Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

These Mexican wedding cookies are soft, sweet, rich, buttery, and just plain amazing.

If you haven’t tried them, now’s the time. One bite will make you fall in love!

These decadent cookies are crumbly melt-in-your-mouth treats. And they’re perfect for any occasion.

Easy Mexican Wedding Cookies

These buttery, crumbly cookies go by a thousand names.

It doesn’t matter if you call them Russian tea cakes, butterballs, snowballs, Polvorones, or Mexican wedding cookies – they taste just as magical.

These round shortbread cookies are so phenomenal they’ll make your jaw drop.

They’re ultra-rich and buttery, with a wonderful crunchy contrast from the walnuts.

And their snowy exterior adds to their charm. Plus, it provides the perfect amount of sweetness.

But the best part has to be just how effortless they are to make.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Butter – Some recipes call for softened butter, but I find cold butter better. It prevents the batter from spreading as it bakes. Remove the butter from the fridge 10 minutes prior to baking.

• Sugar – Since the cookies will be double-coated in powdered sugar, you’ll only need half a cup for the dough. 

• Vanilla Extract – For flavor enhancement.

• All-Purpose Flour – Sift it to avoid a lumpy dough.

• Almonds – Chop them very finely to prevent the dough from falling apart during baking.

• Powdered Sugar – To achieve that beautiful snowy coating.

How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies

Making these cookies isn’t difficult. Simply follow these steps:

1. Combine the butter and sugar. Mix the two in a medium bowl until soft and fluffy.

2. Add the vanilla and water. Mix them in gently until they’re just barely combined.

3. Add the flour and nuts. Sift in the flour, then pour in the almonds. Continue to beat the mixture with the electric mixer on medium-high speed.

4. Chill, portion, then bake. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then, portion and bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes.

5. Coat in sugar. Remove the cookies from the oven, let them cool for about 5 minutes, then roll them in powdered sugar.

6. Roll once more, then enjoy! After the cookies have fully cooled, roll them in the powdered sugar a couple more times.

Tips for the Best Cookies 

I think these make the best gifts for the holidays. And they’re always a hit at my annual cookie exchange!

If you want to try them, here’s a few tips to keep in mind:

• Save time with a mixer. Use a stand mixer or electric mixer to beat the ingredients together. The dough is very thick and stiff, so hand mixing won’t work.

• Sift the powdered sugar. Sometimes, you’ll see clumps, which means it won’t coat the cookies properly.

• Use a cookie scoop. This ensures the cookies are all the same size, which means perfectly even cooking.

• Use cold butter. This shortens the chill time and keeps them from spreading.

• Don’t grease the cookie sheets prior to baking. Use silicone baking sheets or parchment paper instead.

• Don’t overbake! They’re not supposed to look golden brown. Bake them for just 11 to 13 minutes or until they’re slightly firm.

Mix-Ins for Mexican Wedding Cookies

Want to make them a bit more jazzy? Here are some tasty extras you can add to this tasty cookie dough.

• Change the nuts. Go for pecans, almonds, macadamias, or hazelnuts. Yum!

• Leave out the nuts. If nuts aren’t your thing, that’s okay. You can still make the cookies without them.

• Add mini-chocolate chips. You could also stuff the center of each ball with a mini-Hershey’s Kiss or Reese’s.

• Add chopped peppermint. Give your holiday cookies an even more Christmas-y vibe by adding chopped peppermint chunks to the dough.

• Make them fall-friendly. Infuse the dough with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.

How to Store

To Store: Let the Mexican wedding cookies cool, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.

You can also keep them in the fridge for up to a week. But let them sit on the countertop for several minutes before serving.

To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing baked cookies, as the powdered sugar will clump when they thaw.

Instead, bake the cookie dough in portions, then bake from frozen. Just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.

More Cookie Recipes

Soft and Chewy Lemon Cookies
Italian Wedding Cookies
White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Refrigerator Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Servings

18

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

207

kcal

These Mexican wedding cookies are so good, they’ll melt in your mouth! Learn how to make them, plus get tips for making the best cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons water

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup chopped almonds

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions

• Place the butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat them with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Then, beat in the vanilla and water until combined.
• Sift in the flour and add the almonds. Beat on medium-high speed until ingredients are blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Shape the dough into bite-sized balls or crescents. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let them sit for 5 minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle.
• Place the powdered sugar in a medium shallow bowl. Roll the cookies in the sugar until coated on all sides. Let the cookies cool completely.
• Roll the cookies again in powdered sugar once or twice more. Enjoy!

Notes

• Remove the butter only 10 minutes before using it. You don’t want it softened and warmed to room temperature.

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