How to Make a Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookie

If you love classic Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, or Snowball Cookies, you are going to love this chocolate almond version. These little Chocolate Mexican Wedding Cookies have the same buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture you expect from a wedding cookie, but with rich chocolate and almonds in every bite.

For the love of “Wedding” Cookies…

Maybe you call them Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Snowballs, or something completely different. They may even have a different type of nut in them. Whatever you call them, you probably know exactly the cookie I mean.

I usually make the traditional white version during the winter because, once they are rolled in powdered sugar, they look just like little snowballs. They are such a pretty Christmas cookie, especially when piled onto a cookie tray.

But chocolate? Yes, please!

If you love chocolate like me, that is just one more reason to add these to your Christmas Baking!

These Chocolate Almond Wedding Cookies are buttery, chocolatey, and tender with just the right amount of crunch from the chopped almonds. They are made without eggs, which gives them that classic shortbread style texture.

And they should melt in your mouth.

That is important because nobody wants a dry wedding cookie. I’ve had plenty of cookies that look beautiful but are so dry you need a glass of milk just to get through one. That’s not what we’re going for here!

A good wedding cookie should be buttery, tender, and delicate. The powdered sugar coating makes them even sweeter, while the cocoa adds a rich chocolate flavor without making the cookie overly sweet.

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Almond Cookies

• Butter: Butter gives these cookies their rich flavor and delicate texture. Since butter is such an important part of the recipe, I recommend using a good-quality butter.
• Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar helps keep the cookies tender and gives them their classic wedding cookie texture.
• Unsweetened cocoa: I use Dutch-process cocoa for a rich chocolate flavor and deep color.
• Flour: All-purpose flour works well for this recipe.
• Salt: Just a little salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds another layer of flavor to the cookies.
• Almond extract: A small amount of almond extract brings out the flavor of the chopped almonds.
• Almonds: Finely chopped almonds give the cookies a little texture and that classic nutty flavor

For the Chocolate Sugar Coating

• Powdered sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa

Mixing cocoa with the powdered sugar gives these cookies their pretty chocolate coating and adds another little hit of chocolate flavor.

A Chocolate Twist on a Classic Christmas Cookie

If you already love Mexican Wedding Cookies or Snowball Cookies, this chocolate version is such a fun change.

They look beautiful on a Christmas cookie platter, but honestly, you don’t need to wait for the holidays to make them. They’re just as good with a cup of coffee or tea any time you are craving a little chocolate.

Best of all, they have that classic buttery, melt in your mouth texture that makes wedding cookies so hard to resist

Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Wedding Cookies

• No eggs needed
• Buttery, tender shortbread texture
• Rich chocolate flavor from unsweetened cocoa
• Chopped almonds add a little crunch
• Rolled in chocolate powdered sugar for even more flavor
• Perfect for Christmas cookie trays and holiday baking
• Easy to make ahead and freeze

 

Snowballs: The original Mexican Wedding Cookies, “Wedding Cookies“

I even made “Pumpkin Wedding Cookies” they didn’t need to be rolled in anything they were so pretty on their own.

How to Make Chocolate Almond Wedding Cookies

First, beat the butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa together until well combined.

Next, mix in the flour and salt. Then add the vanilla, almond extract, and chopped almonds. Mix until everything is incorporated and a soft cookie dough forms.

Roll the dough into approximately 1 tablespoon sized balls and place them on a baking sheet.

Bake at 325°F for about 15 minutes. You don’t want to overbake these cookies because that can make them dry instead of tender.

Once you have taken the cookies from the oven, let them cool for about 5 minutes.

After that, gently roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar and cocoa mixture.

Let the cookies cool enough so you can touch them, but warm enough to be able to hold onto the cocoa.

Then roll them in the chocolate powdered sugar mixture a second time. That second coating gives them that beautiful snowy, chocolatey finish.

The Secret to Tender Wedding Cookies

The biggest thing to remember is don’t overbake them.

These cookies aren’t supposed to be crisp like a traditional chocolate chip cookie. They should be delicate and buttery with a tender shortbread texture.

Also, don’t skip the second coating of powdered sugar and cocoa. Once the cookies have completely cooled, the first coating can disappear into the cookie a little. Rolling them again gives you that pretty finished look and extra sweetness.