Mexican Wedding Cookies
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With a sugary coating and a buttery soft interior filled with chocolate chips and chopped nuts, these Mexican wedding cookies are guaranteed to melt in your mouth.
My mother used to make this Mexican wedding cookies recipe especially for me when I was a little girl because I loved the Danish wedding cookies that were sold in the grocery stores. All you had to do was ask for that pink box of cookies and within a day or two, a plate of these would appear on the table (did I have her trained, or what?).
These Mexican wedding cookies float away somehow or magically disappear into another dimension when you aren’t looking. Although I make all different kinds of cookies throughout the year, these always feel extra special to me. Part of that is because of so many childhood memories attached to them, but another part is the tender lightness of the cookie, tiny unexpected pockets of chocolate, and angelic coating of confectioner’s sugar.
I guess they taste magical because they really are. I love serving these during the holidays, as that sugar coating makes them resemble little snowballs! Here are 14 other fabulous Christmas cookie recipes. Let’s get baking!
Recipe Ingredients
- Vanilla
- Vegetable shortening or coconut oil
- Mini chocolate chips
- Egg
- Confectioner’s sugar
- White cake mix
How To Make Mexican Wedding Cookies
Place shortening or coconut oil, water, vanilla, and egg white in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about a minute.
After you mix those it’s going to look a little ‘globby’.
Add in cake mix and beat with an electric mixer until well blended, about two minutes. Add in chocolate chips and nuts, if using. Mix again until just blended.
Now we’re done with the cookie dough! Wasn’t that easy peasy?
Roll dough into one-inch-ish balls with your hands or use a cookie dough scoop.
Place about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet or two.
Bake until almost set, or for about 10 minutes.
Like this. You aren’t going for golden brown here, just almost done looking.
Remove from the baking sheet and dip the top of each in the .
If they are too soft you can set them aside for a minute or two but you need to dip them while they are warm.
The confectioner’s sugar will stick to them as long as they are warm.
Oh my goodness, these are so yummy!
Look at how gorgeous these Mexican wedding cookies are. They would be SO pretty on your cookie trays this Christmas.
Hopefully, you won’t run into the same problem I usually do, though. Whenever I make them for a party or event, there is never enough left to take when it comes time to leave!
Storage
- Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- You can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Once thawed, I’d roll them in powdered sugar once more.
Recipe Notes
- Instead of shortening, a little healthier choice is coconut oil. Refined coconut oil takes the strong coconut flavor out of the oil but if you like the coconut taste then stick with the unrefined type.
- If you don’t have or can’t find mini chocolate chips, you can just chop up regular chocolate chips a bit. I’ve done that plenty of times.
-
Now, most of the time when I say “egg white” I am sharing a recipe where it is absolutely essential that no yolk be involved. Like when you’re making a meringue that won’t whip up right if yolk gets in. However, if you happen to get a little yolk in this recipe it will still be just fine. Just make egg white be your goal and then roll with whatever happens.
- If using chopped nuts, I recommend pecans, walnuts, or almonds. This is how Mexican wedding cookies are traditionally made.
- To make these cookies gluten-free, simply use a gluten-free white cake mix instead.
Recipe Variations
Instead of chopped nuts and chocolate chips, add these variations to this Mexican wedding cookie recipe (just use the same measurements):
- Chocolate chips and rainbow jimmies.
- Hershey’s Kiss chocolates or mini Reese’s instead of the chocolate chips.
- Peppermint candy cane pieces and 1/4 tsp peppermint extract (as well as the vanilla).
- Chopped macadamia nuts and finely shredded coconut.
- Chopped pecan pieces with a teaspoon of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
- Slivered almonds and a 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.
Recipe FAQs
What are Mexican wedding cookies also called?
are also known as , , , , and .
Check out these other holiday cookie recipes:
Thumbprint Cookies with Jam or Preserves
Southern Plate’s Must-Make Christmas Cookies
Candy Cane Cookies (Elf Favorite!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 egg white
- 1 box white cake mix 15.25 oz or close
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioner's sugar for dipping (about a cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the shortening, water, vanilla, and egg white. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about a minute.1/2 cup vegetable shortening, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 egg white
- Add the cake mix. Beat again with mixer until smooth and no lumps remain, or about two minutes. Add in nuts (if using) and chocolate chips. Mix once more just until incorporated.1 box white cake mix, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Shape cookie dough into one-inch balls. Place about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until almost set, or for about 10 minutes.
- While warm, dip the tops in powdered sugar and then cool.confectioner's sugar
Nutrition
Hey friends! I originally published this recipe for Mexican Wedding Cookies in 2008, my first year of blogging! I’ve recently updated the photos on this old family favorite and hope you get to enjoy the cookies for yourself soon!
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I’ll be making these soon. (I think I will put nuts in mine though.) I used to love those Danish wedding cookies too when I was a kid. Now I buy gobs of those crescent cookies they come out with at holiday time so I’ll have something to dunk in my Vanilla Almond Tea. 🙂
hey christy, i will definitley be making those as gifts, but i will need a little history…cause my mother will inevitably ask “why are they called mexican wedding cookies? and i’m sure it something like duh cause they were made in mexico originally but if you have a more interesting reason i would love to give her a story with it. i can see it now 2 long lost lovers found each other and got married but the mother of the bride didn’t have access to “danish” ingredience so she improvised with….? and now you have wonderful mexican wedding cookies. something like that? thanks
kristi craft
from Wikipedia:
Russian tea cakes appeared in Russia in the 18th century, literally as a confection used in a tea-sharing ceremony. By the 20th century, they were a part of wedding and Christmas traditions in the U.S., by their popular “Russian tea” nomenclature. The term “Mexican wedding cake” seems to have emerged in the U.S. in the 1950s, possibly a result of strained relations with the Soviet Union.[2]
It sounds like the usual version is with nuts, but chocolate chips sounds just great too!
Yummy these would be a great addition to all the holiday cookies. I will add these to my list for my Christmas gift baskets. Arent cake mixes so wonderful and versatile, I am cake mix junky.
My mom makes these and calls ’em sand tarts. She puts pecans in them. Never had them with chocolate chips before! Sounds like it could be good!
YUM!! Another must try! Christy, don’t you know I’m trying to lose this baby weight, lol! I’m never gonna lose it with all these good recipes. I love food waaaay toomuch!
Laura-Athens
Stephanie, you hit it on the head, they just dissolve….they are horrible, I tell ya, horrible! I could eat myself sick on these and never look back! hehe Hope y’all are having a great day!
Those look so tasty! I love cookies of all types, and these just look so light and melt-in-you-mouth-y! Yum!