Whip up a holiday favorite with this fast and simple recipe for Easy Pecan Balls that can be drizzled with melted chocolate or rolled in confectioners’ sugar.
There are dozens upon dozens of holiday cookies around these parts, but one obvious classic missing from the roundup is good ol’ pecan balls. I have to admit I am new to this delightfully easy confection, however one taste of these bite-sized sweets sent me back to a very distinct culinary memory: Mexican Wedding Cookies!
The ingredient lists for both recipes are nearly identical, and the resulting cookies are absolute twinsies in the taste and consistency departments. The lack of eggs yields a much drier cookie, so if you’ve never had Pecan Balls (or Mexican Wedding Cookies), don’t be alarmed!
While crumbly in texture, the taste couldn’t be more buttery or nutty. Because the ingredient lineup is so simple, the flavor of the pecans (and a hint of vanilla) really shines through.
When it comes to dressing up these bite-sized beauties, you can opt for two embellishments:
- A drizzle of melted chocolate (any variety, but milk chocolate is my fave for this recipe)
- A quick roll in confectioners’ sugar (most similar, again, to Mexican Wedding Cookies)
No matter how you decorate them, these Easy Pecan Balls are a holiday staple guaranteed to add nutty flavor and buttery bite to your cookie lineup. And for more sweet treats, don’t miss my top-rated cookie recipes for Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths, Soft and Chewy Ginger Cookies, Gingerbread Cookie Cups and more.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Chocolate chips, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add the flour and salt and beat just until combined then fold in the chopped pecans.
- Using your hands, scoop out about 1 ½ teaspoons of dough and roll it into 1-inch balls. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, rotating them halfway through. (They will not brown.) Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies are fully cooled, drizzle them with melted chocolate or roll them in confectioners’ sugar and serve.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Rotate the cookie sheet 1/2 turn
Should you put the pecans in the oven before chopping them?
You can, but it isn’t necessary. :)
Easy and delicious
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Tina!
Does rotate mean turn the pan or flip the cookie
Rotate the baking sheets :)
Super easy and very good thank you!!
You are so welcome, Heather! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I want to try this! However, I am wondering what will happen if I add 1 egg?
Hi Wendy – I’ve never tried that, but I’d be curious to know your results!
So simple and so beautiful ! Thank you so much for sharing !