Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
Mexican Wedding Cookies are a buttery, nutty cookie rolled in powdered sugar, popular for Cinco de Mayo and Christmas- or the anytime cookie!
Friends, enjoy these delicious, nutty cookies, rolled in powdered sugar, the perfect anytime treat! Make ahead these Snowball Cookies and freeze for last-minute company!
Mexican Wedding Cookies
I love this recipe to make for a Mexican-themed party dessert, inspired by my mom, Millie. My mom would make these during the holidays when I was a child, and I still have her handwritten recipe!
Ingredients for snowball cookies
All you need for this recipe are very simple ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Salt
- Toasted walnuts or pecans
- Powdered sugar
These cookies are so easy to make, and they are also known as the “melt-in-your-mouth” cookies.
Why are they called Mexican Wedding Cookies?
They are also referred to as Mexican Wedding Cakes, buttery cookies originated outside of Mexico. From research, their creation has been traced back to medieval Arab baking that featured ingredients like butter, spices, nuts, and sugar. Which is why they are so good. Anything with butter, right?
Pecan Sandies
I believe the secret to good Pecan Sandies (or Snowball Cookies) is to toast the nuts first.
How to toast the nuts: Place on a paper towel and microwave for 2-3 minutes, turning several times. You will smell them when they are toasted.
Can I freeze Mexican Wedding Cookies?
You can freeze these cookies. Defrost and roll in confectioners’ sugar again before serving!
How to make the cookies
- Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla.
- Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped, toasted nuts.
- Pat the dough into one big ball and chill for 20 minutes before rolling.
- Cut into fourths, and then take small portions and roll, then place on the cookie sheet.
- Form dough into 1 1/4″ balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. While cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks.
- Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature.
Here are the many names of powdered sugar ball cookies:
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Sugar Butter Balls
- Polvorones
- Snowball Cookies
- Egyptian Feast Cookies
- Nut Butter Balls
- Norwegian Snowballs
- Walnut Delights
- Pecan Petites
- Holiday Nuggets
- Swedish Heirloom Cookies
- Snowball Cookies
- Christmas Russian Teacakes with Maple
Get the Recipe:
Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups sifted flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup chopped toasted walnuts or ¾ cup chopped toasted pecans
- Powdered sugar, to roll baked cookies in
Instructions
- Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla.
- Whisk together flour and salt; add gradually to butter mixture; stir in chopped, toasted nuts.
- Pat the dough into one big ball and chill for 20 minutes before rolling.
- Cut into fourths, and then take small portions and roll, then place on the cookie sheet.
- Form dough into 1 1/4" balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown; remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. While cookies are still warm (but NOT hot) remove them from baking sheets and roll, a few at a time, in powdered sugar until evenly coated; cool cookies completely on wire racks.
- Cookies may (optionally) be rolled in powdered sugar a second time once cooled to room temperature.
Notes
Can the nuts be left out of the recipe
Grandchild allergic to nuts
Yes, although it won’t be quite as good :)
We call them Sand Tarts
What does ‘yield: 12’ mean?
Leave out the salt and use salted butter – 1/2 c. salted butter = 1/4 t. salt; so 1 c. butter = 1/2 t. salt.
I like to pulverize dried fruits – strawberries, blueberries, peaches, mangoes, etc. – to mix w/ the 10X sugar to roll them in. It makes a pretty cookie platter w/ the pastels, and also gives just a hint of fruit flavor.
Can these be made with almond flour? Thank you
Hi, June. I have not tried with almond flour. Let me know if you try it!