Mexican Wedding Cookies are buttery, sweet, and crumbly in the very best way! The signature nutty flavor is created by the perfect amount of chopped pecans that are present in every bite. Make these for your upcoming cookie exchange and watch them disappear!

A stack of Mexican wedding cookies is presented on a plate.


Mexican Wedding Cookies

Mexican wedding cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies to bake! They’re so easy to whip up and always disappear quickly at Christmas parties since everyone knows and loves them. While I’ve admittedly enjoyed plenty of these cookies bought in boxes from the grocery store, this homemade recipe truly yields the very best Mexican wedding cookie!

They’re crunchy and chewy but still have that buttery softness you can really only achieve with homemade cookies. And while they may be homemade, they’re not a hassle! You can whip them up in no time with just 7 simple ingredients, most of which you likely already have on hand. The only step of this whole process is letting the dough chill in the fridge for a little bit.

A batch of cookies are placed on a wire cooling rack.

How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies

This Mexican wedding cookie recipe is so easy! Scroll to the bottom of this page for more detailed step-by-step instructions and ingredients.

  1. Make the cookie dough. Beat together butter and half a cup of powdered sugar until smooth. Then, stir in the vanilla extract and milk. Slowly add in the flour, pecans, and salt. Keep mixing until a dough forms.
  2. Chill. Cover the dough and chill it in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
  3. Bake the cookies. Use a cookie or tablespoon to roll 1 inch dough balls. Arrange the dough balls on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper or a siplat mat) 2 inches apart. Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Let cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool to room temperature. This should only take about 20 minutes.
  5. Add sugar. This is the very best part! Roll the cookies in powdered sugar, and enjoy your new favorite Christmas cookie!
A plate is topped with pecans and Mexican wedding cookies.

Ingredient Notes

Let’s take a quick look at that short and oh so sweet shopping list:

  • Butter – It’ll need to be adjusted to room temperature, so don’t forget to leave it on the counter for at least 30 minutes prior to using.
  • Powdered Sugar – You’ll need half a cup for the cookie dough and another half a cup for dusting.
  • Vanilla Extract – If possible, try to use real vanilla extract instead of imitation.
  • Milk – I use whole milk. However, really any type of milk should get the job done.
  • All Purpose Flour – Spoon the flour into the measuring cup rather than dunking the cup. When you dunk a measuring cup directly into a bag of flour, you really pack it in there. Packed flour is too much flour!
  • Pecans – They’ll need to be pretty finely chopped so there aren’t any large chunks.
  • Salt – Kosher salt is preferred over iodized. With that being said, iodized will absolutely work if that’s what you have on hand.

Storage

In an airtight container at room temperature, Mexican wedding cookies should keep for up to 1 week. No need to refrigerate them.

A cookie has been bitten into and placed on top of another cookie.

For more easy cookie recipes, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

A stack of Mexican wedding cookies is presented on a plate.

Get the Recipe: Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe

Yield: 36
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Snowball Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, whatever you call these buttery balls they are simply irresistible and incredibly easy to make.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, divided (1/2 cup for the cookies, 1/2 cup for dusting)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet
  • 1 silicone baking mat
  • 1 mixer

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl beat together the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until smooth.
  • Turn the mixer to low and stir in the vanilla and milk.
  • Slowly add the flour, pecans and salt mixing until the dough is just combined.
  • Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 325˚F.
  • Using a cookie spoon or tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Arrange the balls on a cookie sheeting lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment, 2 inches apart.
  • Bake in the oven fo 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove the cookies from the sheet and transfer to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature, approximately 20 minutes.
  • Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar to coat and enjoy!

Notes

Store Mexican Wedding Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Calories: 103kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 21mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 159IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Author: Kellie
Course: cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Mexican