Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe (Plus Baking Tips and a Brief History)

Among holiday treats, Mexican wedding cookies are a favorite. They're sweet, crunchy and the perfect companion to a morning, midday or after-dinner coffee. They also have a history that dates back centuries and spans the globe. 

Mexican Wedding Cookies Origin

Also referred to as Mexican wedding cakes, these buttery cookies originated outside of Mexico. Their creation has been traced back to medieval Arab baking that predominantly featured ingredients like butter, sugar, spices and nuts. As trade routes broadened, these sweet confections made their way from the Middle East to all parts of Europe.

Historians believe that the recipe migrated to Mexico by way of European nuns or Spanish conquistadors in the Americas in the 16th century. Traditionally, these sweet cookies are made with finely chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or almonds, though this can vary depending on the recipe’s origins.

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Cultural Adaptations of the Recipe

As the recipe spread and gained popularity, it was subject to cultural adaptations. Today, this cookie's names and nuances vary based on where it’s made.

In Greece, butter cookies are shaped like crescents and referred to as kourabiedes. The name is based on the Turkish version called kurabiye, which means dry (kuru) and biscuit (biye). Shaped much like a kourabiedes, Eastern Europeans make a version called Viennese crescents.

According to Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Norma Arellano-Salazar, these popular cookies are also called snowballs or pecan sandies on the East Coast of the United States, as they resemble snow or sand thanks to their powdered-sugar dusting. Some even refer to them as Russian tea cookies. There is, however, speculation that this name was discouraged in order to alleviate the cookies' connection to Russia and the strained relations that created the Cold War.

Nowadays, Chef Salazar notes that Mexican wedding cookies are also called polvorones or bizcochitos and are a staple of wedding buffets and holiday parties. Similarly, Italians serve these cookies at celebratory feasts; however, they add star anise for a more pungent, aromatic dough.

More Cookie Recipes: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Technique

How to Make Mexican Wedding Cookies

Chef Salazar explains that “Mexican wedding cookies are a unique type of dough that contains no egg.”

During the cookie preparation lesson featuring Mexican wedding cookies, Pastry & Baking Arts students practice making pecan snowballs (a form of Mexican wedding cookies) and other cookies, like Linzer and crinkle.

Unlike most traditional cookie recipes, however, Chef Salazar notes that this one relies on the fat from the butter to bring together the ingredients.

To make the perfect cookie, she says that the secret is to avoid overbaking the dough. You “don’t want much color on the top or bottom of the cookies; they should be just a little bit golden," she says. This tip helps to keep the cookie from becoming too dry, brittle and crunchy.

Chef Salazar says that the goal is for the cookie to have an almost “melt-in-your-mouth type of consistency” as you take a bite. This drier, dense, shortbread-like cookie can last about one week in an airtight container in a dry, cool place in your kitchen.

More Holiday Cookies: How to Make a Christmas Cookie Centerpiece