Mexican Wedding Cookies

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Mexican Wedding Cookies are irresistibly tender, buttery, and crumbly. These butter-based, vanilla-flavored cookies are filled with pecans and rolled in powdered sugar.

Try our other flavor variations next: these Peppermint Snowball Cookies or these Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies.

Stack of mexican wedding cookies with a bite taken out of one, showing the fluffy interior.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies are a scrumptious treat, melting in your mouth with their buttery, nutty flavor enhanced by vanilla. They’re uniquely rolled twice in powdered sugar for an exquisite finish.

Unlike typical round cookies, these are intentionally flatter for a richer taste and easier eating. To get this shape and texture, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, level it, and chill the dough before baking.

Pecans being chopped in a food processor for the recipe.

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.

The delicious dough being made for the mexican wedding cookies recipe.

How To Make Mexican Wedding Cookies

  1. Toast Pecans: Heat oven and bake pecans until fragrant, then cool and finely chop.
  2. Mix Wet Ingredients: Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add vanilla, salt, cornstarch, and chopped pecans. Gradually mix in flour.
  3. Chill Dough: Wrap dough and refrigerate.
  4. Bake: Form dough into balls. Bake Mexican Wedding Cookies on a lined sheet until done.
  5. Coat with Powdered Sugar: Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, let cool, then roll again.

Rolled dough balls placed on a sheet pan, ready to be baked.

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.

Stack of mexican wedding cake cookies with a bite taken from the top one, revealing the delicious interior.

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.

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Mexican Wedding Cookies

5 from 3 votes
These Mexican Wedding Cookies are irresistibly tender, buttery, and crumbly. These butter-based, vanilla-flavored cookies are filled with pecans and rolled in powdered sugar.
Stack of mexican wedding cookies with a bite taken out of one, showing the fluffy interior.
Print Recipe

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Stack of mexican wedding cookies with a bite taken out of one, showing the fluffy interior.
5 from 3 votes
These Mexican Wedding Cookies are irresistibly tender, buttery, and crumbly. These butter-based, vanilla-flavored cookies are filled with pecans and rolled in powdered sugar.
Course Dessert, Snack, Vegetarian
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Mexican wedding cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 40 cookies
Chelsea Lords
Calories 94kcal
Cost $2.31

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup unsalted good-quality butter Note 1
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Note 2
  • 1 and 3/4 cups white all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • powdered sugar for coating the cookies

Instructions

  • TOAST PECANS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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.
  • WET INGREDIENTS: 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 the vanilla, salt, cornstarch, and pulsed/chopped pecans. Beat until smooth and combined. Add in the 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.
  • CHILL: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to chill.
  • BAKE: 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 the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a light-colored sheet pan with a Silpat liner (Note 3). Bake for 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 the oven, let stand on tray for 3-5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 2-3 or so minutes.
  • POWDERED SUGAR: 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 and then return to the wire cooling rack. Let cool down a few more minutes, and then roll in the powdered sugar again.
  • STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Re-roll in additional powdered sugar as needed. Best enjoyed within 1-3 days.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Butter: 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: Vanilla: I'll sometimes use vanilla bean paste; one teaspoon of paste if using!
Note 3: Baking pans: 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.

Nutrition Facts

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

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    These are my mom’s favorite cookies!! Great recipe!! I love the variations you provide too (especially cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice).

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