Mexican Wedding Cookies Pecan (Printable)

Buttery shortbread dotted with pecans, coated in powdered sugar for a sweet finish.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Nuts

03 - 1 cup finely chopped pecans

→ Creaming Mixture

04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus additional for rolling
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Incorporate the vanilla extract into the creamed mixture.
05 - Gradually add the flour and salt mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until just combined.
06 - Fold in the finely chopped pecans evenly throughout the dough.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
08 - Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until bottoms are lightly golden and tops appear set without significant browning.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes; while still warm, gently roll each cookie in additional powdered sugar to coat.
10 - Cool completely on a wire rack, then roll cookies again in powdered sugar to achieve a snowy exterior.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste buttery and delicate, with a surprising crunch from the pecans that makes each bite interesting.
  • The powdered sugar coating gives you that indulgent sweetness without being heavy or cloyingly sweet.
  • Once you nail the technique, you can make them on a Tuesday night without any stress.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these cookies—pulling them out when the bottoms are just barely golden keeps them tender and delicate instead of crispy.
  • Rolling them in sugar while they're still warm is the secret to getting the coating to adhere properly and create that signature look.
03 -
  • Use room-temperature butter—this is the single most important factor in getting these cookies to turn out right.
  • The second dusting of powdered sugar happens after they cool completely, which creates layers of coating and that beautiful snowy appearance.
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