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Everyone seems to have a different name for these melt-in-your-mouth Mexican Wedding Cookies. Regardless of what you call them, they’re dangerously delicious! Eat just one? Yeah, right.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Every time I bite into one of these powdered sugar coated Mexican wedding cookies, I’m reminded of my grandmother. I have a vivid memory of her, rolling them out with me between her hands. She was the source of so many delicious foods in my childhood, like her crave-worthy “monster cookies“.
I remember how carefully she would set out the finished cookies on an elegant platter before serving them. Of course, I would sneak one from the tray. But, she always pretended not to notice the ring of powdered sugar I left behind as evidence. And, she always made more than enough to go around.
Omg! THESE ARE SO ADDICTIVE!!….I HARDLY HAD ANY COOKIES LEFT FOR COOKIE ORDERS I DID!! Last year I made these cookies to sell for the first time, the recipe turn out irresistibly perfect everytime…
Thanks for my new addition!!! 💛😋
That first bite delivers delightful sweetness from the powdered sugar, but gives way to a buttery rich dough that quite literally melts in your mouth. And, the nuts add the perfect amount of crunch and a light nutty flavor to each bite. It’s a light cookie that never fails to make think of Christmas.
Now that I’m the adult in the kitchen, I try to make sure to give the little kids in my family the same kind of wonderful experience that my grandma gave me. We turn on the Christmas carols, put on our aprons, and don’t worry about the mess.
Snowball Cookies
The first time I shared this recipe online, I was shocked by the response. It felt like everyone had a different name for these cookies! Who knew that a buttery shortbread cookie, loaded up with finely chopped nuts and coated with powdered sugar would be so popular?
I’ve seen them called Russian tea cakes, polvorones, snowball cookies, Egyptian feast cookies, nut butter balls, Norwegian snowballs, kourambie, walnut delights, pecan petites, holiday nuggets, and Swedish heirloom cookies. If you know another name for this cookie, be sure to leave me a comment so I can add it to the list!
While I tend to associate them with the holidays, they make a wonderful treat year round. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or coffee, at a party, or cozied up at home, and make your own fond memories with the ones you love.
Recipe Tip
PLEASE NOTE that the dough for these cookies will be very dry. So, be sure to measure the flour carefully. If the dough is too dry to roll into balls and won’t stick together, you can add a tiny splash of water to the mix until it works. It shouldn’t take more than a tablespoon or so.
You can also hold each scoop in your hands to warm it for a moment and it will come together nicely to form into balls for each cookie.
Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe
I was 18 years old when I tried making these cookies on my own for the first time. I had my grandmother’s Mexican wedding cookies recipe, but I thought I knew best. So, I didn’t roll the warm cookies gently through the powdered sugar. Let’s not talk about what I did, ok? Let’s just say that it was a big mess.
So, the best advice I can give you is to FOLLOW the recipe. It does take a little time to roll the warm cookies gently through powdered sugar. But, if you accept that grandma knows best, then yours will turn out every bit as perfect as hers always did. The easiest method I’ve found is to put about a cup of powdered sugar in a bowl and then roll them in that, a few at a time.
Any time I’m baking cookies, I have to give a nod to my favorite baking sheets. They’re hefty without being heavy, come in a bunch of sizes, and the price is right. I’ve had some of mine for over 10 years, and every baker I know uses them in their kitchen.
Christmas Cookies
It seems like every year, there are more and more Christmas cookies to make. And, I’m honestly not mad about it. I love sweet treats, and these Mexican wedding cookies are perfect for sharing. So, if you’re looking for some more options to round out the dessert table, I’ve got you covered.
Sugared Shortbread Cookies are a classic cookie that everyone loves. Around Christmas time we also love to make them to nibble by the Christmas tree or give as gifts.
You can never go wrong with classic iced sugar cookies this time of year. Set out on a plate for Santa, or saved for yourself, nothing says “Christmas” quite like sugar cookies. And for what it’s worth, my friend Katrina has the best recipe ever for cut out cookies. I’ve been making these for years now.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies are a super simple no-bake cookie recipe that everyone finds irresistible. I love to make a big batch to keep in the freezer and have ready any time company comes over or I need a last-minute treat to take to a party.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Slowly add the flour and salt and mix just until combined. Stir in the nuts.
- Scoop into 1-inch balls and round them smooth between your hands. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set but not browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a minute or two and then roll each warm cookie in powdered sugar and set them a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies have fully cooled, roll them once or twice more in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 11/21/13 – notes and photos updated 12/8/25}
How do you measure the flour and do you sift it?
I’m having trouble rolling balls batter is very crumbly any hints
The dough should be somewhat dry, but stick together when you press it with your hands. Are you using a scoop and then rolling the balls with your hands, BJ?
Too much flour, they feel apart. You can’t even roll them. Bad. Waste Of Time.
This is a classic recipe and the cookie dough is supposed to be very dry. As seen in the video, you should be able to pinch it together though, Sherri.
Very much like my Dutch heritage Pfeffernusse Cookies.
They are a similar cookie, aren’t they? I’m glad you like them.
My son brought ‘this’ recipe home from Portland, Oregon from a mission for our church twenty five years ago and he called them Ecuadorian Cookies. I make them all the time and they turn out perfect every time. Although, our recipe has only 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. We love them, especially at Christmas!
That’s awesome, Judy.
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I recently renovated my kitchen and couldn’t find my notes for my holiday cookies. I used to get these from a grandmother(not mine but someone who I crossed paths with at a bed and breakfast) I met on a weekend getaway years ago. During that visit she realized my affinity for powdered sugar and she consistently mailed me a small batch every Christmas season thereafter. She has since passed but I can’t imagine a Christmas without me making them in her memory. I find myself smiling every time I see powdered sugar thinking of these cookies. Your recipe was just perfect.
This is such a sweet memory, Theresa. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe!
Loved the Mexican Wedding cookies, especially knowing they were your grandmother’s recipe!! Thank you for sharing it! :))
I’m glad you like the cookies, Kristina!
This recipe is very comen , the other person might have put in to many nuts.
TerryAnn Martinez and Selah
Thank you
Can I make make them a bit flat so they easier to eat.???
Thank you
TerryAnn and Selah
I’ve never tried that, TerryAnn.
So lets begin, I decided to put butter into the oven so that it would soften, the oven was quite warm from earlier baking. I forgot about it momently and put on the oven so to make these cookies, while I made these cookies, the house smelled as if a landfill went on fire. I thought that I needed to clean the oven. Eventually I set off an explosion In the oven!
Though the cookies actually turned out pretty good.
I decided to put some Chocolate chunks on top and let them melt.
It tasted not bad.
I’m glad you like the cookies!
Good
I’m glad you like them!
I love this recipe second year making them.
BUT H.E.L.P!!!
I made a double batch and was to tired to make the cookies sue to being time consuming. I chilled dough overnight!!!
It’s so hard I cannot get a cookie scoop in the dough…😭 what can I do???
Thanks in advance!
You’ll want to let it warm and soften at room temperature, Leila. It won’t be exactly the same as before chilling, but it will be close.
At first had trouble rolling the cookies into balls, then I tried a little patience and Wallah I got the cookies to roll. This is an awesome recipe. I love it! It’s super easy. Thank you very much for sharing.
I’m glad you are enjoying the cookies, Lolita.
All those who are complaining about crumbly dough- just use your hands to mix the flour 🙂 it’ll work great.
Yes and I ‘cut” the flour into the butter and always use my hands to roll the balls
My family & friends always love these every year! I renamed them ‘bella’ cookies. One year I was in Tennessee for Christmas and was making triple batch. Left the kitchen for about 15 minutes, already had two batches made on a platter but when I returned there were 2 on the plate! After asking my grandkids if they’d eaten them..looked down to see powdered sugar on their labs ‘bella’ nose..she had eaten all but 2 cookies! She never got sick and loves them more than ever!
Great recipe!
That is so funny, Nana! Poor grandkids getting the blame, I love it.
These cookies were wonderful. The next time I make them I will use only 2 cups flour instead of 2 1/4. They were crumbly and hard to roll. But they did hold together and were delicious.
I am glad you enjoyed them, Sandra.
Can these be frozen?
Yes, BJ, you can freeze them.
I made these for the first time a couple of years ago and learned the most important trick after throwing out the first batch….. in order to roll the “dough” into balls, you have to warm the dough in your hands to soften the butter, and then it will roll and form a ball. Without doing that it just falls apart like sand. That’s the biggest issues with these cookies. Otherwise, they are SO GOOD!!!
That’s a terrific tip, Terry. Come to think of it, I do the same thing. I’m glad you love the cookies!
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
I would not recommend it, Donna.
Do these need to be refrigerated before baking? Also my dough is dry, what am I doing wrong? Thank you
I do cool them for a bit before baking.
Omg! THESE ARE SO ADDICTIVE!!….I HARDLY HAD ANY COOKIES LEFT FOR COOKIE ORDERS I DID!! Last year I made these cookies to sell for the first time, the recipe turn out irresistibly perfect everytime…
Thanks for my new addition!!! 💛😋
I’m thrilled that you like them so much, Layla!