My gluten-free Mexican Wedding Cookies are a classic Christmas cookie that you can enjoy during the holidays even if you have a variety of food allergies. We like them so much we make them all year long.
Easy Paleo Christmas Cookie Recipe
I decided to create this easy paleo cookie recipe after one of my fans reached out on Twitter and asked me to create a Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe. Well here you go! These Mexican Wedding Cookies are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and refined sugar-free. With only 8 healthy ingredients they’re also quick and easy to make. Paleo Mexican Wedding Cookies? Yes please!
What are Mexican Wedding Cookies?
According to Wikipedia, Mexican Wedding Cookies have quite a few other names and are also commonly referred to as Russian Tea Cakes and Snowball Cookies:
Russian tea cake is a kind of pastry, commonly eaten around Christmas in the United States. It is a form of jumble, a pastry common in England during the Middle Ages. Also known as Mexican wedding cakes and butterballs, they are perhaps most commonly called snowball cookies for their powdery white spherical appearance and for appearing around the winter holidays.
Easy Homemade Christmas Gifts
These paleo Mexican Wedding cookies are a wonderful homemade Christmas gift. If you like making holiday gifts, rather than buying them, you’ll want to check out my post on How to Make Homemade Christmas Gifts which is full of healthy paleo cookie and candy recipes for Christmas as well as recipes for organic all-natural beauty care items such as homemade lip balm, and so much more!
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ⅛ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons palm shortening
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- ½ cup powdered coconut sugar
Instructions
- In a food processor combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda
- Pulse in shortening, honey, and vanilla
- Mix in pecans by hand
- Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop, scoop dough out in scant tablespoons
- Use your hands to form cookies into balls, pressing very firmly
- Bake at 350°F for 7-10 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes
- Dip cookies into powdered coconut sugar
- Serve
Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe Tips
When you make these paleo Christmas cookies, press the dough into balls very firmly so they don’t fall apart after they are baked, this is an important step so do not skip it! Also be sure to form scant tablespoon sized balls so that the cookies are bite sized and so that you get the correct yield.
To stick to the classic version of this recipe, roll the cookies in powdered sugar instead of coconut sugar. To make the powdered coconut sugar called for in this recipe simply whiz your regular coconut sugar up in a vitamix or coffee grinder. I make a cup or so at a time and store my powdered coconut sugar in a glass mason jar. I find that homemade powdered coconut sugar keeps for at least a few weeks when stored this way.
Low-Carb Mexican Wedding Cookie Recipe
If you can tolerate xylitol, although most people with gut and digestive issues cannot, you can make powdered xylitol sugar using the method outlined above for the powdered coconut sugar and dip your gluten-free Mexican Wedding Cookies in powdered xylitol sugar. If you’re on a low-carb diet you’ll definitely want to check out my Low-Carb Recipes page!
More Paleo Christmas Cookie Recipes
Below are some of my favorite gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and refined sugar-free holiday cookie recipes!
This post is an oldie but goodie from the archives. I first published this recipe in 2013.
Jane says
Thank you Elana! You read my mind when you posted this recipe. I will definitely be making these cookies soon. One of the classics I miss are madeleines… :)
Elana says
Thanks Jane!
diana says
Mexican wedding cookies: any idea how they would turn out if i substituted the same quantity of olive oil for the shortening?
Karyn says
Having just made these with butter – I think the olive oil would not help the dough hold together well enough and it would impart a strong flavor. Butter or solid coconut oil may work though. I have substituted both in Elana’s different recipes when vegan shortening was called for with good success.
diane says
the kind you press your thumb in and add preserves
Elana says
Here you go Diane!
https://elanaspantry.com/raspberry-thumbprint-cookies/
Enjoy!
Elana
Darlene says
Elana,
I was so excited to see your recipe for Mexican wedding cookies….it was my Mother’s favorite. I cant wait to try them. I have a recipe for green Christmas tree cookies I would love for you to convert to Paleo. I will need to send you the recipe.
Darlene says
The ingredients for Christmas tree cookies are:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp green veg. food coloring(yuk)
Cream shortening, sugar.
Add egg, sifted dry ingredients, flavoring, and food coloring.
Mix well.
Fill cookie press and forn onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min.
Thanks again.
Darlene
Elana says
Darlene, you may be able to use this recipe to make a paleo version of your Christmas Tree Cookie recipe:
https://elanaspantry.com/star-cookies/
Enjoy!
Elana
Connie says
Favorite Christmas cookies:
Czechoslovakian Jam Squares (bar cookies/shortbread cookie base)
Cranberry Cookies/Light Frosting
Carrot Cookies/Orange Frosting
Pumpkin Cookies/Maple Icing
Date Bread
Elana says
Thanks Connie, here’s the link to my Pumpkin Cookies for you:
https://elanaspantry.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/
And here’s a link to my Date Bread:
https://elanaspantry.com/paleo-date-walnut-bread/
Enjoy!
Elana
Anna says
I can’t wait to make these for my Mexican roommate! Thanks so much for the recipe.
I’d love to see a paleo version of czech vanilkove rohlicky.
Elana says
Thanks Anna!
claudia says
I wonder why they are called Mexican wedding cookies. I’m Mexican and I have never eaten them in a wedding, hahaha.
Elana says
Claudia, that is a very good question!
Megan says
Thank you so much for posting just in time. I was looking for a gluten/sugar free recipe for this the other day as its an all time favorite of mine. One recipe I would love to know how to make gluten/sugar free would be molasses cookies as well. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this site and helping others. Its an inspiration!
Sue says
I’ve made these many times using molasses instead of yacon and coconut oil instead of grapeseed and they’re lovely.
https://elanaspantry.com/molasses-spice-cookies/
Diane Orr says
THANK YOU! This is one of my favorites of all time….thought i’d have to give it up! :)
Elana says
You’re welcome Diane!
Heidi says
These look so good! Thank you so much for sharing all of your work, Elana and then asking for cookie requests… You are amazing!
I’m going to echo the requests for spritz, tie plates and add one more…genetti Italian cookies. Please?
Elana says
Thanks Heidi!