Mexican Cookies Recipe (Mexican Wedding) - The Foodie Affair (2025)

These Mexican Wedding Cookies are rich, buttery, and melt in your mouth. The dough is shaped into small balls before baking and then rolled in powdered sugar after baking for a sweet finish. This Mexican wedding cookie recipe is traditionally served at weddings and holidays but they make a delicious anytime treat!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You only need basic pantry staples so you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money to make this traditional cookie.
• They are one of the easiest cookies that you will ever bake. So, even beginning bakers can make them.
• The shortbread cookie is full of rich nutty flavor that melts in your mouth.

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.

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!

Ingredients Needed

• all-purpose flour
• butter
• confectioners sugar
• vanilla extract
• nuts (walnuts or pecans)

How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies

These delicious Mexican cookies come together in just a few simple steps. Just follow these step-by-step directions and you will have rich and buttery shortbread-style cookies in no time at all.

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prepare your cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients and add the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times to ensure the butter and sugar are fully mixed. Add vanilla and flour.

Step 3: Add Nuts

Stir in chopped nuts.

Step 3: Shape and bake the cookies

With a small cookie scoop, shape the cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Cool and dust with powdered sugar

Let cool for about five minutes. When you can handle it with your fingers, roll each cookie in powdered sugar.

Substitutions and Additions

• Want to change up the flavor of these snowball cookies? Swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract for a little almond flavor.
• You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon if you want a little spice in your cookies.
• For a slightly different twist, you can add some cinnamon to your powdered sugar, and then roll the baked cookies in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Storage

Store these cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure to keep these cookies dry so that the powdered sugar doesn’t come off the cookies.

What to Serve With

These traditional Mexican wedding cookies are delicious on their own. But, you can also pair them with a mug of this Irish Cream Hot Chocolate, or your favorite cup of coffee. You can also serve them on a cookie platter during the holiday

Substitutions and Additions

• Want to change up the flavor of these snowball cookies? Swap out the vanilla extract for almond extract for a little almond flavor.
• You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon if you want a little spice in your cookies.
• For a slightly different twist, you can add some cinnamon to your powdered sugar, and then roll the baked cookies in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Storage

Store these cookies in an airtight container or Ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure to keep these cookies dry so that the powdered sugar doesn’t come off the cookies.

Freezing

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

I don’t recommend freezing these cookies once they have been rolled in the confectioners’ sugar.

What to Serve With

These traditional Mexican wedding cookies are delicious on their own. But, you can also pair them with a mug of this Irish Cream Hot Chocolate, or your favorite cup of coffee. You can also serve them on a cookie platter during the holiday

Frequently Asked Questions

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 withcrushed 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 are decorated like a Christmas tree.
• Pecan Pie Crust Cookies – a delicious mix of pecans folded in pie crust dough.

For a low-carb cookie option be sure to check out these Peppermint Keto Christmas Cookies and these Keto Almond Butter Cookies with chocolate chips.