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Also known as Polvorones, Snowball Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, or Butter Balls, whatever you call them, sourdough Mexican wedding cookies are a classic recipe for the holiday season, but with a sourdough twist!
These Sourdough Mexican Wedding Cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth treat, buttery and sweetened with powdered sugar—perfect for any Christmas cookie tray. The addition of sourdough discard imparts a subtle tang, while chopped nuts bring a delightful crunch and texture to these rich, shortbread-like cookies.
Sourdough Snowball Cookies stand out because they’re made without eggs or granulated sugar in the dough. Instead, just six simple ingredients come together to create a light and airy sweet treat.
For added crunch and texture, fold in chopped nuts! While walnuts are my personal favorite, pecans are also a festive and delicious choice during the holiday season.
Once baked, roll these buttery cookies in powdered sugar two times. The confectioner’s sugar makes these the perfect holiday cookies as they look like little snowballs.
These cookies will melt in your mouth! Shortbread cookies are full of delicious buttery and sugary sweetness and they are the perfect Christmas cookies. Watch them disappear from your holiday cookie trays!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Only 6 Ingredients
Holiday shopping can be overwhelming, but this recipe keeps it simple! With just six basic pantry staples, you can whip up a batch of delicious cookies without running all over the store.
One-Bowl Recipe
No need for a stand mixer or a ton of gadgets! All you need is a medium bowl and a hand mixer to make these cookies. It’s as easy as it gets!
Classic Christmas Cookie
Each cookie is coated in a dusting of powdered sugar, giving them the look of freshly packed snowballs—perfect for any holiday cookie tray!
Great for Using Up Sourdough Discard
If you’ve got extra sourdough discard hanging out in your fridge, this recipe is the perfect way to put it to good use without any waste.
Customizable
Want to make these cookies your own? You can! Enjoy them with or without chopped nuts, or swap them out for mini chocolate chips. For a festive twist, try adding crushed peppermint candy canes to the dough. The possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – Be sure to measure the flour properly. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife. Too much flour can make the cookies dry and crumbly.
- Powdered Sugar – This recipe uses powdered (confectioners’) sugar in both the dough and as a coating, giving the cookies their signature sweet, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Unsalted Butter – Let the butter come to room temperature for easier mixing and a smooth dough.
- Vanilla – I prefer vanilla extract, but feel free to use any vanilla you have on hand.
- Sourdough Discard – Use unfed sourdough starter (discard) that’s no older than 2 weeks for the best results. Need your own sourdough starter? Buy your own dehydrated sourdough starter here!
- Salt – A pinch of salt helps to balance out the sweetness of these cookies.
- Chopped Nuts (optional) – Walnuts are my favorite, but feel free to experiment with pecans, macadamia nuts, or ground almonds. If you have a nut allergy or prefer nut-free cookies, simply skip the nuts altogether.
Cookie Variations
- For Chocolate Lovers – Instead of chopped nuts, try substituting 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips. For an extra special treat, wrap the dough around a Hershey’s Kiss before baking!
- For a Festive Twist – Stir in 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint candy canes or use holiday-colored sprinkles for a cheerful touch. You can also swap the vanilla extract for almond extract for a sweet, fruity flavor, or use peppermint extract for a more festive holiday feel.
Supplies
- Large Bowl
- Kitchen Scale (optional, but helpful)
- Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Wire Racks
How to Make Sourdough Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). - Prepare the Nuts
Chop the nuts by hand or use a food processor for a quick and even chop. - Cream the Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. - Add Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, salt, and chopped nuts (if using) to the bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all dry ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be crumbly, which is perfectly normal. - Shape the Dough
Use your hands or a cookie scoop to form the dough into smooth, round balls, about 2 inches wide (or roughly 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie). Gently press the dough together as you shape it—make sure there are no cracks in the ball for the best texture.This recipe should yield about 14-16 cookies. - Prepare for Baking
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. - Bake the Cookies
Bake in the preheated oven for 21-23 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies start to turn golden brown. It’s better to slightly underbake them than to overbake, so keep an eye on them. - Decorate with Powdered Sugar
While the cookies are still warm, dip each one into a bowl of powdered sugar to coat. Set them on a wire rack to cool. The powdered sugar may melt a little at first.Once the cookies have cooled slightly, roll them in powdered sugar a second time for a nice, even dusting.
How to Serve
Sourdough Mexican Wedding Cookies are a treat on their own, but they pair wonderfully with a warm cup of hot chocolate or coffee. Enjoy!
How to Store
These cookies will stay fresh for up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing Tips
Sourdough Mexican Wedding Cookies freeze beautifully! To avoid crumbs, store them in a freezer-safe container instead of a zip-top bag. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply thaw them on the countertop until they return to room temperature.
FAQs:
Why are my sourdough Mexican wedding cookies falling apart after baking?
If your cookies crumble after baking, it could be because too much flour was added to the dough, or the cookies were baked too long. For accuracy, use a kitchen scale to measure the flour, or spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife.
Why are my cookies flat?
Flat cookies may indicate that your oven temperature is too low. Double-check the temperature with an oven thermometer. Also, be sure to use room-temperature butter, not melted butter, as melted butter will cause the cookies to spread too much and lose their shape.
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Sourdough Mexican Wedding Cookies (Melt in Your Mouth)
Notes
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- The cookie dough will be quite crumbly.
- When you press the crumbly dough together, it will adhere together and form a round dough ball. For the best results, make sure there are no cracks in the dough ball.
- Be sure to roll the sourdough snowball cookies in powdered sugar 2 times.
- If your cookies are crumbly after being baked, it is most likely due to too much flour being added to the dough or the cookies being baked too long. For precise baking, use a kitchen scale or spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level off with a butter knife.
- If your cookies are flat, double-check that your oven temperature is correct. Too low of an oven temperature can cause the cookies to bake flat.
- Also, be sure to use room-temperature butter, rather than melted butter. If the butter is melted, your sourdough snowball cookies will not keep their shape.
-
- These cookies keep for 2 weeks at room temperature or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (70g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (50g) unfed sourdough starter (discard)
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (2g) salt
- 1/3 cup of powdered sugar (for decorating)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
- 2. Chop nuts finely by hand or toss them in a food processor for a quick chop!
- 3. Cream room temperature butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard on medium speed for about 2 minutes. It will look light and fluffy.
- 4. Add the flour, salt, and chopped nuts (optional) and mix on low speed, until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the dry ingredients.
- The cookie dough will be crumbly.
- Shape
- 5. With your hands or a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll it into a smooth ball shape, about 2 inches wide or about 2 Tablespoons worth of cookie dough.
- 6. When you press the crumbly dough together, it will adhere together and form a round dough ball. For the best results, make sure there are no cracks in the dough ball.
- 7. This cookie recipe will make 14-16 sourdough snowball cookies.
- Bake
- 8. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- 9. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- 10. Bake in a 350-degree f oven for 21-23 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookie starts to show a little color. (It’s better to undercook, rather than overcook!)
- Decorate
- 11. Dip the warm cookies straight out of the oven into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar and cool on a wire rack. The powdered sugar may melt a little bit.
- 12. Once the cookies have cooled slightly, roll the cookie balls in the icing sugar a second time for a final dusting.