Mexican Wedding Cookies

Published: December 15, 2020 7 Comments »

Mexican Wedding Cookies: Such a delicious treat! With a crumbly, nutty texture and a rich, buttery taste, they’re sure be a real favorite!

Mexican wedding cookies piled on a wooden board with Christmas ribbon in the background.

Whether you call them Mexican wedding cookies, snowball cookies, Russian tea cakes, or polvorones, one thing is certain: they are a total classic!

And for good reason! Their crumbly, shortbread-like texture and their buttery, toasty, nutty flavor are completely irresistible. Plus they couldn’t be cuter on a Christmas cookie tray. They really do look like little snowballs!

We are in full-on Christmas mode here at my house! I’ve finished all the decorating, shopping, and most of the wrapping (Ten days ahead of time!!! That’s a first!) and now we’re focused on making all the Christmas treats.

We’ve made almond biscotti, chocolate truffles, and oatmeal cranberry cookies, and today I’m sharing another favorite: Mexican wedding cookies!

Read on, to learn all my best tips and tricks for making them the best they can possibly be!

Snowball cookies on a wooden serving board, with a text overlay that reads "Mexican Wedding Cookies."

WHAT DO MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES TASTE LIKE?

The primary flavor in this snowball cookie recipe is nuts. Toasty, crunchy, and tender, this recipe really shines the spotlight on them. Pecans are traditional, but you can mix things up and use your own favorite (more on that below).

When you first bite in, you’ll get the cool, sweet sensation of powdered sugar on your tongue.

Then the chopped pecans come through like a boss. As the cookie crumbles and melts away, the rich, buttery flavor really lingers on the palate.

The cookie itself is not very sweet, but with it’s powdered sugar coating everything balances out beautifully.

Because of its simple, elegant, and somewhat plain flavor, this is another cookie that goes really nicely with a hot drink. Try pairing your Russian tea cakes with coffee, tea, or hot cocoa for a lovely and comforting dessert or afternoon pick-me-up.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

Like so many other cookie recipes, this one begins with softened butter. Place it into a large mixing bowl, along with granulated sugar and vanilla extract.

Butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Cream these ingredients together on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy. You want to get a lot of air incorporated. This will ensure that the final result is light and tender. Give it at least 5 full minutes.

Butter and sugar, creamed together until pale and fluffy.

Once you’ve reached that pale, fluffy stage, add in the flour, ground nuts, and salt.

Adding flour, nuts, and salt to snowball cookies.

And that’s pretty much it! This cookie dough has just 6 simple ingredients!

I like to grind the nuts in a food processor. It just makes things so quick and easy! Toast them first (in a dry pan or on a baking sheet in the oven) to bring out their aromas and flavor, then pop them in and chop them as finely as possible. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a mini chopper or even a blender.

Mixing dough for Russian tea cakes.

Don’t overmix this dough or your cookies could come out tough. Once the ingredients are just combined, you’re good to go onto the next step.

Scooping balls of snowball cookie dough.

Now you’re going to create your little snowballs. Scoop the dough into 1.5-tablespoon portions, and roll them in powdered sugar.

Rolling cookie dough in powdered sugar.

Place them on the baking sheet, and into the oven they go!

Unbaked Mexican wedding cookies on a baking sheet.

You’ll know they’re done when they feel set and they have a few little cracks running around the outside edge.

Mexican wedding cookies after baking.

Allow them to cool for a few minutes, then give them a second powdered sugar bath. Yum!

CAN YOU USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF NUT?

As you can see in the recipe card below, I’ve used pecans for my snowball cookies. That is traditional, but you can really use any kind of nut you prefer.

Here are a few ideas:

Walnuts
Almonds
Pistachios
Macadamias
Hazelnuts
Cashews
Peanuts

Any of these, or any combination of these, would be fantastic!

Overhead image of Russian tea cakes being coated in powdered sugar.

ARE THEY GLUTEN-FREE?

These cookies are egg-free and vegetarian. For a version that’s also gluten-free, look for a gluten-free flour blend that subs 1:1 for regular flour.

Here are a few good options:

If you are making them for someone with a nut allergy, try substituting with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or even pretzels!

HOW TO STORE THEM

Place these snowball cookies in an airtight container, and they’ll keep at room temperature for several weeks.

You can also freeze them! They freeze very well and should last for a few months if wrapped tightly. You may just need to re-coat them in powdered sugar before serving.

Snowball cookie recipe, prepared and served on a wooden tray with powdered sugar in the background.

A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE COOKIE RECIPES:

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