Mexican wedding cookies are the perfect holiday cookie with a melt-in-your-mouth, buttery center. So simple and take only 5 ingredients to make!
Love Christmas cookies? Don’t miss my m&m Christmas cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies and pistachio cherry meltaways.
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Wedding Cookies Recipe
I’m a sucker for Mexican wedding cookies coated in powdered sugar. They’re the perfect bite size cookie and will literally melt in your mouth like a butter cookie.
This festive snowball look makes them a great addition to your Christmas dessert board along with candy cane cookies or include them in a cookie exchange!
What Do You Call Them?
I polled you guys to see what you call them and I was shocked at how many different variations there were. Here were some of the other names. I’m curious…what do you call them?
- Italian wedding cookies
- Snowball cookies
- Russian tea cakes
- Pecan balls
- Polvorones
5 Simple Ingredients
You won’t believe the magic these five ingredients have on this Mexican wedding cookie. Add in pecans and have a sweet and savory treat on your cookie platter this year!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: I used salted butter. If you only have unsalted, simply add 1/4 teaspoon salt for every stick of butter.
- Powdered sugar: This gets mixed into the dough and is used to coat them after they’ve baked.
- Vanilla: A Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract adds the perfect boost of flavor.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best in this recipe.
- Pecans: Measure out a cup of whole pecans, then chop them into pieces before mixing into the dough.
How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
You can’t go wrong with a tray full of cookies during this holiday season. Roll out these classic Mexican wedding cookies and watch them disappear. Follow the recipe and you will be surprised how quick and easy these are to make.
- Make dough. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Then mix in 3/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until creamy and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and scrape the sides down. Mix in the flour on low speed until just combined. Then mix in the chopped pecans until combined.
- Scoop and bake. Scoop the dough with a small cookie scoop and then roll into 1-inch balls. Then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are a light brown color. Then let cool on pan for about 5 minutes.
- Roll in powdered sugar. Place remaining powdered sugar in a bowl. Then roll the warm cookies into the powdered sugar and place on a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roll again or use a sifter to coat them in the remainder of powdered sugar.
Baking Tips
These Mexican wedding cookies are so simple to make. Using some of these helpful tips, you can make sure that these cookie are perfect every time!
- Use a small cookie scoop (or a Tablespoon) to scoop out the dough. Each cookie sheet will fit about 24 cookies.
- Make sure to roll the cookies in the powdered sugar while they are still warm. The sugar will melt and that’s perfectly okay. That’s why dipping a second time is important.
- Sift the powdered sugar if it begins to become clumpy.
Recipe FAQs
During the cold war it is speculate by historians that the Russian teacake term was replaced by the Mexican wedding cookies or cake name because of the strained relationship between Russia.
These cookies are melt in your mouth good but have a crumbly texture to them. The cookies are lacking eggs which make them hard to roll into balls too. You will want to roll the ball quickly and carefully then place on the cookie sheet.
It is simple to just leave out the pecans! Add in a pinch of salt and it will still have that sweet and savory taste.
5 star review
“These practically melt in your mouth like a butter cookie. Perfect for a cookie exchange.”
– Sandra
Storing + Freezing the Best Mexican Wedding Cookies
Another great thing about these cookies is that they hold up super well in the freezer. I always freeze any leftovers and pull a few out when I’m craving something sweet.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container or zip top bag for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Place in a freezer bag or container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw on the counter for a few hours until no longer frozen.
Do you love rolled cookies!? These classic chocolate crinkle cookies, eggnog cookies, or delicious funfetti cookies that you drop and bake!
More Christmas Cookies
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Mexican Wedding Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter , sliced (do not soften)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar , more for rolling
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 cup pecan halves , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed 1 minute. You don't want the butter to be too soft. I usually just set it out for 10 minutes beforehand. Mix in 3/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides. Add the flour and mix on low speed just until combined. Mix in the pecans until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop, portion dough into Tablespoons and roll into balls. You can fit 24 per sheet. Refrigerate pan with dough balls for 15-30 minutes.
- Bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Let cool on pan 5 minutes.
- Place about 3/4 cup powdered sugar in a bowl. Roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar, being sure to coat all sides. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roll again or use a sifter to sift the remainder of the powdered sugar over top.
Notes
- You don’t want the butter to be too soft or else your cookies will spread. I let mine sit out for about 10 minutes prior to beating.
- Use a small cookie scoop (or a Tablespoon) to scoop out the dough. Each cookie sheet will fit about 24 cookies.
- Make sure to roll the cookies in the powdered sugar while they are still warm. The sugar will melt and that’s perfectly okay. That’s why dipping a second time is important.
- Sift the powdered sugar if it begins to become clumpy.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, Christmas, Cinco De Mayo, Cookies, Desserts, Holiday Cookies, Mexican, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
How long do we cook them? I didn’t see that included in recipe.
Hi, in step 5 of the instructions located in the recipe card, bake for 13-15 minutes at 350°F. Enjoy the Mexican wedding cookies!
Next time I will use an actual Tablespoon to portion the batter, because my small scoop made them a little too big. I hope when they cool completely they’ll be crunchy.
Thanks for leaving a review about the Mexican wedding cookies!
Absolutely delicious! Everyone at the office loved them. Easy and simple steps to follow. Thank you!
Thanks for the review Abigail, you have lucky co-workers :)
So easy and a smash hit at work.
So glad you enjoy them (and everyone at work, too)
These cookies are delicious.
I am making them tonight for a group of hungry guys.
What a treat for them! Hope they enjoyed them!
I’m rating a five because they taste amazing! Trying to figure out why mine did not hold the shape of a ball. I used a baking stone. I kept them in fridge for 15 minutes. I spooned the flour instead of scooping it into measuring cup. Butter was not too soft. They held a very good and stiff shape when I scooped them.
Your thoughts? Maybe because I spooned the flour lightly into the measuring cup, I just needed more flour?
Either way..I will definately make them again!
Thanks for the review and glad you enjoyed the flavor. Flour might make them more dense. Too crumbly could be a variety of reasons and it’s hard to know without being in the kitchen with you to troubleshoot. A few things you could try, add a few more teaspoons of butter or a teaspoon of milk to the dough. Chill for more than 15 minutes (30 minutes) and avoid overbaking them – all oven temps run a bit differently so you may need to remove them a minute sooner.
I don’t have a stand mixer. Can I still make these cookies?
If you have a hand mixer you can use that.
I measured all as written but didn’t rise and the yeast is new , I had to add more than 3 cup flour to form a dough it was liquidy , the result not as expected like cookies ??????
This recipe does not use yeast, I would check the ingredients you added and be sure to follow the recipe and ingredients as listed.
Loved them,used walnuts,one of my favorites!
If I make these without nuts (allergies) should I increase the flour? Is so, does anyone know by how much? A full cup of nuts is a lot of volume to make up. 🤷🏻♀️
I haven’t tested these without nuts, but let us know if you do. You could also swap for a different nut like cashews, almonds, pistachios or walnuts.
I think you need something like a nut to get the right texture with these. You could try finely ground chick peas (I would soak them overnight first, and probably cook them for a little while). Not sure if nut allergies apply to chestnuts, but perhaps that’s an option.) You also might need to up the butter a bit as nuts have more fat than chick peas or chestnuts.
I’ve bought these cookies at stores for years and today I found this amazing recipe!! I will never buy them again. I plan to have these ingredients on hand at all times because it’s such a quick and easy dessert.
So glad you found this easy recipe for a cookie favorite!
Made these for my son’s wedding – they were a huge hit!
This is the best recipe.
It balances the sweet with the nutty. I find the rest of the recipes out there don’t have enough vanilla or sugar.
What a treat! And they turn out perfect every time!
❤️❤️
Hi Jojo! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Mexican Wedding Cookies :)
I want to make them for my fiancé for Valentine’s Day, do you think I can shape them into hearts? Or will they lose their shape while baking?
Hi Victoria! I haven’t tried making them into shapes before. If you try, let me know how they work out :)
Hi. I have shaped them before. But you have to patient. They won’t lose their shape while baking, but you must get them in the exact shape you want them. This type of dough is just a bit dry, but I find if I wet my hand, barely, and then shape, it will hold! Have fun!
Wow! Best Mexican wedding cookie recipe by a mile! I’m an avid baker and usually takes a few recipes to find the perfect cookie ..this is it! Must make!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies Bri!
I am so excited about this recipe u can’t wait to make these
This was my first time making these. I don’t cook/bake much. Love them and not dry like the store bought ones. So easy! I accidentally refrigerated the dough before making them into balls, so I refrigerated after making them into balls also. They hardly flattened at all. The second batch I followed the recipe better but they flattened more. I’d suggest refrigerating them longer (maybe 20-30 minutes).
I made these for a Christmas party. They are DELICIOUS! My husband wanted more.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. This is going in my favorites list. 🎄