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Piedras Mexican Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Rolls

Name: Piedras Mexican Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 120 g Butter at room temperature; 10 g Baking powder; 80 g Sugar and cinnamon for coating; 2 pzas Eggs; 60 ml Milk; 3 g Ground anise; 100 g Sugar; 3 g Salt; 500 g Plain flour; 5 g Ground cinnamon

55 min (30 prep + 25 cook) Easy 12 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 12 May 2026

Dense sweet bread rolls with a crisp coating of sugar and cinnamon.

About this recipe

Piedras are a dense, rustic sweet bread from Mexican bakeries - semi-sweet dough rolls with a crisp coating of sugar and cinnamon that gives them an exterior texture resembling the crust of a stone while the interior remains slightly soft. Their flavour is of butter, cinnamon and sugar with a hint of anise, and their compact texture makes them ideal with coffee or hot chocolate especially during cooler months.

History & Origin

Piedras are one of the most humble and long-standing sweet breads of Mexico, whose shape and name directly evoke river or field stones. Unlike the more elaborate breads of the French-Mexican tradition, piedras belong to popular bread, made with minimal ingredients and simple techniques. They are documented in Mexican recipe books of the nineteenth century and remain a fixed element in market bakery baskets, sold alongside polvorones, mantecadas and conchas.

Estimated cost

£2.50

Total cost

£0.21

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

195

Calories

3.5g

Protein

28g

Carbohydrates

Fat

0.7g

Fibre

130mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Beat the butter with the sugar until pale and creamy, about 4 minutes.
2
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the cinnamon, anise and salt.
3
Fold in the sifted flour with the baking powder, alternating with the milk. Mix only until combined. The dough should be firm but mouldable.
4
Mix the sugar with the cinnamon in a plate. Shape 60 g balls and roll in the mixture, pressing so it adheres.
5
Place on a baking tray lined with baking parchment, spaced 4 cm apart. Flatten slightly with your palm to give an irregular stone shape.
6
Bake for 22-25 minutes until firm to the touch and golden on the base. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.