Pecan Dreams
These Pecan Dreams are the perfect cookies to add to your holiday cookie tray. These cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside with a coating of powdered sugar and buttery on the inside with a nice dose of finely chopped pecans. They aren’t overly sweet, making them a great addition to all of those sweet holiday desserts.
Do you remember these wonderful little cookies from when you were a kid? They’re also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies and Russian Teacakes. They’re such a wonderful addition to your Christmas cookie repertoire. They are slightly crunchy on the outside underneath a sweet coating of powdered sugar and buttery and delicious on the inside. I pack mine full of ground pecans, but If you’re not a fan of nuts, you can leave them out. The thing I really like about these cookies is they aren’t overly sweet. They’re just perfect to mix in with all of those super sweet desserts that you fix for the holidays.
They are also super easy to make. It literally takes 10 minutes max to mix up the batter, and about 15 minutes to roll them into balls.
Then once they’re baked, they get dipped in powdered sugar twice…once while hot and again when cooled.
Check out my top 2 cookies recipes here…Christmas Butter Cookies and Sour Cream Brown Butter Cookies.
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Pecan Dreams
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 30 Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
Description
These cookies are slightly crunchy on the outside with a coating of powdered sugar and buttery on the inside with a nice dose of finely chopped pecans. They aren’t overly sweet, making them a great addition to all of those sweet holiday desserts.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely ground pecans
- 1 to 1/2 cups powdered sugar for coating cookies
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined, then mix on high speed until very light and creamy, about one minute. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add the flour and pecans and mix just until flour is incorporated.
- Using a small cookie scoop, place a scoop of cookie dough in your hand and roll it into a ball and place the ball on an ungreased large cookie sheet. Repeat until all of the dough is rolled into balls. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cookies are just lightly browned on the bottoms and remove from oven.
- Allow cookies to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then roll the cookies, one at a time, in the powdered sugar and transfer to a piece of waxed paper. Once cookies have completely cooled, re-roll the cookies one more time in the powdered sugar. You might have to use a little bit more powdered sugar.
- Store cookies in an airtight container. These cookies will stay fresh for several days and they are an excellent cookie for making ahead and freezing.
I had misplaced my mother’s recipe for Pecan Dreams Cookies. I am aged 83 now and really wanted to make the pecan dreams for a church social. I looked everywhere and then Maybe other people know about Pecan Dreams, not just my mom. Thanks for being there/here for me. I have all ingredients on hand..
Hi Catherine, I’m so glad you were able to find this recipe. Some people call these cookies different names, such as Mexican Wedding Cookies. That’s probably why it was hard to find the recipe. Happe baking!! 🙂
I had this cookie as a home made gift in my childhood, and have never been able to find the same texture. Will this recipe create ‘melt in mouth’ texture? Thank you:)!
Hi Jen, If you spoon and level the flour, (not using too much) and don’t over bake them, they should definitely have a melt in your mouth texture.
Hi Cindy,
Made these for Thanksgiving and followed the recipe and your flour advice…. a ‘Dream’ come true!! I can now put to rest my 35 year pursuit of this cookie–THANK YOU!
On another note, what other recipe achieves this ‘melt in your mouth’ texture?
Hi Jen, I’m so glad they were a hit. You might try my butter cookie recipe if you want something else that’s melt-in-your-mouth good!
My recipe uses powdered sugar and I add more nuts. I also use blue bonnet margarine. My grandma used to make these after the ww2 war (per my mom). I suspect butter was hard to find. Or really expensive?
Powdered sugar because it was finer than regular sugar at the time.
These are my favorite cookies. I only make them at Christmas.
Hi! Any advice on freezing? Would love to make them ahead. Thanks!
Hi Joy, Yes, you can freeze them. I suggest placing them on a cookie sheet first and placing in the freezer for 2 hours. Then placing them in a freezer safe container with waxed paper between the layers.