Easy Manteconchas (Concha Cupcakes)

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these shortcut Easy Manteconchas.

Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls: Crescent roll dough gives these pastries a soft, flaky texture that’s surprisingly close to traditional sweet bread—but ready in a fraction of the time. The results are tender, so yummy, and irresistibly quick!

Butter: The rich, classic flavor of manteconcha topping starts here. Don’t substitute—real butter makes all the difference.

Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps give the topping its smooth, cookie-like texture.

All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the topping while keeping it tender and slightly crumbly. Don't substitute any other type of flour.

Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon: These are the signature flavors of the traditional white topping. Don’t skip them—they add that warm, nostalgic pan dulce flavor.

Other Ingredients You’ll Need: Strawberry powder and cocoa powder if you want to make the pink or chocolate variations.

How to Make Easy Manteconchas

Here’s an overview of how to make these manteconchas. Follow the recipe for more details.

1. Form the Dough Balls

Unroll the crescents and form them into 8 dough balls. Place them in paper baking cups.

2. Make the Topping

Mix the topping ingredients until a smooth dough forms.

3. Place Topping and Score

Flatten topping into discs and place onto each dough ball. Score the dough ball in a classic shell pattern.

4. Bake, Cool, and Enjoy

Bake the manteconchas until golden brown and baked through, let cool, and serve.

How to Store (and Reheat) Easy Manteconchas

If you have any leftover manteconchas, here’s how to store and reheat them.

Room Temperature

Store cooled manteconchas in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator

Transfer cooled manteconchas into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheating

Transfer manteconchas to a baking sheet and loosely cover with foil. Heat in a 325°F oven for about 5 minutes, until just warm. Alternatively, heat in the microwave on High for 10 to 15 seconds, until just warm.

Easy Manteconchas Variations

The simple vanilla topping is delicious, but chocolate and strawberry are classic variations. With a little extra effort, you can enjoy Easy Manteconchas with all three flavors in a single batch!

Once you've made the topping, divide the dough into three equal portions and place them on your work surface.

To Make the Flavored Toppings:

• Chocolate: Gently mix 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder into one-third of the topping. Set aside.
• Strawberry: Mix 1 tablespoon of strawberry powder into another one-third of the topping.
• Vanilla: Leave the remaining one-third of the topping plain (white).

Divide each flavored topping into three portions. Then, follow the instructions for adding the topping to the manteconchas. You'll have one extra topping portion left over.

For a Single-Flavor Batch:

If you prefer to make only one flavor of topping for the entire batch, use 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (for chocolate) or 3 tablespoons of strawberry powder (for strawberry) when preparing the topping.

Making This Recipe Ahead of Time

The topping can easily be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Let it come to room temperature before shaping and baking.