Sweets & Pastries
Crespells: the traditional Easter biscuits
Star-shaped, delicate and lightly lemony: crespells are as much a part of Easter on Mallorca as panades – small shortcrust biscuits that look different in every bakery on the island.
The short answer
Crespells: the traditional Easter biscuits
Crespells are Mallorcan shortcrust biscuits made from flour, sugar, egg, lemon zest and lard or olive oil, cut into star, heart or flower shapes. They belong to the Easter season and are baked in village bakeries in the weeks beforehand.
Ingredients and preparation
The dough consists of flour, sugar, egg and lemon zest, enriched with lard or olive oil. The citrus gives the biscuits their characteristic freshness. After rolling out, the dough is cut into various shapes and baked in the oven until golden.
Because they are made with shortcrust, crespells are crisp and crumbly and keep well in a biscuit tin for several weeks.
Typical shapes
Stars, flowers and hearts are characteristic – every bakery on the island has its own cutters and slightly different recipes. The variety of shapes makes crespells an eye-catcher on any Easter plate.
When you can get them
Crespells are a seasonal bake with a clear focus on the weeks before Easter. Outside this period, only a few bakeries stock them regularly.
Practical tips
- Most likely available in village bakeries during the Easter weeks, not all year round.
- Well suited as a travel snack, as they are dry and do not break easily.
- If you are looking for vegetarian or vegan versions, ask specifically for recipes made with oil instead of lard.
- Easy to combine with trying panades and rubiols in the same season.
Good to know
Price ranges, opening hours and airline rules change. We only give verifiable features and rough orders of magnitude – check details directly with the seller or your airline before you buy or fly.
Product knowledge
The specialities on this topic
Baked goods Traditional Island-wide
Crespells
Mallorcan shortcrust biscuits
Star-shaped shortcrust biscuits with lemon and lard or oil – the island's Easter bake.
- Ingredients
- Flour, sugar, egg, lemon zest, lard or olive oil
- Diet
- contains pork lard
- Price range
- A bag costs in the low single digits (euros)
- Where to buy
- Bakeries, weekly markets
- Flying
- Dry bake: ideal as a long-lasting souvenir, just fragile.
Last checked: August 2026
Price ranges, opening hours and airline rules change. We only give verifiable features and rough orders of magnitude – check details directly with the seller or your airline before you buy or fly.
| Product | Hand luggage | Hold luggage | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crespells | yes | yes | Dry bake: ideal as a long-lasting souvenir, just fragile. |
Frequently asked questions
Are crespells vegan?
No, they are traditionally made with lard. Occasionally there are vegetarian or vegan versions made with butter or olive oil.
Where can you buy crespells outside the Easter season?
Hardly anywhere, as they are a seasonal bake focused on the weeks before Easter.
How long do crespells keep?
As a shortcrust bake, they stay good to eat for several weeks in a closed tin.
More topics
-
Panades & Rubiols
At Easter, the displays of Mallorcan bakeries fill up with two classics: savoury panades and sweet rubiols – both made from the same shortcrust pastry, but with completely different fillings.
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Gató d'Ametlla
No flour, but ground almonds, eggs and citrus flavour instead – Gató d'Ametlla is naturally gluten-free and has been the dessert of choice in Valldemossa for generations.
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Taking specialities home
Ensaimada boxes under your arm, sobrasada in your suitcase and olive oil in your luggage: so that your culinary souvenir shopping does not end at security, we explain the official flight and customs rules.
Related
- Easter customs on Mallorca Processions and festivities around Easter
- The island's weekly markets Find seasonal baked goods on market stalls
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