Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

Mexican wedding cookies are authentic sweet treats with a long history. According to Diced, a lot of people also call these cookies "Mexican wedding cakes." It comes as no surprise that the dessert originated outside of Mexico, and found its way to the area via 16th-century European settlers or Spanish conquistadors. You'll find these treats at weddings, of course, but they're also popular for holiday parties. If you've tried them, we're sure you love them and if you haven't — you're missing out. When you pop one of these babies into your mouth, they melt, and that's how you know they're next-level good.

Michelle Morey is the brains behind this recipe for Mexican wedding cookies that will knock your socks off. She shares that her favorite part is "how few ingredients the recipe has and how simple they are to make!" 

Keep scrolling for more details on how to throw together this classic dessert, which is sure to become a favorite even after wedding season!

The first step in this recipe (and in any for that matter) is to gather the ingredients. You will need shelled walnuts, all-purpose flour, salt, and butter. Hopefully, you have one or a few of those items available already — especially if you bake a lot. There are a few other items that are on the sweeter side that you need to complete your list, including granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. It's best to measure everything out before so it will be easier to just dump it in when you need it. Once you have everything gathered together, it's time to get baking!

For starters, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Then, line two sheet pans with parchment paper to ensure the cookies don't stick. Grab a food processor and add in the walnuts. Pulse them until they're coarsely ground (which is somewhere around 30 pulses). Remove half a cup of walnuts and side aside in a medium-sized bowl. 

After removing some of the walnuts, you can continue to pulse the remaining until they're finely ground and start clumping together. Another sign that the mix is done is when a little bit of walnut oil gathers on the side of the food processor bowl. Next, add the finely ground walnuts to the coarsely ground walnuts. Then add the flour and salt and toss to combine. Last but not least, add the sugar. Process everything until finely ground for 30-40 seconds and set aside.

Now, get out a bowl with a stand mixer. A machine is the best for cookie dough because it ensures all the ingredients will mix well. Add the butter to the bowl, being careful that you don't add too much butter, and cream it at medium-low speed until it gets smooth. The next item to add in is the finely processed sugar and vanilla. Beat both until they're combined. Adding each ingredient at a time makes sure they mix well. 

After that, add the flour and nut mixture to the butter and sugar. Continue stirring until all the ingredients are combined, and there is no flour showing. The dough should be stiff.

Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough one cookie at a time. This is the perfect size for this type of cookie. Roll each piece into a ball and place it on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Leave about one inch of space between each cookie. They will not spread much when they bake.

Set your timer for 20-23 minutes. You will know the cookies are done when the edges start to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them sit for 20 minutes, allowing them to cool off a bit.

Next, get out a shallow bowl and add the powdered sugar. Put the cookies in the powdered sugar when they're slightly warm so it will stick. Gently roll them around the dish, so each one gets coated with a delicious and powdery layer of goodness. 

After you coat all of the cookies, set them aside on a cooling rack or back on the cookie sheet to finish cooling. This can be a little messy but trust us when we tell you that it's worth it. You're almost done with the process so move onto the next step. 

When the cookies have completely cooled off, give them each one more toss to coat them. After that, they will be ready to serve. It's recommended to store them in an airtight container. They will stay good for a few weeks. As far as serving goes, the possibilities are endless. "These are great served with coffee, or an afternoon tea," Morey shares.

If you have extra, you can also freeze the dough for later use. "To freeze, make the dough as the recipe states, scoop and roll into balls and pop them in the freezer instead of baking," Morey says. "When ready to bake, just plop the frozen dough on a sheet pan and bake as the recipe states!"