Have you ever tried Mexican wedding cookies? These delicate, buttery treats are speckled with crunchy pecans and rolled in a snowy layer of powdered sugar.
Looking for more cookie inspiration? We think you'll love our Earl Grey Shortbread or simple Honey Cookies.
Ingredients
You don't need any fancy ingredients to make these Mexican wedding cookies from scratch! Let's talk about the key ingredients before you get started.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter, since it's fresher than salted. You can add a touch of salt to give flavor to the dough.
- Pecans: This type of nut adds a lot of flavor and crunch to the Mexican wedding cookies, especially when they're toasted.
- Powdered Sugar: this is added to the dough, and the Mexican wedding cookies are rolled in it once they're baked. Make sure to have a little extra if you want to roll them in sugar twice.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
- Toast the pecans at 350°F for about 8 minutes. The nuts should smell toasted and be a darker shade of brown.
- Finely chop them with a sharp knife or food processor.
3. Cream the butter and ¾ cup of powdered sugar until fluffy and lightened color, about 5-8 minutes on medium-high speed.
4. Beat in the vanilla and salt, then stir in the flour and pecans until well mixed. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
5. Roll the mixture into about 1-inch diameter balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 375°F for about 10 minutes, until the bottoms are a light golden brown.
7. Let them cool for a few minutes, then roll them in sifted powdered sugar. Let them cool completely, then roll them in it again to get an even coat.
8. Enjoy your homemade treats with friends and family!
Recipe FAQs
Nothing, they are basically the same thing. In Mexico, these sweet treats are called polvorones (pole-vor-OWN-ays) or pan de polvo (pahn day POLE-voh). Pan means "bread," and polvo means "powder," which refers to the powdered sugar coating. In the United States, they are called Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, or snowballs. Unlike the US version, traditional Mexican polvorones are made with lard and coated with granulated sugar.
These sweet confections actually were created by the Arabs in medieval times. Eventually, the cookie spread to Spain, and from there to the rest of the world. Mexicans have been enjoying this treat since the 1500s! It was not popular in the United States, however, until the 1950s. Judith Tingley from USA Today has an fascinating article about their history.
Our recipe makes Mexican wedding cookies that are about 119 kcal each with 13g of carbs and 7g of fat.
Yes, seal the cookies in a plastic freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then re-roll in icing sugar before serving.
Serve
Looking for other Christmas desserts? Try our recipes for vegan gingersnaps, edible gingerbread ornaments, chocolate peppermint cookies, and cardamom snaps. Get our tips for decorating a Christmas cake as well.
Expert Tips
- Use the highest quality ingredients you can find. Since they only have 6 ingredients, it's important that each one tastes good.
- Make sure the butter is softened, but not greasy.
- Chill the dough before rolling it into balls. Not only will it make the dough less sticky, but it will also improve the texture of the cookie.
- Don't over-handle the dough, or they will be tough.
- Toast the pecans to add extra nuttiness.
- Bake until the bottoms are a light golden brown. Overbaked ones won't be as moist and soft.
- Roll the Mexican wedding cookies in powdered sugar twice: once when they're still warm, and once when they're cool. This ensures a beautiful snowy coating!
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Recipe
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Spread the nuts on a small cookie sheet and toast them at 350 F for 7-8 minutes. The nuts should be crisp, nutty tasting, and a darker shade of brown.
- Meanwhile, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and sift ¾ cup of powdered sugar on top. Beat together on medium high speed until fluffy and lightened in color, about 5-8 minutes.
- While the mixer is going, finely chop the nuts with a sharp knife or a food processor.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla and salt until well mixed. Gently mix in the flour and nuts on low speed until blended.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. This will keep the dough from sticking to your hands as you roll it into balls later, plus improve the texture of the cookie.
- Once the dough has chilled, roll it into 1-inch diameter balls and place them equally on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Do not let the tops and sides brown.
- Let them cool for a few minutes as you sift the 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl. Roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar, then let them cool completely, about 20 minutes. Re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Use good-quality butter for the best flavor.
- Chill the dough before rolling it to reduce stickiness.
- Handle the dough gently to prevent toughness.
- Toast the pecans for additional nuttiness.
- Store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature. Freeze for longer storage.
- Bake until the bottoms are a light golden brown. Overbaked ones won't be as moist and soft.
- Roll them in powdered sugar twice: once when they're still warm, and once when they're cool. This ensures a beautiful snowy coating!
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Beth
These cookies are really soft and the powdered sugar makes them look Christmassy. The pecans are great in the yummy cookie.
Emma
I like the crunch of the nuts and the soft buttery cookie. Thanks for commenting!