Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

Published on December 19, 2023 Mexican Wedding Cookies (snowballs) are buttery pecan cookies rolled in confectioners sugar. They are a classic Christmas cookie, add them to your holiday baking list this year.

Snowballs Russian tea cakes Pecan balls Sand Tarts Mexican wedding cakes Southern pecan butterballs

What do you call them? I call them Mexican Wedding Cookies because that is what my family calls them. To be honest though, when I was little I didn’t really like them. I always went for the snickerdoodles, gingersnaps, and chocolate chip cookies instead. BUT now, I LOVE these cookies, because I have found the BEST Mexican Wedding Cookie recipe EVER! You want to know my secret ingredient? It is a game changer! You HAVE to try this recipe! This is the BEST Wedding Cookie recipe because I use a secret ingredient…CANDIED PECANS. Traditionally, snowball cookies are made with pecans or walnuts. I prefer pecans so I made them with pecans and they were delicious. But then I made a batch of my favorite candied pecans and decided to try them in the cookie recipe. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but it was a pretty genius idea:) I tried the cookies right away and yep, best idea ever! I used half regular pecans and half candied pecans and I am telling you these are hands down the BEST Mexican Wedding Cookies…snowballs, Russian tea cakes, pecan balls, sand tarts, and southern pecan balls…whatever you want to call them, they are the BEST! The candied pecans add a little extra sweetness with a hint of cinnamon and brown sugar and that extra candied pecan crunch is SO good! The cookies are buttery, crisp, and they melt in your mouth! They are the perfect holiday cookie. And it is ok if you make a powdered sugar mess because it looks like snow. You can call it “decorating” for the holidays:)

Tips for making Mexican Wedding Cookies

I use half pecans and half candied pecans. You can use all pecans or even walnuts, but I think the pecan/candied pecan ratio is the best. There are equal amounts of nuts and flour in this recipe so you can really taste the pecans. Grind half of the pecans in a food processor so the nuts can release their natural oil. This will help hold the cookies together and the cookies won’t be dry. Chop the other half of the nuts so you get the perfect texture and nut crunch. Roll the cookies in confectioners’ sugar twice to make sure the cookies are well coated. You can freeze these cookies. Defrost and roll in confectioners’ sugar again before serving.

These are a classic Christmas cookie and I promise you will LOVE them. Make these pretty and delicate cookies a holiday tradition!

Thumbprint Cookies Andes Mint Cookies Easy Sugar Cookies Snickerdoodle Cookies Chewy Molasses Cookies Peanut Butter Blossoms

Find MORE cookie recipes HERE and in my cookie cookbook, Let’s Eat Cookies!