Crisp, buttery pecan cookies coated in delicious powdered "sugar," but healthier! These sugar-free Mexican Wedding Cookies are keto, paleo and vegan! (No dairy, gluten, eggs or sugar.) This quick and EASY method takes just minutes.
Jump to Recipe
What are Mexican Wedding Cookies?
Mexican Wedding Cookies actually go by several different names! You may have heard them called Snowball Cookies, Pecan Snowballs or Russian Tea Cakes. But whatever you call them, they are absolutely scrumptious.
Buttery light and crisp cookies filled with little pieces of pecans and coated in powdered sugar! They remind me of a mix of shortbread or butter cookies, pecan sandies, and powdered donuts all in one.
These are nutty, firm, and dense-- NOT soft or chewy like many of my other keto cookie recipes. They are so satisfying and quite filling (I can usually only have 1 or 2 at most!) And the powdery coating is the "icing on the cake," ha! So good!
These pecan-filled treats are very popular around the holidays and make a wonderful addition to a cookie swap or Christmas dessert table! They are also perfect to give as a gift to a friend or family member who is keto.
Recipe Makeover!
You know I love a good recipe makeover. Making desserts healthier by replacing sugar is what I do best! And that's exactly what I'm so excited about in this transformation.
Traditional Mexican wedding cookie recipes have cups and CUPS of sugar and white flour. And one cookie alone can have 8-12 carbs ... just for one! This healthier "Pretty Pies" version has just TWO net carbs each. YAY!
Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites
The Quick & Easy Method
Making this cookie dough is SUPER simple. I used a food processor so that it's perfectly combined in just a few presses of a button -- less than 5 minutes!
I have been using this food processor for almost 6 or 7 years now and it has held up great. You can't go wrong with Cuisinart!
If you don't have a food processor, don't worry! You can also use a stand mixer or hand mixer to combine the dough. And you can blend in the pecans by pulsing them in a small blender OR placing them in a zip-top bag and crushing them with a heavy rolling pin or the like. Just try to make somewhat uniform small pecan bits.
Make the process easier, too, by using a cookie scoop for the balls of dough. That way they'll be uniform in size and cook evenly. But it's also a time-saver. I LOVE my cookie scoops! One of my most used kitchen gadgets.
How to Make Healthy Wedding Cookies
Follow these simple steps to make these delicious cookies:
- Preheat oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
- Toast your pecans in a skillet (optional but highly recommended)
- Add your dry ingredients into a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients. Pulse again to form cookie dough.
- Add pecans and pulse again.
- Scoop and roll smooth.
- Bake until firm to the touch.
- Roll in powdered "sugar" mix.
- Enjoy!
See the recipe card below for the full recipe in detail.
Simple Ingredients
These cookies are made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand:
- Almond Flour
- Pecans
- Monkfruit/Erythritol
- Coconut Oil
- Tapioca Flour
- Pink Himalayan Salt
The Best Powdered Sugar Replacement
Lakanto Powdered Monkfruit (Erythritol blend) is my go-to for sugar-free treats like powdered sugar donuts, and frosting. It has all these benefits and MORE:
- ZERO net carbs
- Zero calories
- No strange aftertaste
- Tastes like real powdered sugar
- Acts just like real powdered sugar
- Measures 1:1
- Available on Amazon
How to Make Homemade Sugar-Free Powdered Sugar (Monkfruit/Erythritol)
Add classic graunlated Lakanto monkfruit/erythritol to a small blender and blend until powdered. It only takes about 30 seconds or less! So easy. Measure out the amount needed after blending.
Ingredient Substitutions
Almond flour can be substituted with other nut or seed flours such as pumpkin seed flour (for nut free.)
Do *not* use coconut flour as it's extremely dry and requires eggs and liquid to even be edible.
If you're not a fan of coconut oil (even refined/tasteless oil, or buttery flavor coconut oil which would be amazing!) then you can use softened butter/dairy-free butter or palm oil. These are all solid (saturated) oils. I haven't tried with a liquid oil, but those may be fine, too.
To substitute tapioca flour, use another starch such as arrowroot, or corn starch. I recommend using a lighter ingredient for optimal texture, but in a pinch, more almond flour may work too.
Why Tapioca Flour?
I use tapioca flour in this recipe and others such as cakes, scones, breads and donuts to help with the texture-- to balance the heaviness of almond flour with a lighter "flour" blend so it more closely mimics a traditional baked good.
I also use tapioca flour to create a powdered coating that's not too sweet. I have found that sugar-free sweeteners such as powdered monkfruit/erythritol are too sweet on their own and can be overpowering.
Cutting the sweetener with a little tapioca flour makes a perfectly powdery coating that's light and just the right amount of sweetness. Especially since I like to have a nice thick(ish) coating of powder and not just a barely visible dusting that you can't really taste.
Is Tapioca Flour OK for Keto?
This may be a controversial ingredient to some with strict views since it is a "high carb" ingredient, but I take the perspective that it is totally fine in moderation. We are only using a few tablespoons of it in the entire recipe (spread out over 18 cookies.) The carbs per serving are still very low at just over 2 net, and IMO that makes the recipe still keto-friendly.
Sweetener Swap
Lakanto classic granulated monkfruit (erythritol) helps to create a crispness in these cookies. But if you need a substitute, you may be able to substitute other sugar-free granulated and powdered sweeteners such as Swerve (erythritol) or possibly Besti brand allulose/monkfruit blend. I have not tried any other sweeteners, so I can't say for sure how they will turn out.
If you're not low-carb, use coconut sugar or regular sugar (granulated and powdered).
Helpful Tips for Best Taste
Tip 1: I recommend toasting your pecans for the best nutty pecan flavor. Toasting makes the pecans more crisp, more aromatic, and so much more delicious, IMO. It brings out the natural flavor and elevates these cookies to a WOW flavor.
I tried them without toasting and they were okay.. but I LOVE them so much more with toasted pecans. It really does make a difference. You can toast the pecans while you make the cookie dough. Just keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
Tip 2: Do not overbake these cookies or they will be too crunchy or dry. At 20-22 minutes, use your finger to test the doneness of the cookies by gently pressing the top. When they feel set or firm to the touch and don't "give" they are done.
Tip 3: Don't leave out the tapioca flour. You may be hesitant to add a starch if you're low-carb/keto- I get it. But it not only lightens up the interior texture of these cookies so they're not too heavy, it makes the powdered sugar coating by balancing the sweetness (see my tapioca flour notes above.)
How to Store
These stay fresh for quite a while at room temperature in an airtight container. Mine were still great after a week. They may even last even longer (10 or 14 days?), but my family and I gobbled them up!
Since these have no preservatives or additives, they don't stay fresh as long as store-bought cookies. But the fact that these are less moist makes their shelf-life a little longer than other freshly baked goods.
Side note: the powdered coating will somewhat change over time, almost becoming a semi-solid glaze. If you are making these for a special occasion, you can roll them in the powdered sugar mixture just before serving for the best powdery appearance and taste.
Can You Freeze These Cookies?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze these cookies for later. I recommend an airtight container such as a large zip-top bag or a glass container with a tight-fitting lid. They should stay fresh for at least a month if not two or three. Bring back to room temperature by setting them on the counter to thaw before enjoying.
More Healthy Cookie Recipes
Did you know I have LOTS of healthy cookie recipes on Pretty Pies? Here are some of the most popular sugar-free cookies that are perfect for the holiday baking season!
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Guilt-Free Oreos
- One Carb Snickerdoodles
- Soft Baked Pumpkin Cookies
If you make these Keto Mexican Wedding Cookies, be sure to leave a star rating and/or review! ENJOY!
Keto Mexican Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup fine almond flour
- 2 Tbs tapioca flour
- ¼ cup monkfruit granules
- 1/16 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 3 Tbs water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup toasted pecans
Powdered Coating
- ¼ cup homemade powdered monkfruit
- 1-2 Tbs tapioca flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Add flour, tapioca, monkfruit and salt to a food processor.
- Pulse to combine. Add oil, water and vanilla and pulse again.
- Add pecans and pulse until pecans are ground down to your desired consistency.
- Use a cookie scoop to place balls of dough on the baking sheet. Roll each ball smooth in your hands for smooth appearance.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes until firm on the outside. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then dip each cookie in powdered sweetener mix and turn to coat.
Holly
Hi
What size cookie scoop did you use to make these cookies?
Thank you!
Emily
A standard size 🙂 It’s a little over a Tablespoon
Holly
Thank you!
Lesa Gonzalez
Can I use carbalose instead of almond flour?
Emily
I’m sorry I’m not familiar with that product so I can’t say for sure. But maybe! It may need a little more or less water or oil.
Teresa Backstrom
Can I substitute stevia for monkfruit? Erythritol isn't my friend.
Emily
Aw I’m sorry. Stevia is very concentrated (you only need like 1/8 teaspoon for the whole batch) and needs something added to make up for the lack of volume.
What I would try is pure stevia extract in the cookie “dough” + 1 or 2 Tbs ground flaxseed or almond flour.
For the powdered “sugar” coating, use powdered allulose/monkfruit (Besti brand) which is erythritol-free. I have a discount for Besti products (use code PRETTYPIES)
Hope that helps! Let me know if you need the links
Renee
what size cookie scoop do you recommend for this recipe?
thanks
Emily
A standard scoop (about 1.5 Tbs)
Renee Bushor
Thank you!
Lydia
Can I substitute cornstarch for the tapioca flour? I cannot have tapioca 🙁
Emily
Yes I think that would work fine