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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}
This was a great recipe except there was no liquid and impossible to firm into balls. I added about a half cup of milk and they turned out great.
I’m not sure what might have gone wrong, Anne, but I’m glad you were able to figure something out. Enjoy the cookies!
Can these be frozen then rolled in powdered sugar?
I’ve never tried that, Kimberly. I usually make them completely and then freeze.
Absolutely loved baking these Mexican Wedding Cookies. The recipe was straightforward, and the result was divine
Happy to hear that the cookies came together so easily, Shaheen.
Can the dough be made ahead of time and frozen in balls?
Hi, Julie. You should be able to freeze the dough in advance. (You should be able to freeze the cookies afterward, too!)
What is with these pasty bloggers appropriating Mexican recipes? Please stay in your lane, barf it in the kitchen.
Hi there! Thanks for the 5-star review. I actually have a page that I like to refer to which talks about this kind of situation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Regarding the “appropriating Mexican recipes”
Well played Mary!!! 👏🏽👏🏽 🎶
As a full blood Latina. I believe sharing in each other’s culture is beautiful!!
Latinx says it all. You don’t speak for the majority of Latinas. Your comment is disgusting and your racism doesn’t belong here.
I’ve been making these cookies for 45 years. They always had this name.
I work with alot of Mexican women. I bake cookies alot also. I get request all the time to bring in cookies for everyone. Every mexican woman have all asked me to make these cookies by that name. Maybe you should not be such a racist.
SHUT UP WEIRD O
How long will the wedding cookies last
Hi, Christa. These cookies should keep for a week or two in a sealed storage container.
Making them now for my first time. My mother used to make them every year. The cookies look good but the browned on the bottom. Not sure why, maybe the rack was too low. Great recipe. Oh yeah I didn’t have anything but cashews so I used them. Turned out great.
I’m so glad that the cookies bring back happy memories for you, Angela. I’d try raising the rack or shaving a minute or so off the baking time next time.
I make these every year and for some reason this year I could not get them to stay together. Added two more tablespoons of butter and a teaspoon of water. Still having trouble. Making a first batch but could not roll around in my hand. I’ve never had this problem. But I love them anyway
Sometimes adding more liquids to a recipe won’t help the batter to gel, Debby. Whatever the issue might have been, I’m glad you’ve still been enjoying the recipe. Happy baking!
I want to make these cookies, but you have so frickin many ads on here I can’t even get to the recipes. Think I’ll find another recipe page without all the ads.
Awe, that’s a sweet dose of “reality” there. It’s just too bad that those pesky ads make the website possible. Just for the record, there’s a handy-dandy “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of this every recipe page. Clicking that will take you past all the additional information and whatever ads might be too much for you, straight to the printable recipe card. And for future reference, using the site on a desktop vs a mobile device means that there will be ZERO ads in the content for you.
dough was crumbly and dry, I tried it twice and still dry WHY? they did not stay into balls which was fine but everyone did like them.
It sounds like there might have been just a touch too much flour in the mix. For future reference, that can be fixed! If the dough is too crumbly or dry to roll, sprinkle it VERY lightly with cold water and gently work it in with your hands. Repeat this until the dough holds its shape. Just a tablespoon or so of water is plenty. You can also wet your hands and try working it together with your damp hands.
I have made these cookies for years with a different recipe. This recipe calls for a lot more flour than my usual recipe uses (1 3/4 cups) yet the same amount of sugar, butter and nuts. So I have been afraid to try this one as its either a misprint or just not as good as most other recipes. Thats why I decided to look at the comments, and see a lot of people with your same complaint. I wonder if its a misprint?
If you have a recipe you love, I’d just stick with that one. However, my family has made these exactly as written for 60+ years. They are not an especially most cookie, but that’s the texture I expect.
Great recipe for these! My mama called them Mexican Wedding Cookies except at Christmas, she called them Christmas Crescents, she made them into half moons! Love it! Thank you!
Awe, I love that. Glad you like the cookies too, Rhonda.
Mine rumble apart too easily. What am I doing wrong?
If you’re having trouble forming the cookie dough into balls, you can moisten your hands or sprinkle just a teeny bit of water over the dough. That is usually all you’ll need to pull the dough together.
You just gotta kinda form the balls with your fingers in your hands n not “roll” them more like a smush together. That’s how this dough is supposed to be. Not very moist but oh sooo good. Also u don’t want to overwork the dough, I always know when my wedding cookie dough is just right when it’s crumbly n not sticky , cool no longer than 10 minutes at 400 degrees as to not burn the bottom. They won’t look done in the oven but they are. N OMG DELICIOUS! Thank you for sharing ☺️
Are you sure the temperature is right? It’s very similar to mine – except I use 2 cups of flour and a cup of ground pecans. I bake mine at 350 for around 14-15 minutes. Most receipes I see online require way for sugar, which I find wrong.
This is the way that we’ve always made them, Bill.
I teach a cooking class for middle schoolers and I’ve used this recipe several times – comes out great! Sometimes it’s too dry and we use your suggestion of adding a little cold water, other times it’s perfect. So I don’t know if it has to do with the humidity or what!?! 🙂 Also as a side note – the recipe works just as well without the nuts – whenever I have a student with a nut allergy, we just leave them out and they are still delicious! Thank you
The weather does affect these at times. I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the recipe with your students!
Second time making and was wonderful :)))
I’m glad you like the cookies!
This cookie was horrible. I coughed, and it was so dry even though it said it was soft on the package. We barely got any cookies. This was one of the, basically the worst cookie in the world. I would pay not to ever see it again. Even when I die don’t bring it near me
It said it was soft “on the package” ??? Are you leaving a review here for a store-bought cookie? I am very confused. This is an old recipe and a classic one at that. These aren’t supposed to be soft cookies, but they shouldn’t be all that dry either. Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy them. Did you by chance substitute an ingredient?
Could not get the dough to form.
Without being in your kitchen with you, it’s hard to guess what might have gone wrong. Did you substitute any ingredients? Or change any of the method shown?
This was my son’s favorite cookie. Sadly we lost him September of 2023. So to honor my Patrick’s memory I am making them this year all the while remembering his smile and desire to eat them all in one sitting! I’m grateful for the memories and glad that no matter where this cookie originated, someone shared it for all to love.
I’m so sorry for your loss and glad that the cookies are bringing back happier memories.
Which is better to use with these cookies?
Salted Butter
Unsalted Butter or Imperial Margarine
I use salted butter in every recipe unless otherwise noted.
Love the recipe. Very simple and just as I remember from the Pittsburgh cookie tables at weddings. I did over brown my first batch. Switched to my stone cookie sheet and baked for 10 minutes. They came out perfect!
I’m so glad you like the cookies!
Thank you for emailing this recipe. It looks easy enough and appetizing as well. Can’t wait to try them for Christmas!
I have been making these cookies since I was about 10. We have always called them Pecan Snowballs. I am now 71 with 5 grandsons and a great grandson. I grew up in San Diego, Chula Vista, so maybe they were called something different depending on where you lived. Either way, they are delicious. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Merry Christmas to you and family.
I love how many ways people remember these cookies!