Gluten Free Mexican Wedding Cookies

These gluten free mexican wedding cookies are buttery, nutty, and coated in a thick layer of powdered sugar. They practically melt in your mouth with every bite.

If you’ve been missing classic wedding cookies since going gluten free, this recipe is for you. They taste just as good as the original version, and nobody will be able to tell the difference.

The base is simple – butter, powdered sugar, a gluten free flour blend, and toasted pecans. That’s really all it takes to make these little snowball cookies.

They come out of the oven slightly soft and tender, then get rolled in powdered sugar twice for that signature snowy white coating.

These are perfect for holiday cookie trays, gift boxes, or just snacking on with a cup of coffee. Let me show you how to make them.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Buttery Texture – These cookies are impossibly tender and crumbly and literally melt on your tongue with every single bite.

Nobody Will Know They Are Gluten Free – The rich butter and toasted pecans make these taste identical to the classic version everyone loves.

That Double Powdered Sugar Coating – Rolling them twice creates a thick snowy layer that looks stunning and adds the perfect sweetness.

Toasted Pecans Make All the Difference – The warm nutty flavor from toasted pecans gives these cookies a depth that is hard to resist.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (plus 1 cup more for rolling)
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
• 2 cups Gluten Free 1:1 Flour Blend
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Toasted Pecans
• 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and the 1/2 cup of powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract until combined.

Step 3

Add the gluten free flour blend and fine sea salt and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Fold in the toasted pecans until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Step 4

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. These cookies do not spread much so they can be placed relatively close together.

Step 5

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until the bottoms are lightly golden but the tops remain pale. The cookies will feel slightly soft but will firm up as they cool.

Step 6

Place the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for just 5 minutes until they are still warm but can be handled. Roll each warm cookie in the powdered sugar until generously coated.

Step 7

Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack, then roll them in the powdered sugar a second time for a thick, snowy white coating.

My Tips

Toast the Pecans Yourself

If you buy pre-toasted pecans, they’re often unevenly done or stale. Toasting them yourself takes 5-7 minutes in a 350 degree oven and makes a huge difference in flavor.

Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and watch them closely. They go from perfect to burnt fast. You’ll smell a warm, nutty aroma right when they’re ready.

Let them cool completely before chopping and adding them to the dough. If they’re still warm, they can soften the butter too much and make the dough greasy.

Chop the Pecans Really Fine

You want the pecans chopped into very small pieces, almost like coarse sand. Big chunks will make the dough hard to roll into smooth balls and the cookies will crack and fall apart.

A food processor works great for this. Just pulse a few times until the pieces are tiny but not turned into a paste. If you go too far you’ll get pecan butter, which will change the whole texture of the cookie.

Make Sure Your Butter Is Properly Softened

The butter should be soft enough that you can press your finger into it and leave a dent, but it shouldn’t be shiny or melty. If it’s too cold, the dough will be crumbly and hard to shape.

If it’s too warm or partially melted, the cookies will spread and won’t hold that nice round ball shape. Leave the butter on the counter for about 45 minutes to an hour before you start.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Butter Pecan Cookies
• Gluten Free Classic Shortbread Cookies
• Gluten Free Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
• Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake
• Gluten Free Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread

FAQ

Why do you roll the cookies in powdered sugar twice?

The first roll while the cookies are still warm lets the powdered sugar melt slightly and stick to the surface, creating a base layer. The second roll after they have cooled completely adds that thick, snowy white coating that these cookies are famous for.

If you only roll them once, the sugar tends to absorb into the cookie and almost disappear. That double roll is what gives them their signature look and extra sweetness.