Mexican Wedding Cookies are irresistibly tender, buttery, and crumbly. These butter-based, vanilla-flavored cookies are filled with pecans and rolled in powdered sugar.
author’s note
Nutty, Buttery, Perfectly Powdered Cookies!
I’m all about a warm, soft, chewy cookie—like these chewy chocolate chip cookies—but if there’s a Mexican wedding cookie around, I can’t resist. They’re hands down one of my favorites.
The powdered sugar finish and the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, nutty center? Perfection.
I spent what felt like forever perfecting these because I wanted to combine all the best elements from every Mexican wedding cookie I’ve ever tried into one. And I think I nailed it.
Honestly, I love this base recipe so much, I’ve even turned it into peppermint snowball and chocolate chip snowball cookies. It’s just the best!
Ingredients In Mexican Wedding Cookies
These cookies are easy to make and require only few ingredients.
- Butter: Use real, unsalted butter, not margarine, for a quality base.
- Powdered Sugar: Half in the dough, half for rolling warm cookies.
- Salt: Balances sweetness, enhances overall flavor.
- Vanilla: High-quality vanilla or vanilla bean paste for extra flavor.
- Flour: Spoon and level to measure correctly.
- Cornstarch: Secret ingredient for melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Pecans: Toast and finely pulse for rich flavor infusion.
Quick Tip
Why unsalted butter? The amount of salt added to butter varies greatly from brand to brand. Using unsalted butter lets you control how much salt goes into your cookies–or anything else you make.
How To Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Toast Pecans: Heat oven and bake pecans until fragrant, then cool and finely chop.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla, salt, cornstarch, and chopped pecans. Gradually mix in flour.
- Chill Dough: Wrap dough and refrigerate.
- Bake: Form dough into balls. Bake Mexican Wedding Cookies on a lined sheet until done.
- Coat with Powdered Sugar: Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, let cool, then roll again.
Tips For Success
- Use firm, cold butter to prevent spreading and burning.
- Chill the Mexican Wedding Cookies dough thoroughly before baking.
- Pulse pecans in a food processor for even distribution, avoiding over-processing to pecan butter.
- Bake on silicone liners or parchment paper, without greasing the pan.
- Double dip in powdered sugar: first when slightly cooled and again after they cool further, for a thorough and beautiful coating.
Storage
Can Mexican Wedding Cookies Be Frozen?
Yes, these cookies freeze really well, either as unbaked dough or baked cookies.
- Freezing Unbaked Dough:
- Shape dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then store in freezer bags.
- Defrost overnight in the fridge, bake as usual (may need extra baking time).
- Freezing Baked Mexican Wedding Cookies:
- Roll in powdered sugar, cool completely, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to freezer bags.
- Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then roll in powdered sugar again before serving.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes:
Desserts
Pistachio Cookies
Desserts
Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
Desserts
Bakery Style Chocolate Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies are tender, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Packed with pecans and coated in powdered sugar, they’re a delicious treat.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Half sheet pan (13″ x 18″)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup unsalted butter see note 1
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract see note 2
- 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Powdered sugar for coating the cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans in an even layer on the sheet pan. Bake for 5–7 minutes or until they smell fragrant. Watch carefully; you don’t want to burn them. Remove and allow to completely cool before transferring them to a mini food processor or cutting board. Pulse or finely chop into very small pieces. Avoid over-pulsing in the food processor or you’ll end up with pecan butter.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large bowl (and using a hand mixer) combine butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Cream together until smooth and creamy, about 3–4 minutes. Add in vanilla, salt, cornstarch, and pulsed/chopped pecans. Beat until smooth and combined. Add flour and mix until combined and smooth. It will seem sandy and crumbly at first, but keep mixing; it will come together. Once combined, do not overmix.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1–2 hours to chill.
- After being chilled, measure out cookie dough using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon (each ball should be exactly 1 tablespoon). If the dough gets overly warmed from being rolled or sitting in a warm kitchen, put in the freezer for 10–15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a light-colored sheet pan with a silicone liner (see note 3). Bake 7–11 minutes (mine take 10 minutes). (It’s okay if some of the cookies bleed out on the edges and turn brown, this crumbles off easily when ready to roll in powdered sugar). Remove from oven, let stand on tray for 3–5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 2–3 or so minutes.
- Add powdered sugar to a bowl (I start with 1 cup, but you may need slightly more). Roll the warmed cookie in the powdered sugar, then return to the cooling rack. Let cool a few more minutes, then roll in the powdered sugar again.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: It’s important to use good-quality butter—not margarine. Use unsalted so you can control the salt amount. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, not melted or softened. One cup is the equivalent of 16 tablespoons or 2 sticks.
Note 2: I’ll sometimes use vanilla bean paste; 1 teaspoon of paste if using!
Note 3: I tested this recipe with no parchment paper, with parchment paper, and with a silicone liner. Cookies turned out best every time with the silicone liner. The darker the trays, the darker the bottoms of the cookies. The best results I found were with a light-colored tray.
Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Reroll in additional powdered sugar as needed. Best enjoyed within 1–3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 40cookies | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are my mom’s favorite cookies!! Great recipe!! I love the variations you provide too (especially cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice).