• Home
  • About Me
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Foodie Affair

Easy low carb recipes for the whole family.

  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizer
    • Baking
      • Cookies
    • Crockpot Dish
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
      • Cocktails
      • Smoothie
    • Main Dish
      • beef
      • Breakfast
      • Chicken
      • Pasta
      • pork
      • Potluck
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
    • Salads
    • Sauces
    • Sea Salt
    • Side Dish
      • Fruit
      • Vegetable
    • Snack
    • Soup
  • Keto & Low Carb
    • Keto
    • Keto Vs. Low Carb
    • Keto Macro Calculator | FREE Tool
    • Low Carb
  • Saved Shopping Lists
  • Newsletter Members
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • StumbleUpon
    • Twitter

Mexican Wedding Cookies | Traditional Holiday Recipe

December 17, 2014 by Sandra Shaffer 28 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Spread the love
  • 4.1K
    Shares

Rich buttery melt in you mouth Mexican Wedding Cookies! These should be on every holiday dessert tray!

recipe for Mexican wedding cookies

Classic Mexican Cookies

Just about every person has enjoyed a version of these cookies. My family has always called these Mexican cookies or Mexican wedding cookies.

Your family may refer to these babies as Snowballs, Russian Tea Cakes or Sand Tarts.

It’s safe to say that just about every nationality has their own version of this cookie. Who can blame us? These are simple to make and delicious!

Mexican cookies rolled in confectioner sugar on a cooling rack

Why are Mexican cookies called that?

Back in the “olden” days, baked goods were served as wedding favors at Latin wedding celebrations (history of wedding cakes in Mexico), which is where the name came from.

How cool is that?

Each cookie would be wrapped in tulle with a ribbon and given to guests as a thank you for attending the event. What a simple and tasty way to remember the festive ceremony!

A red bowl of Mexican cookies

How do you make Mexican wedding cookies?

Mexican cookies are a simple butter cookies with nuts and rolled in confectioner’s sugar.

Ingredients & Utensils

The ingredients in this recipe may be stocked in your house:

  • flour
  • butter
  • sugar
  • vanilla
  • nuts (walnut or pecans)

Utensils

  • Large Mixing bowl
  • Mixer
  • Mixing spoon
  • Baking sheet
  • Cookie scoop

Instructions – Recipe For Mexican Wedding Cookies

After gathering the ingredients, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and fluffy. Add vanilla and flour one cup at a time.

  • Butter and sugar ingredients for Mexican wedding cookie recipe
    Whip butter and mix in sugar
  • Ingredients for cookie dough
    Add dry ingredients one cup at a time
  • Dough for Mexican wedding cookie recipe in a clear bowl
    Mix ingredients until well incorporated

Chop nuts and then stir them into the prepared batter.

  • chopped pecans to go into Mexican wedding cookie recipe
    Chop pecans or walnuts
  • Nuts mixed into cookie dough
    Fold nuts into batter

With a small cookie scoop, place round cookies on prepared baking sheet and bake.

  • Dour recipe for Mexican wedding cookies
    Scoop dough and roll into hands forming a ball

When you can handle the cookies with your fingers, roll each cookie in powdered sugar.

powdered sugar with cookie lightly coating it
A Christmas tray of Mexican cookies covered in powdered sugar

Mexican Wedding Cookies – Frequently Asked Questions

Can Mexican wedding cookies be made without nuts?

Yes, these cookies can be make nut-free. There is no need to alter the recipe. Just know that the texture will change a bit, but they are still delicious!

Can Mexican wedding cookies be frozen?

I don’t recommend freezing these cookies once they have been rolled in the confectioners sugar. But, you can certainly freeze the dough and the baked cookies prior to adding the sugar. See how below.

Can Mexican wedding cookies dough be frozen?

They sure can! Wrap uncooked dough in saran wrap and stored in an airtight freezer safe container. OR scoop the cookies into balls and place on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes. Then place in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers.

Mexican cookies in a red Christmas bowl

Christmas cookie recipes

You can never bake enough of these cookies. These cookies always seem to disappear first, so I suggest baking a variety of cookies during the Christmas season!

You might enjoy these:

  • Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies – classic chocolate chip cookie with crushed peppermint candy canes.
  • Butter Brickle Cookies – Rich toffee over saltine crackers and topped with chocolate and nuts. Break up like a bark.
  • Ricotta Cheese Holiday Cookies – soft cookies with a cake-like texture with light icing and sprinkles.
  • Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies– Meringue cookies decorated like Christmas tree.
  • Holiday Reindeer Cookies– Cute no-bake cookies made from pre-mad nutter butter cookies.
red bowl filled with Mexican wedding cookies

Continue to Content
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies on a backing rack

This recipe for Mexican wedding cookies yields buttery melt in your mouth holiday cookies that is shared though out the world. Many ethnicities share this same version.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, unsalted and softened
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans), chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups additional powder sugar for coating cookies, sifted

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla and flour. Stir in nuts.
  • With a small cookie scoop, place round cookies on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Let cool for about five minutes. When you can handle with your fingers, roll each cookie in powdered sugar.
  • Nutrition Information:

    Yield:

    30

    Serving Size:

    1 cookie

    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 34mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g

    Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.

    Did you make this recipe?

    If you like this recipe, don't forget to leave a review on the blog or share a photo and tag on @thefoodieaffair on Instagram

    © Sandra @ The Foodie Affair
    Category: Dessert - cookies

    PIN To Your Cookie and Dessert Boards

    Rich and delicious Mexican wedding cookies a traditional holiday treat that is common to Latin families. #cookie #holiday #Mexican #shortbread
    Rich buttery melt in you mouth Mexican Wedding Cookies! These should be on every holiday dessert tray! | www.thefoodieaffair.com #cookies #Mexican #Christmas #holiday
    Hugs Sandra Signature

     

    Filed Under: Baking, Cookies, Holidays, Snack Tagged With: baking, Christmas, cookies, dessert, holiday, holidays, Mexican wedding cookies, snack

    Previous Post: « Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce Recipe
    Next Post: Simple Potato Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. [email protected] Eats

      December 17, 2014 at 11:37 am

      I would LOVE to receive these as a wedding favour instead of sugared almonds!! Isn’t it interesting the way similar recipes evolve in different cultures? I know these as sugar cookies which are probably different to sugar cookies in the US πŸ™‚

      Reply
    2. Choc Chip Uru

      December 17, 2014 at 12:36 pm

      I love these delicious cookies, I have only tried them a handful of times but I intend to remedy that πŸ˜€

      Cheers
      Choc Chip Uru

      Reply
    3. Culinary Flavors

      December 17, 2014 at 11:30 pm

      They are similar to our Christmas buttery cookies – Kourabiedes. They look lovely!

      Reply
    4. Michelle F.

      December 30, 2014 at 9:47 am

      Oh those look so good! I love all of that powdered sugar on them.

      Reply
    5. Robin (Masshole Mommy)

      December 30, 2014 at 12:27 pm

      I have had these before, but never knew what they were called. I love those cookies.

      Reply
    6. Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma)

      December 30, 2014 at 1:46 pm

      Those are simply beautiful and look easy to make!

      Reply
    7. Kristin

      January 1, 2015 at 4:01 pm

      Mmmmm, we always make those during our Christmas cookie bake sesh!

      Reply
    8. [email protected] McCallumsShamrockPatch

      January 5, 2015 at 10:38 pm

      I don’t care if you call them Snowballs, Russian Tea Cakes, Sand Tarts, or Mexican Wedding Cookies – I love them by any name! Thanks for reminding me of a wonderful holiday treat I had forgotten about! DELICIOUS!

      Reply
    9. Nicky

      January 6, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      We call these snowballs. This is a great cookie. Thanks for sharing them

      Reply
    10. Jane

      December 18, 2017 at 9:02 pm

      These are not Mexican wedding cookies. Real Mexican wedding cookies should have anise in them, and LARD. These are just Russian tea cakes from the Betty Crocker cookbook back in 1966.

      Reply
      • Sandra Shaffer

        December 23, 2017 at 12:09 pm

        Thanks for stopping by, Jane. Yes, there are many variations of this recipe with similar ingredients.

        Reply
    11. Dini

      November 26, 2018 at 8:22 pm

      I made these cookies once a while back using a friend’s recipe and LOVED them! But then lost the recipe over time. I’m SO glad I found this! πŸ™‚ There’s just something really unique about these soft, buttery cookies and I can’t wait to make these again for the holidays!

      Reply
    12. Abeer

      November 27, 2018 at 1:16 am

      I always make these at Christmas and my friends always ask for the recipe! They are delish!

      Reply
    13. Gloria

      November 27, 2018 at 4:31 am

      I have never tried these cookies, but I have seen them on the web many times. I know they would just melt in your mouth. I think they are the perfect addition to the holiday treat tray. They would not last long for sure.

      Reply
    14. Daniela

      November 30, 2018 at 9:24 am

      I LOVE Mexican weeding cookies, but I never knew they were so easy to make. I bet they would make great edible gifts for friends and family. Thank you for the great recipe!

      Reply
    15. Leah

      December 1, 2018 at 9:29 am

      Oh my, I haven’t had these in years. I am drooling, they sound so tasty and so perfect for the holidays! I always remember them on my Grandma’s cookie trays. Thanks for the fond memories, and I need to make these ASAP!

      Reply
      • Sandra Shaffer

        December 1, 2018 at 6:22 pm

        We make them every year. They’re our favorite cookie to make during the holiday season.

        Reply
    16. Tina

      December 2, 2018 at 10:14 am

      I love these cookies but never knew what they were. I didn’t know they were so easy. Thanks for all the info, that was very helpfulful. Saving this to do with my daughter when she comes back in town.

      Reply
    17. Carmy

      December 2, 2018 at 2:15 pm

      I’ve never had these Mexican wedding cookies before! However, I’m always game to try new cookies and anything tossed in powdered sugar is a pretty easy yes for me! I’ll have to give this a try.

      Reply
    18. Molly Kumar

      December 3, 2018 at 6:06 am

      These look absolutely delicious. I love how easy it is to make them as the ingredients are our pantry any given day. I’m saving your recipe to try this Christmas as these would make an excellent holiday gift.

      Reply
    19. Dana

      December 3, 2018 at 7:03 am

      These are some of my favorite holiday cookies! Growing up, we called them Snowball cookies. But I’ve also seen them referred to as Russian Tea Cookies and, of course, Mexican Wedding Cookies. However they’re supposed to be called, they’re ah-mazing. They’re on my list of holiday cookies to make this year. They’re so nostalgic πŸ™‚

      Reply
    20. Debra

      December 3, 2018 at 11:35 am

      AH….thank you! My neighbor makes these every year (she has a different name for them) and we LOVE them. She has never been willing to part with the recipe, but now I can stop asking for it. These are so light and pillowy. Can’t wait to have a batch of them all to ourselves this year.

      Reply
    21. Marisa Franca

      December 3, 2018 at 12:04 pm

      When I started really getting into cooking. and baking, our neighbor gave me a Betty Crocker cookbook for my birthday. I still have that cookbook. Those cookies are called Russian Teacakes. When I got married my mother-in-law called them Mexican Wedding Cakes. Well since then I’ve seen them called lots of different names. Whatever they are called, they are always a favorite. Melt in your mouth goodness with a crunch of nuts. So yummy!!

      Reply
    22. Traci

      December 3, 2018 at 1:43 pm

      I’m reading through your blogpost and Mexican wedding cookie recipe, and I’m remembering all the Christmas cookies I made with my mom when I was growing up. In fact, that is what inspired my earliest kitchen/food endeavors. I can literally taste your cookies right now. I’m such a fan of the buttery, yet almost crisp texture of these cookies. I need to get on some holiday baking asap! Thanks for sharing this recipe πŸ™‚

      Reply
    23. [email protected]

      December 3, 2018 at 9:32 pm

      I haven’t been to a Mexican wedding (yet – one can always hope of course) but I’m 110% on board with whipping up a batch of these pretty much any old time. I love a good, simple cookie, and these have a very shortbread-ish sort of appeal that I love. The fact that they use nuts in such a large quantity sounds really awesome too – lots of character and tons of flavour. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an imaginary wedding to prepare for.

      Reply
    24. Amanda

      December 6, 2018 at 3:44 am

      These have always been one of my favorite cookies! I love how using powdered sugar in the dough for recipes like this makes the cookies just melt in your mouth when you eat them. It’s also always been so interesting to me to see how similar cookie recipes exist across cultures. I didn’t know that these were served as wedding favors in the Latin culture. That’s a favor I’d love to receive as a guest!

      Reply
    25. Sandra Shaffer

      March 6, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      Hi Crystal. Yes, that is correct! No granulated sugar in this recipe, just powdered (also called confectioners) Mexican treats are not super sweet like we’re used to, but still very tasty!

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Holiday Eggnog Bread | The Foodie Affair says:
      December 21, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      […] our Christmas break! Fresh out of the oven are these Ricotta Cheese Holiday Cookies. I also made Mexican Wedding Cookies (my favorite), Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies, and these Butter Brickle […]

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

     

    Hi! My name is Sandra. I’m a health enthusiast, a recipe tweaker, and a wine sipper!! On my website I share my favorite family dishes… some are healthy low carb recipes, some are sinful, but all are delicious!

    Read more about me here…

    Let’s connect!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • StumbleUpon
    • Twitter

    More Recipes!

    11 Easy Chicken Brown Bag Lunch Ideas #lunch #chicken #brownbag | www.thefoodieaffair.com

    11 Easy Chicken Brown Bag Lunch Ideas

    14 Sizzling Winter Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm

    14 Sizzling Winter Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm

    15 One Pot Meals for Busy Moms!

    15 Weeknight One Pot Meals For Busy Moms

    Collection of low carb chicken recipes. Over 25 meals to choose from.

    25+ Easy Low Carb Chicken Recipes

    Helpful Free Tools

    • Keto Macro Calculator
    • Low Carb vs. Keto – What’s The Difference?

    Footer

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework