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.
Christine says
Hi Elana, I’ve been trying to paleo friendly many of my faves from my old Betty Crocker Cooky Book. I tried converting Russian Tea Cakes and Peanut Butter Cookies last night. This morning I went in search for some help and checked here.
First, the Russian Tea Cakes. I converted the recipe using Almond Flour, coconut sugar and ghee. What I found is that because of the oil from the Almond Flour, I needed a whole lot less of the butter. The first few batches were actually melting away on the pan. Flavor is very good, but they are rather cake like/soft and chewy, not crisp and crunchy as when they are made with original recipe. What should I do to fix this? Do you think it would make a difference using Coconut Flour?
Second, Peanut Butter Cookies. I converted the recipe using Sun Butter, almond flour, coconut sugar and ghee. What I found is that you cannot make the criss crosses :( The sun butter has runnier consistency than peanut butter, so this combined with the butter and almond flour seemed to make them too creamy. I had to increase the almond flour by a half cup and could not follow the time and temp. The first two batches were burnt to crisps. I ended up lowering the temp to 350 and only cooking for 6 minutes. Again, the flavor is very good, but cake like and chewy. What would you suggest for me to crisp these up?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Christine
Elana says
Christine, thanks for your questions! As I mentioned above, these Mexican Wedding Cookies are the same as Russian Tea Cakes, so you’re good to go with this recipe. Here’s my recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies:
https://elanaspantry.com/vegan-peanut-butter-cookies/
Enjoy!
Elana
Amanda says
These are DELICIOUS. just made them and am going to the store to get ingredients for a second batch. They are going to be a hit!
Elana says
Thanks Amanda!
Julie says
Hi Beautiful Elana,
I’m wondering if I can use coconut oil instead of veg shortening? Have you ever tried that before vegan shortening? I wanted to make that for Xmas day look so yummy. Thanks
Happy Holidays to you & your family!
Julie :-)
Elana says
Julie, thanks for your lovely comment! I haven’t tried that so not sure. If you do please let us know how it goes :-)
jacqueline says
Hi Elana
Love your recipes!!!
Could you create a recipe for ‘Mince Pies’ they are a must have in England over the holidays and I really miss them
thank you :)
Jacqueline
Elana says
Hi Jacqueline, I will add that to my list :-)
Robin says
This recipe is delicious! I have made these cookies twice now, because they disappear so fast. Thank you so much for providing high-quality gluten-free cookie recipes. I was feeling really overwhelmed at the thought of trying to convert my traditional cookie recipes into gluten-free versions that my daughter and I could eat. I was actually thinking of skipping the Christmas cookie baking entirely this year, until a friend told me about your website.
Elana says
Robin, I’m so happy to hear that this recipe is delicious!
Emily says
I just made these with my 6 year old son and they are DELICIOUS! We followed the recipe using palm shortening and then only used a little bit of the powdered coconut sugar (not even close to 1/2 cup) and they were plenty sweet. We used pecans that I had soaked and dehydrated. This was SO easy – we’ll definitely be making them again! Thank you!
Elana says
Emily, I’m so happy to hear these are DELICIOUS!
Jen Mathew says
So fantastic. Thanks for doing this! Love mexican wedding cakes, but wanted to make them less allergenic. I will have to tweak the almond flour out and sub something else in, but the recipe is great. Some of our favorite Christmas cookie traditions are: springerle (German); feffernuise (German); Chococolate Chip Cherry Cookies (Alsaice Lorraine); Gingerbread (German); Anise Cookies (French?); Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs; Fudge; and Macaroons
Elana says
Thanks Jen!
Carrie says
These look fantastic! I can’t wait to try them!
I don’t have a holiday cookie suggestion, but I was wondering if you’ve heard of povitica? The Croatian side of my family makes it every holiday season – it’s basically a bready pastry that is slathered in a sweet, chopped walnut mixture then rolled into a “log” shape and baked. It’s crazy delicious and is the one holiday treat I haven’t been able to find a substitute for since going grain free. Would be thrilled if you made a paleo version!
Thanks and love your website!
~Carrie
Elana says
Thanks Carrie!
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Elena! I made something you would be SO PROUD OF!! Made of coconut flour and flaxmeal! I cannot wait to share it, but I have yet to post it :) You’re inspiring me to BAKE – as I am soooo not a baker!
Elana says
Thanks GiGi!
Jess says
These look amazing! And bring back such happy memories… I am going to add a lil cinnamon to the powdered coconut sugar similar to how we used to eat them.
Thanks for the recipe Elana!
Elana says
You’re welcome Jess!