Repeat the process until all cookies are done.
- Cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks time.
Notes
Expert Tips for Success
- Consistency is Key: The dough should feel like play-dough. If it’s too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If it’s too dry to roll, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time.
- Flavor Matters: Don’t skip the lemon zest or vanilla! These cookies are designed to be “not too sweet,” so these aromatics are essential for that classic bakery flavor.
- The Icing: If you prefer the iced variety, whisk 1 cup of confectionary sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of milk, and 0.5 teaspoon of vanilla. Dip the cooled cookies and let them set for 30 minutes.
Storage Instructions
- Room Temp: Keep in an airtight container at 68-72°F (avoid humidity) for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: Store in airtight bags for up to 3 months. Tip: Keep them away from strong-smelling foods like garlic or fish, as the cookies will absorb the odors!
So glad you enjoyed them!
So good! Brings back memories from my childhood. Glad I found this recipe! :)
You’re right! It is updated with four cups. Not sure how that transferred over. I made them again yesterday and this gets it to a nice, non-sticky dough.
Nice recipe but the flour ratio is way off. I had to add an extra 1 and 1/4 cup of flour to be able to shape them.
Hi, sorry but I never tried it and am not sure of the ratios it would require.
Can I add cocoa powder and chocolate pieces to make it as chocolate biscuits..
buono peccato che ho dovuto mettere molta più farina
Hello I just wanted to confirm that the ingredients said you will need lemon zest but in the recipe you did not specify to use lemon zest
Hello, these have the perfect crunch and are not break your mouth hard!
Hi. Looking forward to trying these. I’ve always loved the ones or family gets from a local Portuguese bakery. The ones we like are rock hard jawbreakers. Are these like that or are these more crispy and tender?
I added lots of lemon juice and a little more flour because I love lemon. I also put them in the cool oven Crunchy! And topped with some lemon icing
Hi, these are made all over Portugal. I will try your recipe. Up to now, I have been making my great-grandmother’s recipes. She called them “biscoitos de limao”. They are not hard like the Italian biscotti, they are more on the soft side. If I want to make them for dipping in my coffee once I turn the love off I allow them to stay for an extra 3 to 5 minutes. We make them round, twisted, and sometimes like a letter “S”. Anyway they are good no matter the shape. Thank you for the recipes.
One of the easiest and closest recipe to the ones we had growing up. It’s amazing to share this tradition with my kids
Hello! My family has been making these for generations. Basically the same recipe but a light oil is used instead of butter. Also , no vanilla or lemon. After the cookies are shaped into a circle we brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Then bake! Cheers!
Love this recipeas is…but I made a mistake that I kept in the second batch I added 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.to the ingredients..loved it. The next few batches I love lemons so added 1tablespoon of lemon zest. It is perfect ❤️ for our family
Portugese biscuits are hard as rocks. Like Italian biscotti, they must be dunked into hot coffee or tea to soften. Recipe is right on – but these are not intended for nibbling.
These were the best biscoitos I’ve ever had. First time making them, too. I used all vanilla because I don’t like lemon sweets. Fantastic, and so easy. Thank you.
Hope you enjoy them!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I was gifted a giant box of pastries from my sweet sister in law and her husband. I loved the biscoitos. I received lemon, cinnamon and iced lemon. I liked the lemon the best. They are delicious with coffee or tea in the morning. I am making a batch today!