Our Mexican wedding cookies recipe is mouthwatering and super easy to make! The best part? You need only 6 ingredients to make them in a matter of minutes. Enjoy this melt-in-your-mouth cookie this next holiday season!
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These classic holiday cookies are one of a kind, with a buttery, nutty flavor and perfectly coated in sugar powder. Traditionally found around the holidays and occasionally at weddings, they sure make a great treat. On top of being extremely tasty, they are one of the easiest cookies to make.
If you want to start a tradition with your family, these are the perfect cookies to bake with your kids. I still remember baking them with my son years ago when he was a little kid, and his help only meant eating cookie dough. Now the tradition of baking these Mexican wedding cookies and spending time together is one of my favorites, and I hope it becomes yours too.
History behind mexican wedding cookies
Nobody really knows the origin of these cookies, but it is believed that they were introduced by western European immigrants to Mexico centuries ago. Contrary to popular belief, these wedding cookies are not very common everywhere and are only occasionally given to guests at weddings in the Northern States of México as treats or party favors.
In America, you might also know them as snowball cookies, mexican wedding cakes, Russian tea cakes, and polvorones.!
Snowy day in the Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Chih., México (Photo Courtesy taringa.net)
Mexican wedding cookies
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this cookie recipe...
- Pecans or walnuts
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioner sugar (also known as powdered sugar)
- Vanilla
Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
How to make mexican wedding cookies: Step by step tutorial
To make things easier for you, I will break down the directions for this recipe into sections.
Before you start doing anything, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease 2 large baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Chop the nuts
- Place the pecans in a food processor and chop them finely.
- Remove 1 cup of the pecans and process the rest into a very fine texture, almost like cornmeal. (See the picture below for the difference in texture)
Note: Just be careful not to over-process the pecans, or you will end up with pecan butter. This way, you can still enjoy the pecans when taking a bite of every cookie.
Mix the dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, salt, and chopped pecans. Stir and set aside.
Beat butter and sugar
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter with ⅓ cup confectioner sugar.
- When it gets light and fluffy, stir in vanilla extract.
Tip: Use your mixer for this step!
Mix the dry ingredients with the butter mixture
- Gradually add the flour and pecan mixture to the butter and beat at a low to medium speed for a few seconds until it forms a coarse dough that resembles oatmeal.
Form the mexican wedding cookies
- Scoop one tablespoon of dough into a small ball. They should be about 1-inch balls in size.
- Place 1 ½ inches apart on your baking sheets. Do not overwork the dough because if you do, the end result will leave you with a flat cookie.
Bake nutty cookies
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes. They will be ready when their bottom begins to brown and the cookies are firm.
- Remove from oven and let them cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Roll cookies in sugar and enjoy!
- Place the 1 -½ cups of confectioner sugar in a bowl. Roll cookies in the sugar, working with 2 or 3 at a time. Roll again to completely coat them completely.
What to serve with mexican wedding cookies
When we serve these during the holidays, in some homes is a classic Christmas cookie. I also love to make a batch of my famous Mexican hot chocolate. The kids absolutely love it! Of course, it will also go great with a cup of some champurrado.
How to store mexican cookies
To make sure these cookies stay fresh, store these cookies in an airtight container. You can leave them out on the counter for up to 3 days or save them in the fridge for 7 days.
More authentic mexican recipes to enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for wedding cookies, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
- Mexican Little Piggy Cookies (Marranitos)
- Piloncillo and Pecan Cookies (Chorreadas)
- Hojarascas Recipes
- Griddle Cookies
- Mexican Polvorones- Sevillanos Style
I hope you make this recipe for Mexican wedding cookies! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Also, please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!
For more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. in español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina
¡Buen provecho!
Mely
📖 Recipe
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups of pecans or walnuts
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter 16 tablespoons, softened
- ⅓ cup of confectioner sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cup confectioners’ sugar for dusting.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F and grease 2 large baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Place the pecans in a food processor and chop fine. You can also use a blender for this purpose.
- Remove 1 cup of the pecans and process the rest into a very fine texture , almost like cornmeal. Just be careful not to over-process the pecans , or you will end up with pecan butter. This way (by leaving some coarse pieces) , you will still enjoy the pecans when giving a bite into your cookies.
- In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the flour, salt, and pecans. Stir and set aside.
- Use your mixer for this step. In a separate bowl, beat the butter with ⅓ cup confectioner sugar; when it gets light and fluffy , stir in vanilla. Gradually add the flour and pecan mixture and beat at a low speed for a few seconds until it forms a coarse dough that resembles oatmeal. The dough can be made one day ahead and, when ready to bake, brought back to room temperature to form the cookies.
- Roll one tablespoon of dough into a small ball; they’re about 1 inch in size. Place 1 ½ inches apart on your baking sheets. Do not overwork the dough; if you do so, the end result will be that of a flat cookie.
- Bake for about 15-18 minutes. They will be ready when their bottom is beginning to brown and the cookies are firm.
- Remove from oven and let them cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Place the 1 ½ cup of confectioner sugar in a bowl. Roll cookies in the sugar, working with 2 or 3 at a time. Shake any excess if necessary. Roll again to coat them completely.
Notes
NEW COOKBOOK
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MrsRanchoFiesta
With 100s of "Mexican / Russian / American" - wedding cookies, tea cakes and *snowballs* recipes, I always come back to yours! I hand-wrote your recipe back in 2015 or 2016 so I don't know when you added the *note about NOT powdering warm cookies* because I don't have it written down, but I'm so glad you put it in!! I just emailed your recipe to my daughter-in-law after my granddaughter texted me "Nana! PLEASE tell my mom YOU don't put the powdered sugar on until AFTER the cookies are cooled!" Since I always make 4 (even 6!) batches of these cookies several days ahead of time, and the powdered sugar always soaked in and looked gross, I began waiting until "day of" to put the cookies on my huge tray and use my old sifter to "powder" the cookies and they look as beautiful as they taste! Again, thank you, Mely!
Mely Martínez
Hello,
So nice to hear that trick is useful for you. And, thank you for coming back to share about it, that way more people will benefit from it.
Happy baking!
Karen A
These cookies were authentic and delicious. We made them in celebration of Dia de los Muertos! Highly recommend!
Armida McGough
I have tasted these cookies with anis but I’m not sure if these are done by just substituting the anis for the vanilla can you advise?
Mely Martínez
Hello armida,
You can add anise if you want, they will be delicious.
Lorena
What a great recipe! We made these little tasty morsels last night and they were delicious! They were delicate, lightly sweet and nutty. I am putting this recipe on repeat. We'll done Melly!
Debra Wood
I love making these at Christmas time & giving them out to my neighbors here in Cuernavaca, Morelos. Did you know these are also known as Italian Wedding Cakes as well? When my neighbors ask me what they are & I tell them Mexican Wedding Cakes, they are shocked. Maybe as you said, they are more well known up in Northern Mexico. They are truly delicious. I have another recipe of these using coconut & limes, delicious as well, when I can get the sweetened coconut from the US.
Christina Felsing
Hi, the recipe calls for 2 cups pecans or walnuts. Is the measurement for chopped nuts, or whole?
Mely Martínez
Hello Christina,
Good question! It is for chopped nuts. Thank you!
Cynthia
Hi, do you think these will work ok if I sub AP flour for white whole wheat flour?
Mely Martínez
Hello Cynthia,
I had never tried to make them that way. Please let me know if you tried to make them using whole wheat flour.
Mark
Mely, it's a tie between these and some good molasses cookies. These are both easy to make and easy to consume, they taste that good. We make them with pecans (always.) i hope we have time to make them this year before Christmas.
Keep up the great work. I send many people to your site.
Merry Christmas
mmartinez
Hello Mark,
Thank you for sharing Mexico in my kitchen with your friends.
Sandy WIlson- Sanchez
We tried your recipe last year. They are really easy to make. I gave many of them as a gift to my coworkers and family. Thank you for sharing the recipe. My daughters are making them today.
Lidia
could i make the wedding cookies with 1/2 salted 1/2 unsalted?
mmartinez
Hello Lidia,
Yes, you can. Happy baking!
I'm making some today too!
evindell
Delicious recipe!!! I'm not a baker but these came out so crumbly and tasted like an expert baker had made them. I'll be giving them away as gifts. Thank you for sharing this super easy recipe!
mmartinez
Hello evidell,
Thank you for taking the time to come back and share your experience with the recipe.
JusBritt Hannaford
Hi Mely. I was wondering how far in advance you can bake the cookies before they go bad? Also, can you make the dough and keep it chilled in the fridge for a few days before baking? Thank you and I love all the recipes on your site!
mmartinez
Hello JustBritt,
Cookies store well in an air-thigh container for 5 days, but personally I feel their freshness is gone after 2 or 3 days. The same applies to cookie dough, you can keep in the fridge for a couple of days just fine or freeze for a longer period.
Happy baking!
JusBritt Hannaford
Hi Mely. This is the first time I have made polvorones and they came out great! I mixed some orange extract into the dough before chilling, they tasted great with and without the extract. Thank you so much, I am going to be making these for a long time!
Esther
They turned out great!!!! ????
Vanessa
Thank you for this recipe; it tried it this weekend and the cookies came out very well. I didn't realize they were so easy to make!
Mely
Hello Vanessa,
I am so glad to know you found the recipe to be easy.
Thank you for comment.
Mely
Irma
They look so delicious going to try them
Karen
I love these cookies... and they look so fancy! Nice for a gift.
Nammi
yumm, perfect little present of cookies. have a nice day
Nora
Qué ricas! Yo hice gorditas de harina. Guardaré tu receta para hacerlas como tu.
Besos
Miz Helen
Good Morning Mely,
Your cookies look beautiful and I have pinned the recipe. Hope you are having a wonderful day and thanks for sharing!
Miz Helen
Mely
Hello Miz Helen,
Thank you for stopping by. I hope you try the recipe is a foolproof.
Rebecca Subbiah
these look wonderful must try