There’s something truly magical about a cookie that melts the moment it touches your tongue, and these gluten-free Mexican wedding cookies do exactly that.
Often, gluten-free cookies can turn out dry, gritty, or crumbly, but this recipe will change your mind completely. These cookies are rich, buttery, delicately sweet, and finished with a soft coating of powdered sugar. Whether you grew up calling them Mexican wedding cookies, snowball cookies, or Russian tea cakes, biting into these cookies feels like a bite of nostalgia.
Table of Contents
I’ve tested this recipe multiple times to make sure it delivers the same tender texture and classic flavor you’d expect from a traditional version, but gluten-free! The result is a cookie that’s perfect for the holidays, weddings, or everyday treats when you want something simple yet special.
These cookies are always a favorite because they strike the perfect balance. They hold their shape beautifully while baking, stay soft inside, and don’t spread too much. Plus, the ingredient list is short, and the steps are straightforward, even if you’re new to gluten-free baking.
You’ll find helpful tips and ingredient substitutions throughout this post, so you can confidently adapt the recipe to your needs. Let’s get started so you can enjoy a batch of these delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that no one will guess are gluten-free.
Ingredients at-a-Glance
To make these exquisite and delicious gluten-free Mexican wedding cookies, you’ll need six pantry staples that may be in your cabinets already!
- Gluten-free Flour: King Arthur 1:1 Flour is one of my favorite store-bought substitutes for all-purpose flour and is what I used when testing this recipe.
- Ground walnuts: Ground nuts give these cookies that distinct texture and taste. You can use pecans or almonds in place of walnuts. Just make sure they are finely ground for the best result.
- Powdered sugar: You will use this in the cookie dough as well as for rolling the cookies in the powdered sugar at the end.
- Vegan butter: The vegan butter can be replaced with regular butter if needed.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
Exact measurements for these ingredients can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Why This Recipe is the Best!
While it’s hard to narrow it down, here are some of my top reasons for absolutely loving these gluten-free Mexican wedding cookies.
- With just six ingredients, this is an incredibly simple recipe.
- Great for parties: This recipe makes a large batch (over 3 dozen), so you’ll have a party platter ready in no time.
- A Christmas classic that also fits in any time of the year. So you can enjoy these cookies all year long, but especially around the holiday season!
- Ready to enjoy in just under an hour!
- This recipe is gluten-free and vegan as written.
- They’re tender, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Tips & Tricks
As with any other baked good, there are a few tips to follow to ensure your cookies turn out flawless. Follow these pro baking tips to guarantee your recipe is a success!
Use Room Temperature Ingredients
Using room temperature ingredients is one of the simplest ways to improve the texture of your cookies, and it makes a bigger difference than many bakers realize.
When butter is too cold, it doesn’t blend evenly with sugar, which can lead to dense cookies or uneven baking. On the other hand, overly soft or melted butter can cause the dough to spread too much in the oven.
Room temperature butter, when pressed with your finger, should leave a slight indentation and feel relatively cool to the touch. Take your butter out of the fridge the night before or the morning of when you plan to make these cookies.
If you’ve forgotten to bring your butter to room temperature, here are a few tricks to warm it up quickly:
- Cut the butter up into very small cubes and leave it out on the counter. The smaller surface area should bring the butter to room temperature in about 15-20 minutes
- Fill a tall glass with boiling water and let it sit for about a minute. Dump out the water and immediately place the hot, empty glass over your stick of butter for about 5 minutes.
Starting with room temperature ingredients ensures everything blends uniformly, helping the cookies bake evenly and achieve their ideal texture. The same principle applies to any other ingredients that should be softened or evenly incorporated, such as eggs or liquids.
Measure the Ingredients by Weight
Measuring ingredients by weight is a great way to achieve consistent results, especially in gluten-free baking. Unlike traditional flour, gluten-free flour blends vary widely in density, and even slight measurement differences can make a big difference in the final texture of your cookies.
Using a kitchen scale eliminates guesswork. A cup of gluten-free flour can weigh very differently depending on how it’s scooped, packed, or leveled. Too much flour can result in dry, crumbly cookies, while too little can cause excessive spreading and a greasy texture.
Measuring by weight ensures you’re using the exact amount for the recipe every time.
In this recipe, it’s particularly important for the nuts and the powdered sugar, which play a major role in the structure of these Mexican wedding cookies. If you bake gluten-free often, investing in an inexpensive digital scale is well worth it for both beginners and experienced bakers.
If you do not have a scale at home, don’t worry! This recipe includes all measurements in both cups and grams. And take a minute to watch the video below from King Arthur showing you the best way to accurately measure your flour without a scale.
Let the Dough Rest for 30 Minutes
Many cookie recipes call for you to rest and/or refrigerate the cookie dough after it is mixed. All flours, but especially gluten-free flours, need time to fully absorb the moisture from the other ingredients in the dough. Resting the dough gives the ingredients a chance to fully hydrate before baking.
What happens during this resting time is that the flour softens and thickens slightly, which improves the dough’s texture and structure. Without resting, the dough may feel too soft and sticky. Giving time for this structure to develop produces cookies that hold their shape while remaining tender and delicate inside.
Resting also helps flavors meld together, enhancing all the tastes in the final cookie. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerating the dough during the resting period can help prevent the butter from becoming too soft. Just be sure the dough is still scoopable when it’s time to bake.
Use a Cookie Scoop
Using a cookie scoop is an excellent way to keep your cookies uniform in both size and shape. This helps you to achieve consistent baking, because when cookies are different sizes, smaller ones can overbake while larger ones are still not done.
Aside from consistency, a cookie scoop also makes the baking process faster and less messy. You don’t need to handle it as much with your hands, which helps keep the butter from warming up too quickly from the heat of your hands.
For this recipe, I recommend a one-inch (1 tbsp) cookie scoop, which makes perfect bite-sized cookies that are fun and easy to serve.
Toast the Walnuts First
A really simple way to elevate the flavor in these cookies is to toast the walnuts before grinding them up. Or if you’ve already bought ground nuts, follow the steps below in the same way. Untoasted nuts have more of a raw, earthy flavor.
Toasting nuts creates an excellent flavor profile. The heat intensifies the natural sweetness and brings out more of the “nuttiness” from the walnuts. Spend a few extra minutes toasting the walnuts for this recipe to really bring out a superior flavor in these Mexican wedding cookies!
To Toast Nuts:
- In the oven: Preheat the oven to 350ºF, spread the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake for about 8-10 minutes, stirring them halfway through. For already ground walnuts, bake for about 5 minutes.
- On the stove: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the nuts (or ground nuts) for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Let them cool, then grind them up in a food processor.
Nuts can go from brown and toasty to burnt very quickly. Whether you’re toasting them in the oven or on the stove, be sure to keep a close eye on them to avoid any mishaps!
Printable Gluten-Free Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups King Arthur Measure For Measure Gluten-Free flour mix, scooped and leveled (290 grams)
- ¾ cup walnuts, ground (77 grams)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup vegan butter (227 grams)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar (63 grams)
- 1 cup extra powdered sugar, for rolling cookies
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground walnuts, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar on low speed for about one minute, until creamy.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just enough to incorporate the flour (about 30 seconds).
- Scrape down the bowl and turn the mixer to medium speed, mix for 1 minute.
- Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1" cookie scoop, portion cookie dough onto cookie sheets. Roll into balls.
- Bake 10 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden brown.
- Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes.
- Roll cookies in powdered sugar. Sprinkle a little more on top just before serving.
Notes
- The walnuts can be substituted with pecans. They should be chopped fine. If using a food processor, watch so it doesn’t start turning into paste.
- The recipe was tested with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour mix.
- Regular butter may be substituted for the vegan butter.
- 1″ is the recommended size for these rich cookies.
Nutrition
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Helpful Equipment
It’s easy to fill up your kitchen with all sorts of fancy gadgets that you may only use once. But there are a few pieces of equipment that can make life a lot easier, not just for this recipe, but for lots of cooking and baking needs in general!
Here are a few recommended pieces of kitchen equipment that will make these gluten-free Mexican wedding cookies and lots more of my recipes a cinch!
- Kitchen Scale: For accurately measuring ingredients to be sure your recipe comes out the same each and every time you make it!
- Stand Mixer: A baker’s best friend for all your mixing needs.
- 1-inch Cookie Scoop: To scoop even cookies. Being the same size and shape ensures they will all be done baking at the same time.
- Food Processor: Great for grinding the nuts in this recipe, but also perfect for grating cheeses, making sauces, chopping foods, and so much more!
Step-by-Step Instructions
You can quickly mix up the cookie dough for these gluten-free Mexican wedding cookies in just 15 minutes. Before you get started on the dough, make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature, or see my ‘Tips & Tricks’ above if you’ve forgotten to take your butter out of the fridge!
Follow along with these simple steps and visuals to help you make the best batch of cookies ever.
Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, ground walnuts, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Step 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar on low speed for about one minute, until combined and creamy.
Step 3
Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer bowl and continue to mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, just enough to incorporate the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn the mixer to medium, and mix for one minute more.
Step 4
Set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a 1″ cookie scoop to portion your cookies. Then, roll them into balls.
Step 6
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies turn slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Roll the cookies in powdered sugar to finish them off, and enjoy!
How to Store Mexican Wedding Cookies
When stored in an airtight container, these will stay fresh at room temperature for one to two weeks, making them a perfect cookie to always have around for when guests pop by!
You can also freeze these cookies after baking them. Just let the cookies cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
You can freeze these cookies with or without rolling them in powdered sugar. When you take them out of the freezer, let them come to room temperature, then be sure to roll them in powdered sugar before serving.
Gluten-Free Mexican Wedding Cookies FAQs
From “What are these?” to “Where did I go wrong?”, these questions and answers are here to help you with any recipe doubts you may be pondering, so your first time making these Mexican wedding cookies will already feel natural.
For other questions, comments, or helpful tips for other bakers, let us know in the comments down below!
What Are Mexican Wedding Cookies?
Mexican wedding cookies are delicate, buttery cookies filled with finely ground nuts and covered in powdered sugar. They have a slightly crumbly texture, similar to shortbread cookies.
They are especially popular around Christmas time, but are perfect year-round and are known by many different names. Some of those include: snowball cookies, polvorones, Russian tea cakes, butterballs, or pecan sandies.
What Nuts Should I Use in These Cookies?
Most commonly, Mexican wedding cookies are made with either walnuts or pecans. They both work well because they have a softer consistency, even when they are raw. You can also use almonds (I recommend a finely ground, blanched almond flour, like this one).
Whichever nut you choose, just make sure they are ground extremely fine to give that nice powdery texture to your cookies!
Can I Grind My Own Nuts For This Recipe?
Yes! This recipe calls for ground walnuts, and buying them whole and grinding them at home with a food processor is a very simple and often cheaper way to do it. Just make sure to keep an eye on them and stop the machine before they turn into a paste.
Why Did My Cookies Go Flat in the Oven?
A common reason that cookies fall flat is when the dough is overmixed. Overmixing dough can cause butter to warm up too much, resulting in more spread in the oven. It can also develop too much air, which causes cookies to rise in the oven and then collapse, resulting in dense, flat cookies.
Be sure to follow the recipe closely with mixing times to avoid overmixing the dough. A tip to keep in mind with mixing baked goods like cookies and cakes is to mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients; there’s no need to mix much more than that.
Mexican Wedding Cookies: Your Recipe for All Occasions
This recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again. Whether you’re baking for the holidays, a wedding celebration, or just because you’re craving a melt-in-your-mouth treat. It’s reliable, simple, and easy to adapt to any dietary needs since it’s already gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free!
The tender, buttery texture of these gluten-free Mexican wedding cookies is proof that you can create something truly special with simple ingredients. Keep a batch on hand for unexpected guests, or for those moments when you just need a sweet, comforting bite.
Building Your Gluten-Free Cookie Collection?
Whether you’re prepping for a party, packing lunchbox treats, or simply craving something sweet, these gluten-free cookie recipes fit every occasion, no flour needed.
- Molasses Cookies
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Fuss-free, flour-free, and full of flavor… what’s not to love?
Your Turn… Tell Us How They Turned Out!
Let me know in the comments if you give these cookies a try! Did you bake them for a special occasion or add them to a holiday cookie tray? Share your experience with the rest of our readers in the comments below!
