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.
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.
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
- Pistachio Cookies
- Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Coconut Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mexican Wedding Cookies
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.
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
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).