This cookie recipe is made with pecans and exhibits an almost shortbread-like texture that we LOVE. My grandmother calls them Pecan Butterballs, but I’ve also heard them called Pecan Sandies, Pecan Snowball Cookies, or Mexican Wedding Cookies as well.
This cookie recipe is something that my family enjoyed around Christmas time a few decades ago, before I was born. For the last twenty years, though, we haven’t put it on our Christmas menu!
A few months ago I was thumbing through an old family cookbook, and found this recipe for Pecan Snowball Cookies that my grandmother put in our family recipe book. Every time I make them these days, my mom closes her eyes, sighs, and says they taste just like her childhood. She loves when I make them!
These Pecan Snowball Cookies are different than the typical cookie recipes that I’m used to making (think sugar cookie, chocolate chip, or even these maple cookies).
They’re stiffer and more crumbly than the cookies I typically make, but around Christmas time, we just love them. It reminds us of familial traditions of the past 🙂
Why Make this Recipe
- Great with Coffee: Whenever I make this Pecan Sandies Recipe, my mom will make a pot of coffee in the morning just so that she can eat her cookies with her coffee. Italian cookies tend to be crumblier than our typical choice of cookie, so a great way to soften them up is to eat them alongside a warm beverage.
- Delicious Shortbread: We looove shortbread here on The Foreign Fork, especially with how easy it is to throw together! There is no resting time or refrigeration time necessary. Instead, just cream some of the ingredients together and hand mix in the rest, and you’ll be ready to enjoy your cookies soon!
- Pecan Cookies: Pecans are my absolutely FAVORITE nut, so I love that these cookies feature the delicious pecan flavor! These cookies are crunchy from the pecans but then, upon your first bite, quickly turn soft and buttery. You’re going to love them!
What Ingredients are in this Recipe?
- Pecans: I love the pecans that are featured in this recipe! The original recipe from my grandmother called for 4 cups of pecans instead of 2, so that the cookies could also be rolled in pecans. If you’d like to add more pecans than what this blog post calls for, you are welcome to do so! I used pre-minced pecans, but you can also chop them in a nut chopper.
- Butter: This recipe is best with unsalted, softened butter. I always use unsalted butter for baking as it is much easier to control the salt concentration in the cookie that way. Make sure to leave your butter out on the counter for a few hours before baking so that it can soften to room temperature.
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Make the Dough
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix again.
Sift together flour and salt. Stir into the butter mixer.
Use a wooden spoon to mix in pecans. Dough will be crumbly, like sand, but you should be able to form it into balls.
Step 2: Form Cookies and Bake
Form the cookies into balls about 1 inch across. They will not grow or spread in the oven, so whatever size you form them is the size they will stay. Put the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
Once cooled, dust cookies with powdered sugar and enjoy
Note: Cookies should hold their shape and be similar to a shortbread texture.
Expert Tips
- I love this recipe for Pecan Snowball Cookies because I absolutely love Pecans! However, some recipes for Mexican Wedding Cookies (another name for this recipe) call for almonds instead! You can use whatever type of nut sounds good to you. Other great options are hazelnuts or even chopped up macadamia nuts.
- The original version of this recipe from my grandmother includes 2 extra cups of pecans to roll the cookies in. I ended up cutting out this portion of the recipe, as I found that the dough was a little to dry to allow the pecans to stick. However, if you would like to roll the dough in additional pecans, chop up an additional cup or so, and you can!
- Want to make the flavoring of this cookie even more exciting? Change up the type of extract you use! Don’t want to use vanilla? Try Almond Extract, Vanilla Butternut Flavoring, or anything else that sounds delicious to you!
Recipe FAQs
Why Do My Snowball Cookies Go Flat?
This is a good question and one there could be many answers to. If your butter was too melted, it is likely that your cookies spread and went flat. This is why it is important to leave the butter on the counter to soften instead of attempting to soften it in the microwave (and risk some melted butter).
My family’s recipe also calls for granulated sugar and this has always worked well for us. If you are truly having issues and you’re positive that your butter is softened correctly, you can try subbing powdered sugar as this could help as well!
Where Did These Cookies Originate?
It depends on who you ask and what you call them! When living in Italy I often found cookies very similar to these in the Italian Bakeries.
However, if you ask where Mexican Wedding Cookies originated, you’ll more than likely hear Mexico.
An article from TravelTips explains that both of these answers may be incorrect. The ingredients and techniques of the cookies date back to medieval Arab cooking!
Are Pecan Sandies the Same as Snowball Cookies?
Yes! Pecan Sandies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Pecan Snowball Cookies are terms all used interchangeably when discussing a recipe very similar to this. Most Pecan Sandies Recipes will instruct you to form the cookies into a disk instead of a ball. However, the concept, texture and taste are normally very similar.
Pecan Snowball Cookies and Mexican Wedding Cookies are practically indistinguishable.
Ready for more festive baking? This ones a great kid recipe because you’re making Melted Snowman Cookies – so fun!
Did you like this recipe for Pecan Snowball Cookies? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes you’ll also love!:
- Sheqerpare: Albanian Shortbread Cookies
- Sables: Algerian Shortbread Cookies with Jam
- Alfajores: Argentinian Cookie Sandwiches with Dulce de Leche
- Maamoul: Bahraini Cookies with Date Filling
Pecan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups pecans, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use an electric mixer to cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix again.
- Sift together flour and salt. Stir into the butter mixer.
- Use a wooden spoon to mix in pecans. Dough will be crumbly, like sand, but you should be able to form it into balls.
- Form the cookies into balls about 1 inch across. They will not grow or spread in the oven, so whatever size you form them is the size they will stay. Put the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- Once cooled, dust cookies with powdered sugar and enjoy
- Note: Cookies should hold their shape and be similar to a shortbread texture.
Notes
- Pecans: I love the pecans that are featured in this recipe! The original recipe from my grandmother called for 4 cups of pecans instead of 2, so that the cookies could also be rolled in pecans. If you’d like to add more pecans than what this blog post calls for, you are welcome to do so! I used pre-minced pecans, but you can also chop them in a nut chopper.
- Butter: This recipe is best with unsalted, softened butter. I always use unsalted butter for baking as it is much easier to control the salt concentration in the cookie that way. Make sure to leave your butter out on the counter for a few hours before baking so that it can soften to room temperature.
- I love this recipe for Pecan Snowball Cookies because I absolutely love Pecans! However, some recipes for Mexican Wedding Cookies (another name for this recipe) call for almonds instead! You can use whatever type of nut sounds good to you. Other great options are hazelnuts or even chopped up macadamia nuts.
- The original version of this recipe from my grandmother includes 2 extra cups of pecans to roll the cookies in. I ended up cutting out this portion of the recipe, as I found that the dough was a little to dry to allow the pecans to stick. However, if you would like to roll the dough in additional pecans, chop up an additional cup or so, and you can!
- Want to make the flavoring of this cookie even more exciting? Change up the type of extract you use! Don’t want to use vanilla? Try Almond Extract, Vanilla Butternut Flavoring, or anything else that sounds delicious to you!
Cindy Hicks says
These cookies were my favorite Christmas cookies — and still are! This recipe brings back so many fond memories of my mom’s ‘ pecan sandies!’ That’s what we called them. From now on this will be my go to pecan sandies or Christmas snowballs recipe! Thank you for bringing back those great memories!
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Hi Cindy, I love when my recipes bring back good memories for my readers! This recipe was my grandmother’s so it is special and nostalgic to me, too 🙂 I hope you enjoy them!