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Baking · Mexican-American

Snowball Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies)

Buttery, nutty little balls that melt in your mouth under a double coat of powdered sugar.

Hands-on
1 h
Hands-off
15 min
Oven preheat
10 min
Total
1 h 15 min
Makes
48 cookies
Serves
48

Most of the time is hands-on: shaping about 48 balls and rolling them in sugar twice. Each sheet bakes 10-12 minutes while you shape the next, and the oven heats while you mix.

Oven 200 °C · 180 °C fan (400 °F)

Pan baking trays, ungreased (US: cookie sheets, ungreased)

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • christmas
  • holiday-cookies
  • cookie-exchange

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Snowball Cookies (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: large bowl · wooden spoon or electric mixer · 2 cookie sheets (ungreased) · wire rack · shallow bowl for the sugar · oven mitts

Contains: milk · wheat · tree nuts

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F).

  2. Make the butter base

    In a large bowl, mix 227 g (1 cup) softened butter, 57 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until completely smooth.

  3. Add the dry ingredients

    Stir in 270 g (2 1/4 cups) flour, 85 g (3/4 cup) finely chopped nuts and 1/4 tsp salt until the dough holds together.

  4. Shape

    Roll the dough into 2.5 cm (1 in) balls and set them about 2.5 cm (1 in) apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

  5. Bake

    Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

    Ready when: Set and firm to the touch but not browned. If the tops start to colour, they're overdone.

  6. First sugar coat

    Tip about 170 g (1 1/2 cups) powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Cool the cookies on the sheet for a few minutes, then roll them in it a few at a time while still warm, and set them on a wire rack.

    Otto tried this firstOtto rolls them straight off the sheet, piping hot, and half of them crumble in the sugar. Give them a few minutes first: warm, not hot.

  7. Second sugar coat

    When the cookies are completely cool, roll them in the powdered sugar again for a thick, snowy coat.

Swaps

  • Instead of pecans: walnuts, same amount (both are traditional)
  • Instead of nuts: mini chocolate chips, same amount verified; no longer nut-based, but check the chip label for milk, soy and nut traces

Make ahead, store & reheat

Make ahead
Freeze the baked cookies (see storage) and give them a fresh roll in powdered sugar after thawing.
Storage
Airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freeze in a covered container or freezer bag for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature and roll in powdered sugar again.

If something goes wrong

  • The sugar coat disappeared Why: Warm cookies soak up the first coat.
    That's what the second roll is for: once they're completely cool, roll them again.
  • Brown, dry cookies Why: Baked too long.
    Take them out when they're set and firm but still pale.

Good to know

  • Toast the nuts before chopping for more flavour.
  • A level teaspoon cookie scoop makes even, 2.5 cm (1 in) balls.

Safety

  • Don't taste the raw dough: raw flour can carry bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Wash your hands after handling it.
  • Contains tree nuts (pecans or walnuts). Tell guests, and keep them away from anyone with a nut allergy.
  • The cookie sheets come out of a very hot oven. Use oven mitts; kids can shape the balls and do the sugar rolling once the cookies are warm, not hot.