Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies are buttery, nutty, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that are dusted with powdered sugar. They’re easy to make, don’t require any chilling, and the perfect holiday treat.
Reader Bonni Says: “These were so delicious! Surprisingly they’re even better than the ones I’ve had at an actual Mexican wedding. Thank you for the easy-to-follow recipe!” ★★★★★
These Mexican wedding cookies go by different names like polvorones, snowball cookies, Russian tea cakes, or Italian wedding cookies, depending on the country or region.
I have Chocolate Wedding Cookies on my site, but I also wanted to make the original version. Both of these cookies would be great for the holidays or on a festive cookie tray.
Ingredients for Mexican Wedding Cookies
The ingredients for these Mexican Wedding cookies are simple, and since there’s no egg in the batter you can take a taste test!
Unsalted Butter– If you use salted butter, then omit the extra salt. Allow both sticks of butter to soften slightly, but they do not need to be at room temperature.
All-Purpose Flour– I haven’t tested this recipe with any other type of flour.
Sugar– I used powdered sugar in the dough, but granulated white sugar can be used as well.
Vanilla Extract– Pure vanilla extract or Mexican vanilla can be used.
Pecans– Lightly Toast the pecans before pulsing them. You want to end up with a coarse powder like this. Alternatively, you can substitute any nuts you like. Follow the same steps of toasting the nuts and crushing them.
How to Make the Dough
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, cinnamon, salt, and crushed pecans) and whisk to combine. Cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Then add the vanilla and continue mixing until combined. Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer.
Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed butter in batches at low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides until the dough is incorporated. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. It should feel like wet sand, but keep its shape when compacted. You can refrigerate the dough until you are ready to bake, or the dough can be scooped and baked immediately.
Baking the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop, make sure the dough is packed in, and scrape it on the side of the bowl to remove any excess.
Gently roll the dough into a smooth ball and place it on the baking sheet. Don’t roll it too much otherwise the dough will get too warm. Press down the dough balls lightly to form a flat top; that’s my personal preference.
The wedding cookies will not spread much and you can place them about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. The image above is what they look like after baking.
Coating the Cookies in Powdered Sugar
Once the cookies are done baking, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While they are cooling, sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. Place a piece of parchment paper under a wire rack.
Take the baked cookie and roll it around the sifted powdered sugar. Use a fork to remove the cookie and gently tap it on the bowl to shake off any excess sugar.
Place the sugar-coated wedding cookies on the baking rack and continue with the remaining cookies. The cookies will continue cooling, and the powdered sugar will melt, as shown in the image below.
Once all the cookies are coated, dust them with powdered sugar using a sifter. This can be done over the wire baking rack or on a plate. The cookies can be enjoyed immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cookies can be frozen after baking, but freeze them without powdered sugar for best results. To serve them, allow the cookies to come to room temperature, then roll in powdered sugar.
Yes, if you do not like nuts or have a nut allergy, omit the nuts and use the same measurements. Or substitute for a different nut you prefer.
More Holiday Treats
Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter slightly softened
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar spooned and leveled into measuring cup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour spooned and leveled into measuring cup
- 1 cup Pecans toasted and ground
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar sifted into a bowl
Instructions
- Remove butter and place on the counter for 30 minutes before starting. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven while it heats up. Check after 5 minutes so they don't burn. Once the pecans have cooled, add them to a food processor and pulse until ground. Or place them in a plastic bag and pound them with a wooden rolling pin.
- In a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, crushed pecans, 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. (You can also use a hand mixer).
- Add dry mixture in small batches to butter mixture over low speed until combined. The dough should feel like wet sand. If it's too soft, then chill it for 30 minutes.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, scraping it on the side of the bowl to press it down and remove any excess. Gently roll the dough between your hands to form a smooth ball.
- Place the dough ball on the 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 or until the edges are lightly browned; do not overbake. 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 tap off any excess. Place on a wire rack to cool. Sift additional powdered sugar on top of the cookies.
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.
These were so delicious! Surprisingly they’re even better than the ones I’ve had at an actual Mexican wedding. Thank you for the easy to follow recipe!
Thanks so much, Bonni! Happy to hear you enjoyed them 🙂