These nutty, buttery, Mexican wedding cookies are always a guaranteed crowd pleaser. They are extra tender with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
You guys know how much I love cookies. They are one of my favorite desserts in the world, and I love developing new cookie recipes. In fact, it’s truly impossible for me to choose a favorite!
I developed this easy Mexican wedding cookie recipe after trying them at a friend’s party, and I was obsessed. If you love nuts, especially pecans, then you won’t be able to stop eating these cookies. If you start with one, you’ll easily end up with five. They’re addictive!
Why are they called Mexican wedding cookies?
As the name suggests, these cookies are traditionally served at Mexican weddings and are commonly served at buffets or on large trays for people to enjoy. However, similar styles of cookies exist in many other cultures so it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the recipe. In Italy, they’re also referred to as wedding cookies and in Russia, they’re called teacakes. In Spain, they’re referred to as polvornes. No matter where you’re eating them, these cookies are made with the same base ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, ground nuts, flour, and vanilla extract. However, you can find them in all shapes and sizes.
How to make Mexican wedding cookies
- Soft together the dry ingredients. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
- Cream the butter and sugar together. In an electric mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for about 2 minutes until smooth, light, and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract and combine.
- Pour in the dry ingredients. Slowly combine the dry ingredients with the butter mixture, mixing gently just until the cookies dough comes together.
- Stir in the nuts. Combine the nuts with the cookie dough.
- Chill. I highly recommend chilling the cookie dough for at least an hour. This is a very soft cookie dough and chilling helps the dough maintain it’s shape and not spread too much while baking.
- Bake. Drop rounded balls of dough, 1.25-inch/3cm in diameter, onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2-inch/5cm apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350°F/180°C, just until the cookies begin to brown at the edges.
- Cool and roll in powdered sugar. Leave the cookies to cool for 10 minutes. Then, while they’re still warm, gently roll them in powdered sugar, being careful not to cause them to crumble. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roll them in powdered sugar once more.
Tips for making Mexican wedding cookies
-Toast the nuts before grinding or chopping them. Although toasting the nuts is optional, it brings a nice aroma and taste to these treats, so I highly recommend it if you have an extra few minutes.
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-Sift the powdered sugar. This helps prevent any lumps in your cookie dough and ensures your ingredients emulsify evenly.
-Don’t overmix the cookie dough. These cookies are exceptionally tender and delicate. Overmixing the cookie dough will result in tougher, denser cookies, so after creaming the butter and sugar, only mix the ingredients just until the cookie dough comes together.
-Use whatever nuts you have on hand. I prefer using pecans for this recipe for their buttery flavor, but you can use walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts, too.
More of my favorite cookie recipes
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Made with creamy peanut butter and loads of chocolate chips.
- Soft Sugar Cookies: Buttery, soft and chewy cookies perfect any time.
- Tahini Cookies: Tahini makes these cookies taste incredible and adds extra chewiness.
- White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies: Super soft and bursting with white chocolate flavor.
- Alfajores: These classic Argentinian cookies are made with rich dulce de leche sandwiched between two buttery cookies.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
These nutty, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth Mexican wedding cookies are rolled in powdered sugar and taste incredible.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (270g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans or other nuts, preferably toasted and either chopped into small pieces or finely ground in a food processor*
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted, for rolling
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
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In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat for about 2 minutes until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in nuts. Do not over mix.
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If dough is soft (and it probably is), chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 1-2 hours until firm.
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Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line 2 pans with parchment paper.
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If cookie dough is hard to handle after refrigerating, leave on counter to soften for a few minutes.
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Using an ice cream scoop or level tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough, 3cm/1.25-inch in diameter, onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them 5cm/2-inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at the edges. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. While they’re still warm, gently roll them in powdered sugar, careful not to cause them to crumble. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roll them in powdered sugar once more.
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Cookies will keep well for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container. They can also be frozen for up to a month.
Recipe Notes
* For evenly chopped nuts, it’s best to pulse them in a food processor until finely ground, but not to the point that they become a paste. Alternatively, if you want a bit more crunch, you can coarsely chop them.
* To toast the nuts, place them in an even layer on a pan lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 8 minutes.
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
LOVE Mexican wedding cookies! They remind me of a version of Greek kourabiedes!
Kate Emery says
Hi Nicole,
Made dough yesterday following your recipe. Dough was very very dry. Rechecked recipe. OK. Refrigerated overnight. Today dough has been on counter for 1 hr +. Still rock hard. I’ve made mx wed cookies many times. Your recipe looked better than mine! Pls advise? Kate
Darlene says
Do I have to use real butter or can I use margarine
Shiran says
You can, but butter gives the best flavor 🙂
Kathi @ Deliciously Yum! says
I never used to like any type of nuts in baking, but I have recently discovered how wonderful pecans are! These lovely little cookies look incredible and I bet they taste amazing too!!
mahsa says
i made it an it seems good! i want to attach the photo but it’s not possible.
Shiran says
That’s sweet of you! I would love if you share it on my facebook page . Thank you!
Victoria says
I love them! I made them today and they were delicious! My great aunt makes these cookies and everyone loves them! But I’m afraid to say that I think these cookies are just a little better! Thank you so much for all your recipes!!!
Shiran says
I’m glad you like them that much 🙂 They are a favorite in my family!
Maria says
Hi,
I don’t own a weight scale, what’s the best method to measure flour: is it fluff and level or fluff and dip.
Also, for powdered sugar, how do i measure it? Do i pack the 1/ 2 cup and then sift it, is there a method you recommend?
Thanks
Shiran says
Hi Maria, for both the flour and sugar, just spoon them into the measuring cup and level off the top of the measuring cup using the back of a knife. Don’t pack and don’t tap the measuring cup. Also, if the recipe says ‘flour, sifted’ (the sifted comes after the flour) then you first measure, then sift.
Aizhan says
You said that they keep for a few days, but I and my family ate them all in one! It is a good recipe they are similar to vanillekipferl.
Sivan says
Hi. I made these with a cup of coconut oil( one that does not have a distinct taste or flavor) in order to make these non dairy and they came out amazing. Any way you know how to substitute potatoe starch or matza cake meal to be kosher for Passover?
Jan says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Shiran says
Unsalted butter.
Pauline Ritchey says
can you mke these flat instead of balls i seen mexian weeding cookies at my grocery store that are round and flat but i prefer to make them instead of buy
Shiran says
You can make them any shape you like 🙂
Shari DeFreese says
How do Mexican wedding cookies keep un refrigerated
Shiran says
Hi Shari. You can store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Rochelle Hamby says
I made these today. I put the dough in the refrigerator overnight and let it sit out for about 45 minutes. I then scooped it onto a silpat. Worked like a charm. These cookies are wonderful! I used almond extract in them. They tasted like the Mexican Wedding cookies that I grew up eating. I made them as gifts for my neighbors and they loved them too.