Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies
Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies are buttery, chocolatey cookies made with toasted pecans, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and mini chocolate chips. They’re slightly crumbly like shortbread, then rolled in powdered sugar for a snowy finish that’s perfect for the holidays.
Reader Paul Says: “I did make these Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies, they always come out perfect.”
Traditional Mexican Wedding Cookies are made without chocolate, but I have a habit of adding chocolate to desserts whenever I can. My Mexican Chocolate Pecan Pie is another example!
For this version, I’m adding cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips to the buttery pecan dough. The cookies have plenty of chocolate flavor without being overly sweet, and the powdered sugar coating makes them look like little snowballs. They’re a fun addition to a holiday cookie tray.
Ingredients
You’ll need a few baking staples along with cocoa powder, pecans, and chocolate chips. There’s no egg in this dough, so you can sneak a little taste before baking!
- Unsalted Butter: Let the butter soften for about 30 minutes before starting. It should be soft enough to cream with the sugar but not melted.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the dough and gives the baked cookies their signature white coating. You can substitute granulated sugar in the dough if needed.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cookies structure while keeping their shortbread-like texture.
- Cocoa Powder: Adds chocolate flavor throughout the dough.
- Pecans: Lightly toast the pecans before crushing them. You can substitute walnuts or almonds if you prefer.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: I like using mini chips because you get little bits of chocolate throughout each cookie. Mint chocolate chips are another option.
- Cinnamon: Adds a little warmth that pairs well with the chocolate.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor to the buttery cookie dough.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and chocolate flavor.
Pulse the toasted pecans until they resemble a coarse powder. You want them finely crushed so they mix evenly into the dough, but avoid processing them so much that they turn into nut butter.
How to Make Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies
Unlike my classic Mexican Wedding Cookies, this chocolate version needs a short rest in the refrigerator before baking. Chilling helps the dough firm up so it’s easier to shape.
Mix the Cookie Dough
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and crushed pecans.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a dough forms. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix just until they’re distributed throughout.
Chill and Shape the Dough
- Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a thick disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, divide the dough into small portions and gently roll them into balls. If the dough has been refrigerated longer and is too firm to scoop, use a large knife to cut it into approximately 1-inch pieces before rolling.
You can also freeze the wrapped dough if you’re planning to bake the cookies another day.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Arrange the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. They won’t spread much during baking. I like flattening the tops slightly, but you can leave them round if you prefer.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, being careful not to overbake them. The cookies will still be delicate when you remove them from the oven.
Coat with Powdered Sugar
Let the baked cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. While they’re cooling, sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a shallow bowl.
Gently roll the cookies in the powdered sugar while they’re still slightly warm. Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling, then add another light dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
Tips and Notes
- Let the toasted pecans cool. Warm nuts can release more oil when processed, so allow them to cool before pulsing them into a coarse powder.
- Don’t overmix after adding the flour. Mix just until the ingredients are incorporated to keep the cookies tender rather than tough.
- Avoid overbaking. The chocolate dough makes it harder to see browning, so use the baking time as a guide and check that the cookies look set.
- Handle the cookies gently. They’re fragile while warm, so use a fork or small spoon when coating them with powdered sugar.
How to Store and Freeze
Allow the cookies to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies without the powdered sugar coating for up to 2–3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, then roll or dust them with powdered sugar before serving.
Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies FAQs
Yes! A handheld electric mixer works well for creaming the butter and sugar. You can also mix the dough by hand with a sturdy spoon, although it will take more effort to get the butter mixture light and fluffy.
This dough is naturally a little crumbly because of the butter, flour, and finely crushed pecans. Try pressing a small amount together with your hands. If it holds its shape, it’s ready to roll. If it’s very cold and breaking apart, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before shaping.
Yes, but I recommend roughly chopping them first. Smaller pieces distribute more evenly throughout the dough and make the cookies easier to shape.
More Mexican Dessert Recipes
Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe
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Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter slightly softened
- ½ cup Powdered or Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour spooned and leveled into measuring cup
- 1 cup Pecans
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Cocoa
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar sifted into a bowl
Instructions
- Lightly toast pecans. Add them to a food chopper and pulse until they are grounds. You can also add them to a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- In a medium bowl add all purpose flour, crushed pecans, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined, and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add both sticks of butter and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add dry mixture in small batches to butter mixture over low speed until combined. Add in Mini Chocolate Chips and stir to combine.
- Remove the dough onto plastic wrap and form a large disc. Wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The dough can also be frozen at this point or rolled into balls and freeze.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon baking mat.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the dough and press it down and remove any excess. Gently roll the dough between your hands to form a smooth ball.
- Place dough balls on a baking sheet and flatten the top slightly. The cookies will not spread much and can be placed about an inch apart from each other.
- Bake cookies for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
- Sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. Once the cookies have cooled for 5 minutes, dip them into the powdered sugar. Use a fork to remove them from the bowl and shake off any excess, then place cookies on a wire rack to cool. Sift additional powdered sugar on top of the cookies.
- Once cooled, cookies can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Yum! I am a bit of a cookie making pro, so I’m discerning about the cookie recipes I use and my expectations for how they’ll perform. I tried several Mexican Wedding style cookie recipes, and what I liked about this one over the others was that the cookies held their shapes beautifully and the recipe was so straightforward. I like the texture of these cookies better on day two, when they are less dusty feeling to bite into. That lag time works great for me because I’m making them in big batches for a cookie competition and want to make them ahead and freeze them, and only roll them in sugar the night before the competition. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Thanks so much, Katie! Best of luck on your competition, keep me posted on how you do 😉
I did make these Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies, they always come out perfect. I store them in a decorative tin container and they stay fresh up to 2 weeks or more. I’m surprised that you mention only 4 days for freshness.
So glad you like them, Paul. Yes, you can definitely keep them for longer, but I have to be cautious when recommending storing times and need to follow FDA guidelines. Glad you are able to keep them for so long! Do you mind leaving a star rating as well, I appreciate it!