Growing up in Chile, I have many candy memories. The most popular ones, like Super8, have chocolate, and I have never been a chocolate person. That may be why I was always happy to buy a Mantecol.
Mantecol is a popular peanut-based candy bar in Argentina. It is known for its smooth and creamy texture, a beloved treat among Argentinians and people in other parts of South America. It tastes like peanut butter fudge but less intense, with cinnamon hints.
The main ingredients of Mantecol are peanuts, sugar, and sometimes honey or other sweeteners. Peanuts are ground and mixed with sweeteners to create a smooth, creamy paste. This paste is then solidified into a bar, making it easy to slice and serve.
Mantecol is widely available in Argentina, Chile, and other South American countries at grocery stores, markets, and street vendors.
Different varieties have emerged with time: some with other nuts, chocolate, and even Nutella.
Mantecol has a soft, crumbly texture similar to marzipan or nougat but with a pronounced peanut flavor. It is typically molded into rectangular or square shapes and often comes wrapped in colorful packaging. While it is widely available in Argentina, it has also gained popularity in other South American countries and among Argentine communities abroad.
Mantecol is often enjoyed as a standalone treat but can also be used as an ingredient in desserts or pastries. It is especially popular during the holidays and is sometimes given as a gift or included in gift baskets. It's not commonly made at home, but I ask around for a recipe since I live in the USA, and it is not readily available.
Powdered milk is ubiquitous in Chile, almost always in the pantry in case of a power outage.
This homemade Mantecol can be the perfect addition to the Holiday baking to take to parties or exchanges. It's a people pleaser.
You may also like the recipe: Wine Jelly.
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Homemade Mantecol
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20
- Category: Snack
- Method: Food processor
- Cuisine: Argentinian
Description
A tasty and easy peanut butter fudge.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (Imperial brand)
- 1 ½ cup powdered milk (Bob's Red Mill brand) read note
- 1 ½ cup smooth peanut butter (Jiff)
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place all ingredients on the food processor. Pulse until smooth, stopping to clean the sides of the bowl.
- Scoop a tablespoon and form a ball using your hands. If it doesn't crumble, it is ready. Test often so you don't overprocess it and get too wet.
- Dump onto a baking sheet and press, forming a rectangle 1" thick.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the baking sheet and cut into squares.
Notes
Some instant powdered milk doesn't work in this recipe; I have tested twice with the old-fashioned milk powdered without problems. It needs to be powder-like flour milk, not with small granules.
Kim says
No worries if you don't have a food processor. I made this and it turned out great even by hand. Just took a lot of stirring!
Pilar Hernandez says
Wow, that's a lot of work, I'm glad you liked the recipe.
Thanks for commenting.
Hooman says
I've never understood why it wasn't made with peanuts, now I know some clever people HAVE thought of it.
Thank you for the clear instructions and a lovely addition to my breakfast.
BTW, I've been using nestle powder milk for years without any problem, are thee specific brands that don't work?
Pilar Hernandez says
Yes, it happened to me while testing the recipe, but I don't remember the brand. I should have put a note.
Good to know that Nestle powder milk works!
Thanks for sharing.
StarMaker says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I wonder if anyone knows whether mantecol can be frozen for future consumption -- will it thaw out okay? Thanks for any info you can share. 🙂
Pilar Hernandez says
Yes, you can freeze it up to 2 months.
Vanessa says
Great recipe, my kids really enjoyed it!
Pilar Hernandez says
Welcome to the website!
Debbie says
I followed this to the letter and it was very wet not crumbly. I tried again and put only 1/4 cup peanut butter and it was better but not correct. I don't know how you got the results you did with these measurements.
Pilar Hernandez says
Hi Debbie, I'm sorry you run into problems with this recipe. I added the brand names to the powdered sugar and peanut butter, but the most likely problem is with the powdered milk. Recently I have seen on the market powdered milk with small granules; I always use the powdered milk (flour-like consistency).
I did another sweet confection with the granular powdered milk, and it didn't work, so I'm suspicious of it.
Pilar Hernandez says
Hi Debbie, I'm sorry you run into problems with this recipe. I added the brand names to the sugar and peanut butter, but the most likely problem is the powdered milk. I have recently seen powdered milk in the market with small granules; I have always used powdered milk (flour-like consistency). I did another confection with the granular powdered milk, and it didn't work out, so I'm suspicious of it.