Top 10 Mexican Cookies: From Wedding to Polvorones

Whether you’re baking for Christmas, for a birthday party, or because you’re in the mood for some delicious treats, we have the perfect Mexican cookie recipe for you!

Some of the recipes below are traditionally for certain holidays. For example, Mexican Wedding Cookies are most popular during the Christmas holiday season, whereas Day of the Dead Cookies are, of course, a recipe for El Día de los Muertos.

But if you ask me, whatever the day or the season, Mexican cookies are always a good idea!

Top 10 Mexican Cookies

I’m not big on store-bought cookies, but fresh baked cookies are definitely a weakness of mine. There’s really no comparison! And in roughly the same amount of time as it takes to go to the store to buy cookies, you can make amazing homemade cookies from scratch! Seriously!

Most of these recipes are pretty easy to prepare and require the usual suspects: parchment paper, a wire rack, and cookie sheet. But don’t fret! Even if it’s your first time baking cookies, these recipes will walk you through the process, step-by-step.

1. Mexican Wedding Cookies 

Mexican Wedding Cookies on a plate — Mexican Wedding Cookies, the most popular cookie from Mexico. Photo by Flavor Mosaic

Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, room-temperature butter, chopped pecans, almond extract, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar.

If you’ve seen our list of Italian Christmas Cookies, you may recall that Italians make a wedding cookie that shares a common origin with its Mexican cousin. So, it will be no surprise that this Mexican cookie recipe will have some similarities with the Italian version.

What might surprise you is that even though these tasty treats are a traditional element of wedding celebrations south of the border, they are also the most popular Mexican Christmas Cookies.

The shared common origin entwines not only the Italians and Mexicans. It’s also the reason that, although traditional Mexican Wedding Cookies are the #1 favorite holiday cookie in Mexico, they are also made in many other countries and go by many different names.

In fact, Italian Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, and Snowball Cookies are all variations of the same delectable goody. All are melt-in-your-mouth cookies made of 1-inch buttery dough balls with a nutty flavor covered in powdered sugar. No wonder they’re so popular!
Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

BONUS: Coconut Mexican Wedding Cookies 

a plate of Coconut Mexican Wedding Cookies — Coconut Mexican Wedding Cookies. Photo by Midwexican

Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, unsweetened flaked coconut, unsalted butter, chopped walnuts, coconut extract, and confectioners’ sugar.

This one is a spinoff of the classic Mexican Wedding Cookies recipe. There are actually lots of spinoffs using different nuts, but since I love coconut, I like to switch off between the original recipe and this one.

If you’re looking to make Christmas cookies, I’d give the nod to Coconut Wedding Cookies. They look even more like snowballs to me than the traditional style.
Coconut Mexican Wedding Cookies Recipe

2. Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies

Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, softened butter, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, egg, vanilla extract, and dulce de leche.

I’ll admit, I thought Dulce de Leche Cookies were going to be difficult and time consuming; I was wrong! These Mexican cookies take only about 30 minutes to make in total!

The secret: You can buy creamy dulce de leche caramel at the grocery store! No melting sugar at high heat forever is necessary!

The caramel is sandwiched between two cinnamon cookies (think Snickerdoodle) to make a beautiful addition to any cookie platter.  
Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies Recipe

3. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, chocolate chips, softened butter, brown sugar, sugar, a room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, espresso powder, cayenne pepper, and mini marshmallows.

I am a big fan of Mexican hot chocolate, so these sweet cookies, complete with mini marshmallows, are winners in my book! Each bite of Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies contains a delightful mix of cocoa, cinnamon, and cayenne.

Best of all, they’re not just for wintertime. Your taste buds will appreciate them year-round.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe

4. Concha Spice Christmas Cookies

Concha cookies resemble concha bread — Concha Cookies resemble Concha Bread. Photo by Good Grief Cook

Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, ancho chili powder, and unsalted butter.

If you’re looking for a unique option for a cookie exchange or a holiday cookie plate, these Concha Spice Christmas Cookies will fill the bill nicely.

If you’ve had the traditional Concha Bread found in every Mexican bakery in Mexico as well as the U.S., you may be wondering how Concha Cookies compare. In a nutshell, they’re way better—much more moist and flavorful.
Concha Spice Christmas Cookies Recipe

5. Mexican Pink Sugar Cookies

Stacks of Mexican Pink Cookies — Mexican Pink Cookies always stand out on a cookie platter. Photo by The Monday Box

Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, butter-flavored vegetable shortening, sugar, large egg, vanilla extract, baking powder, and pink food-coloring gel.

In Mexico, Mexican Pink Cookies are known as Polvorones Rosas. Their pink hue symbolizes joy and festivity, making them a staple treat at weddings, quinceañeras, and various other celebrations.  

Not overly sweet, Polvorones Rosas have a crispiness and are one of the lighter cookies on our list. During Christmastime, some bakers like to make a portion of the cookie dough green. 
Mexican Pink Sugar Cookies Recipe

6. Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Main Ingredients: All-purpose flour, softened butter, sugar, Hershey cocoa powder, ancho chile powder, cinnamon, black pepper, and vanilla extract.

Picture a yummy buttery cookie, add chocolate, cinnamon, and chile flavors, and you’ll have Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.

This recipe calls for silicone baking mats. If you don’t have them, use a parchment-lined baking sheet. The recipe also calls for a fluted round cookie cutter, but, of course, you can make any shape you’d like. 
Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe

7. Mexican Mazapan

Main Ingredients: unsalted peanuts, powdered sugar.

In case you’re wondering whether I left off a bunch of ingredients, I did not. This Mexican Mazapan recipe only requires two items!

And please note, this is Mazapan made from peanuts, not Marzipan made from almonds. The distinction will be obvious from your first bite. 

A favorite holiday treat in Mexico, Mazapan is usually categorized as a candy. But this recipe makes them look like a cookie, so they’ve earned a spot on this list—and not just because I love peanutty sweets. Plus, they are so simple to make!
Mexican Mazapan Recipe

8. Mexican Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, softened butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Cinnamon is popular in the cookies of Mexico, and it’s the star ingredient of this recipe for Polvorones de Canela. These cookies have a light crumbly texture similar to that of shortbread.

If you love to decorate cookies, these are a great choice, especially if you want to add food coloring to make cookies in different colors. Red and green cookies are a no-brainer for December.

Or, keep your dough uncolored and use colored sugar for the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. Grab your rolling pin and favorite cookie cutter and have fun!
Mexican Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Recipe

9. Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies  

Fresh-baked Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, Mexican chocolate drinking tablets, semi-sweet chocolate chips, brown sugar, softened butter, egg, cinnamon, and vanilla extract

When it comes to classic cookies, chocolate chip has got to top the list. I know when I think about eating fresh-baked warm cookies, that’s what I picture.

Well, hold on: This Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe kicks it up a notch. Picture those same cookies with a hint of cinnamon and chunks of Mexican chocolate—mmmmmm.
Mexican Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

10. Day of The Dead Cookies

Day of the Dead Cookies in the shape of Pan de Muerta — Day of the Dead Cookies in the shape of Pan de Muerto

Main ingredients: All-purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, soy milk, orange zest, orange blossom water, aquafaba, and vegan butter.

Day of the Dead Cookies, or Galletas de Pan de Muerto, are the cookie version of one of the most traditional Day of the Dead foods, Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead).

These cookies are a festive addition to altars, make thoughtful gifts, and serve as a great dessert if you’re celebrating the day with tamales and/or mole.  
Day of the Dead Cookies Recipe 

Mexican Cookie Recipe Tips

Cookies are probably not the first food you think about when you hear Mexican cuisine. Most likely it’s the tacos that are an essential element of Mexico City street food, the mole and other irresistible foods from Oaxaca, or perhaps even a specialty from Yucatan. But as you now know, Mexico has a cookie perfect for every occasion.

In this article, we chose easy-to-follow recipes from expert bakers to share with you. But there are a few tips I’ve learned in my kitchen that will help with any cookie recipe.

Salted Butter vs Unsalted Butter

Can you switch salted butter for unsalted butter in cookie recipes? Yes. If you use salted butter, just cut down on or eliminate the salt called for elsewhere in the recipe.

And vice versa: If you use unsalted butter in a recipe that calls for salted butter, just add a quarter teaspoon of salt for every cup of butter.

Measuring Ingredients

Baking is a science, and for the best results, most of the ingredients should be measured exactly. Especially baking powder and baking soda, which, btw, are not interchangeable.

However, certain ingredients can be adjusted, especially those used for flavoring. For instance, substituting a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a teaspoon of anise extract, or even anise seed, will change the flavor but not the texture or baking science of the recipe.

Mixing Ingredients

A general rule of thumb is to start by adding your wet ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, and have a separate bowl for dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients. Too much flour at once will make it harder to mix and can make the cookie dough lumpy.

Stand Mixer vs Electric Mixer vs Food Processor 

An electric mixer and stand mixer with paddle attachment are essentially the same thing. Most of these Mexican cookie recipes will recommend the stand mixer, but if you don’t have one, the next best choice is a standard electric mixer.

Food Processors, on the other hand, are for chopping and grinding, not mixing.