Coricos are a type of cookie made with corn flour and are a popular treat in the northern states of Mexico, particularly Sonora.  These crispy treats are perfect for dipping into coffee or hot chocolate.

A blue pretty plate with corn cookies.

Are you in the mood for a crispy and delicious Mexican cookie? You’ll love coricos! They are great snack for any time of day, whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast bite or an afternoon treat.

Coricos are the cookies that represent the state of Sonora, Mexico. They’re also very popular in Sinaloa and go by different names like biscochuelos o tacuarines. Coricos are one of the first things I buy when visiting family in Mexico!

What do they taste like?

They have an earthy taste due to the corn flour and are not overly sweet. I would say they’re like a crispy and sweet like biscottis. They make a perfect companion for milk or something hot like coffee or chocolate.

They’re also incredibly easy to make, so why not try your hand at making them from scratch?

Stacked Coricos on small dessert plates with a coffee on the background.

Pin this recipe for later!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups masa flour (Mexican corn flour). I used Maseca brand like the ones you make corn tortillas with. Do not use cornmeal as it will not render the original taste. You can easily find Maseca in all latin supermarkets.
  • Baking powder and baking soda.
  • Brown sugar. Usually is made with piloncillo syrup but most people have a hard time finding this ingredient and brown sugar is my preferred substitute.
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter or vegetable shortening. Some people use lard but I find that butter renders a better taste.
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • Vanilla extract
  • Milk: make sure that is at room temperature. This helps achieve a nice, velvety batter.
  • Oh and you can also add cinnamon if you like!
The ingredients for this recipe on top of a gray background.

How to Make Coricos

This is a visual overview of the steps to make this recipe. See the detailed list of ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Stir and set aside.
The bowl of a stand mixer with butter and sugar.
  1. Using a standing or handheld mixer, cream together butter and sugar until combined.
A stand mixer with creamed butter, egg and vanilla.
  1. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium to low speed until fluffy.
A stand mixer with dough inside.
  1. Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
Prepared masa harina with a little milk in the middle.
  1. Transfer to a work surface to knead the dough. Knead the dough for about 6 to 7 minutes, add a little milk at the time to make sure the dough is properly hydrated. Around 1/2 cup.

Note: The dough is ready when it’s not sticky and it doesn’t crack when forming the corico. The consistency is like play dough.

Masa dough balls on top of a work surface.
  1. Shape the coricos: When the dough is ready, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it or weigh them to 35g each. Shape each piece into a ball.
Masa harina prepared to make the round cookies.
  1. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rope that is 6.5 to 7 inches long and gently press the ends together to make a ring or ring shape shape. Place the shaped cookies onto a baking sheet that has been prepared for baking.
A baking tray ready with corn cookies ready to be baked.
  1. Bake the cookies for 20 to 30 minutes, until they feel set and the bottoms are golden brown.
A cooling tray with hot coricos from the oven.
  1. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them right on the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Stacked Coricos on small dessert plates with a coffee on the background.
Coricos are a popular cookie from the state of Sonora. They taste delicious almost like polvorones.


Tips and Notes

  • Storage: First and foremost, it’s important to keep your cookies in an airtight container. This will prevent any moisture or air from getting in and making your cookies go stale or soft. You can also add a piece of bread to the container to help absorb any excess moisture.
  • Milk and eggs should be at room temperature. Let the eggs sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes. In a hurry? place the eggs in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5-10 minutes.

It’s important to note that room temperature eggs are often used in baking recipes because they mix better with other ingredients and can help create a smoother, more consistent texture.

Serving Suggestions

Since Coricos are like biscotti’s, I always make sure there’s a cold glass of milk nearby for dunking. They go great with warm drinks as well like:

Dipping a corico into a cup of coffee.

I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact  me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana

Print Recipe:

A blue pretty plate with corn cookies.

Coricos (Sonoran Corn Cookies)

Servings 16 cookies
Ana Frias
4.94 from 16 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Coricos are a type of cookie made with corn flour and are a popular treat in the northern states of Mexico, particularly Sonora. 
16 cookies

Ingredients  

  • 3 cups masa harina (corn flourP) (250g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ cup brown sugar (125g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 125 grams butter or vegetable shortening (125g)
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup milk or more if necessary

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Set aside.
  • Using a standing or handheld mixer, cream together butter and sugars until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
  • Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
  • Transfer to a work surface to knead the dough. Knead the dough for about 6 to 7 minutes, add a little milk at the time to make sure the dough is properly hydrated. Around 1/2 cup.
  • The dough is ready when it's not sticky and it doesn't crack when forming the corico.
  • Shape the coricos: When the dough is ready, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it or weigh them to 35g each. Shape each piece into a ball.
  • Using your hands, shape the dough into a rope that is 5 to 7 inches long and gently press the ends together to make a ring or doughnut shape. Place the shaped cookies onto a baking sheet that has been prepared for baking.
  • Bake the cookies for 20 to 30 minutes, until they feel set and the bottoms are golden brown.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them right on the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Muy Delish Notes:

Store these coricos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 1g

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.

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Recipe Rating




20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was super-intrigued by this recipe, so I gave it a try last night. I have never had corn cookies before, but they’re my new favorite, now!

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious Coricos de sonora!! They remind me of growing up in Hermosillo. These are so good! Thank you.