Mexican Wedding Cookies are rich, buttery cookies with a nutty flavor that makes them simply irresistible. These little bites of joy are known by many different names around the world. You may have heard them called Russian tea cakes, snowball cookies, butterballs, Italian wedding cookies, and, depending upon what part of the world you’re in, polvorones and bisochitos.
But whatever you call them, you’re going to call them delicious!
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Food historians believe that Mexican wedding cookies have been a beloved treat since the 16th century when they made their way around the world thanks to Spanish conquistadors and trade routes that connected the world.
After one bite, you’ll understand why they made such a lasting impression and are still popular today.
Similar to pecan sandies, these powdered sugar-dusted cookies are not your average sugar cookie. The fine, sweet coating of confectioners’ sugar perfectly compliments the sophisticated, nutty center.
A holiday favorite around the world, Mexican wedding cookies are used to celebrate happiness, unity, and joy, which makes them popular during the Christmas season.
But you don’t have to wait for the holiday season to enjoy them; these classic cookies are good any time of the year.
If you love cookies as much as I do, make sure to try my Scottish shortbread and kitchen sink cookie recipes.
Tips for the Best Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Don’t pack your flour when measuring it. Packing flour can make a measurement inaccurate, and too much flour will yield a dry cookie.
- Unlike most cookies, these do not spread out much while baking. You can place your cookies closer to one another than you can for chocolate chip cookies, for example, meaning you can make several at a time if you choose!
- Dip the cookies in the powdered sugar when they’re still warm. This will help the sugar melt into the dough, which helps the sugar adhere on the second dipping.
- Keep the dough balls small. These are meant to be tiny cookies that you can eat in one or two bites. Using a cookie scoop can help you accurately measure the size of your cookies.
- To intensify the flavor of the pecans, roast them before baking your cookies. Allow them to cool completely before adding them to your dough.
Ingredients to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our Mexican wedding cookies recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
The best part about these cookies is how easy they are to make. With just a handful of basic ingredients, you can make a large batch of these classic cookies to share with friends and family.
Our recipe yields about 40 cookies, but beware- they’ll still disappear in no time!
How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside until needed.
- Add ¾ cup of the powdered sugar into a medium bowl and set aside till needed.
- Add the pecans to a medium skillet over low heat and let them toast for about 5 minutes until they begin to get fragrant.
- Transfer the nuts to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse the pecans until they become a coarse meal.
- Add the all-purpose flour and the cinnamon powder to a medium bowl.
- Whisk to combine.
- Add the unsalted butter, ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, and the table salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Whip until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
- Add the vanilla extract and almond extract to the mixture.
- Mix to combine.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl.
- Mix until just combined.
- Add the ground nuts to the mixture.
- Mix until just combined.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the Mexican wedding cookie dough. Then, use your hands to roll the dough into balls.
- Place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
*If the dough is too sticky to handle, let it chill in the fridge for 30 – 45 minutes. - Place the baking sheets on the center racks of the preheated oven and bake for 13 – 16 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let the baked cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes, then roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.
Place the Mexican Wedding Cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.
*When they’re cool, give them another coating of confectioners’ sugar.
If you find that your confectioners’ sugar is lumpy or clumping, use a sifter to bring it back to a light, airy consistency.
When packaging these cookies, we recommend using parchment paper to separate each individual layer. This will help prevent the cookies from breaking, cracking, or sticking together. They will also travel better if you’re bringing them to a party or get-together!
They’re one of my favorite cookies to add to a cookie platter. Everyone loves them!
These classic Mexican wedding cookies make a great addition to cookie plates, but I like to enjoy them all year long. They’re one of my favorite sweet treats to enjoy with my morning coffee.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 7-10 days. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. They will need to be re-coated in the confectioner’s sugar after defrosting.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can substitute pecans in this recipe with any other kind of nut, though it will alter the flavor.
Pecans have a unique and rich flavor, making them a preferred nut for many baked goods.
If you find your cookies are too crumbly, add more butter.
These cookies are meant to crumble easily and be slightly dry when done perfectly, but the dough should hold its ball shape when you place it on the parchment paper.
Mexican Wedding Cookies are rich and buttery. The flavor is predominantly pecan, and the coating of powdered sugar adds just enough sweetness to make it a light and flavorful dessert.
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup pecans
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter – room temperature
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add ¾ cup of the powdered sugar into a medium bowl and set aside till needed.
- Add the pecans to a medium skillet over low heat and let them toast for about 5 minutes until they begin to get fragrant.
- Transfer the nuts to the bowl of a food processor and pulse them until they become a coarse meal.
- Add the all-purpose flour and the cinnamon powder to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the unsalted butter, ½ cup confectioner's sugar, and the table salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
- Add the vanilla and almond extracts to the mixture and mix to combine.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until just combined.
- Add the ground pecans and mix until just combined.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Then, use your hands to roll the dough into balls.
- Place them on the prepared baking sheets. *If the dough is too sticky to handle, let it chill in the fridge for 30 – 45 minutes.
- Place the baking sheets on the center racks of the preheated oven and bake for 13 – 16 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, then roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.
- Place them on a wire rack to cool completely.*After they've cooled, give them another coating of confectioner's sugar.
Ira Smith says
These are easy to make and taste fantastic
Chef Dennis Littley says
That’s what I like to hear!
Stephanie Delacruz says
Would walnuts change the taste too much?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Not too much. Walnuts are a little more bitter than pecans, but honestly with the powdered sugar coating you probably won’t notice.