Cornstarch cookies (Biscoito de Maizena)

These delicious, light-textured Brazilian cornstarch cookies called biscoito de maizena or sequilhos are made with just three ingredients. Naturally gluten-free, you will love their melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This is one of the old cookie recipes that every Brazilian mother and grandmother use to make and decorate with fork cookies.

Jump to:

• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make biscoito de maizena
• Expert Tips
• Recipe variations
• Storing and freezing
• Recipe FAQ
• Love cookies? Try these next!
• Recipe card
• Comments

They are perfect for enjoying your favorite cup of coffee or espresso. What's the best? You will only need one bowl and about 25 minutes of your precious time to make these gems at home.

Cornstarch cookies slightly resemble other melt-in-your-mouth melting moments cookies and cornstarch shortbread cookies made by adding all-purpose flour to cornstarch.

Why you should try this recipe

• Biscoitos de maizena are a staple of each Brazilian household: they have that childhood flavor for every Brazilian.

• The Brazilian recipes are a must-try. This easy recipe will have you making delicious cookies in no time.

• Cornstarch cookies are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional cookies.

• Since they are made with cornstarch instead of wheat flour, they are naturally gluten-free.

• The buttery cookies are customizable and fun to make with kids. The little ones love to make the dough by hand.

• There is no need to worry about dishes; this one-bowl recipe will have you forgetting all about them.

• Finally, the cookies make a perfect addition to your holiday cookie box. Just beautifully wrap it and give it as a gift.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Butter: While the traditional recipe is made with margarine, you can use unsalted butter for the intense buttery taste. To make cookies dairy-free, use vegan butter.

If you use margarine, look for low-flavored margarine. The intense flavor of margarine can change the taste of your sequilhos. So if you want a cheaper option, why not try this?

Make sure to bring the butter or margarine to room temperature about 1 hour before starting.

• Cornflour is the main ingredient, a flour alternative used to make these cookies. It gives them that melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Don't replace it with potato starch or tapioca starch; you will not get the same result.

• Sweetened condensed milk works as a sweetened and binding agent to make the cookie dough. You can make it at home: homemade condensed milk is easy and delicious.

Canned sweetened condensed milk by Nestle Carnation, Eagle Brand, and Longevity are all the most trusted brands in the American market.

How to make biscoito de maizena

Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F/180 degrees C. Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl, place the softened butter and condensed milk and beat with an electric mixer (photo 1).

Slowly add cornstarch, a little bit at a time, mixing with a wooden spoon, then continue mixing with your hands (photo 2). Knead the cookie dough well until smooth and homogeneous.

Using your hands, roll the dough into small 1-inch balls (2.5 cm).

Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a space of about 1 inch / 2.5 cm between the cookies. Flatten the top of each ball with a fork (photo 3).

Pro tip: Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip and pipe the rose-looking cookies. Experiment with different tips and shapes, but you will probably need some skill since the dough is quite hard.

Bake cookies on top of your oven for 10 minutes (photo 4).

They are ready once the bottom of the cookies becomes slightly golden. Wait to cool sweet treats on a wire rack and serve.

Expert Tips

1. Measure cornstarch correctly using a kitchen scale or measuring cups with a scoop and level method, the same as measuring the flour.
2. The best way to make the dough is with a hand mixer; however, you can mix it without one too. Just use a rubber spatula instead.
3. To make your cookies identical, use a teaspoon or melon baller to spoon the dough. 
4. Bring the cookies to the fridge while preheating the oven if you make cookies on a hot day. Keep the second batch of cookies in the refrigerator while baking the first batch.
5. If desired, you can bake cookies on greased cookie sheets (use butter or margarine).
6. Don't overbake the sequilhos: they should look quite pale. Remove them from the oven once their bottoms begin to turn golden.

Recipe variations

The cornstarch cookie recipe is one of the most famous Brazilian recipes because it is easy to make yet rich in flavor.

Traditionally this uses just three ingredients, but some people like adding a pinch of salt or extra egg yolk for an even more delicious taste.

You can give your cookies a special touch of flavor without difficulty, and this recipe is proof.

• Add half a teaspoon of lemon zest, a few drops of lemon extract or almond extract, or ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon; they will give a delightful flavor and perfume.

• Add three tablespoons of shredded coconut to the dough to bring an exciting touch to the cookies' texture.  

• Experiment with adding chocolate chips to make your recipe more special. 

• Use a guava paste to make sequilhos with guava, also called casadinho in Portuguese. The tropical flavor of the guava paired well with cornstarch creates an exciting taste.

• Dip your cookies in melted chocolate for an extra special finish, or add some cocoa powder to make chocolate cornstarch cookies.

• Make traditional cookies with the single fork pattern or flatten them and create an 'X' design on top.

• Braid or roll cookies and use different shapes, such as hearts, for Valentine's Day.

• Sandwich cookies with your favorite filling, for example, buttercream, and enjoy.

Storing and freezing

Store maizena cookies in an airtight container in a dry, cool place for seven days.

Can you freeze cornstarch cookies? Don't freeze them. They taste dry and have a crumbly texture when thawed out for eating later down the line.

The best option is to freeze the cookie dough in batches or raw cookies for up to 3 months so that you can use it at a later date.

Recipe FAQ

Love cookies? Try these next!

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.