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These bite-sized beauties go by many names—Russian tea cookies, butterballs, polvorones, even Mexican wedding cookies—but no matter what you call them, these limoncello Italian wedding cookies are a dreamy little treat. Soft, sweet, and kissed with lemon and vanilla, each powdered sugar-coated bite melts in your mouth. The splash of limoncello gives them an extra sunny twist that makes homemade totally worth it. Trust me, one just isn’t enough!
These delicious little wedding cookies are too good to only enjoy at weddings. In fact, they’re so tasty and popular, you’ll want to make and savor these little treats often.
You might also enjoy panettone, Italian rainbow cookies or gingerbread pizzelle. And for something different, campfire apple crisp is a tasty choice.
Why You’ll Love It
Tasty: The tangy bite of lemon pairs with the sweetness of powdered sugar, the crunch of pecans, and the aromatic hint of vanilla, with the result that this Italian wedding cookies recipe will surely delight your tastebuds.
Easy: Making Italian wedding cookies isn’t difficult. The recipe is largely a case of combining the ingredients, baking the wedding cookies, and then letting them cool completely. Even a beginner home baker will love the simplicity.
Versatile: Despite their name, Italian wedding cookies are ideal for all kinds of occasions, certainly not just weddings. Pair one or two with your mid-morning coffee, or enjoy one with some iced tea or soda in the afternoon. They are good with your after dinner coffee. They also make great Christmas cookies, and you can gift them as well.
Italian Wedding Cookie Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Lemons: The main flavor in these little cookies.
Sugar: For sweetness.
Butter: Adds richness.
Vanilla extract: A light and delicate flavor that complements the lemon and pecans.
Pecans: For crunch as well as flavor.
Limoncello liqueur: Buy a bottle or try my recipe for homemade limoncello.
Confectioner’s sugar: This is the same thing as powdered sugar or icing sugar.
How to Make Italian Wedding Cookies with Limoncello
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
The first steps: Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the ingredients: Massage the lemon zest into the sugar.
Add more ingredients: Cream butter with the lemon sugar by hand or with a food processor, then add vanilla salt, and flour, mixing until the dough is crumbly.
Add the remaining ingredients: Add the limoncello and pecans.
Shape the cookies: Roll the dough into balls (measuring them out first with an ice cream scoop or cookie dough scoop) and arrange the Italian cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the Italian wedding cookies: Give them 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven or cook until just starting to turn golden.
Roll in powdered sugar: While still warm, roll the Italian wedding cookies in powdered sugar and then let them cool. You can then add another powdered sugar coating.
Substitutions and Variations
Pecans: Almonds, macadamias or walnuts can be used in place of the pecans, or you can use a combination of different nuts.
Limoncello: You can omit the limoncello if you don’t want to use alcohol.
Vanilla extract: Swap the vanilla extract for almond extract or anisette extract for a different flavor.
Serving Suggestions
On a cookie tray: Pair these cookies with any other cookie recipes, perhaps chocolate chestnut tortelli cookies, baci di dama, pignoli cookies, nutellotti or canestrelli cookies if you want to stay with the Italian theme.
With a cocktail: Enjoy mojito rum cocktails with these tasty cookies.
How to Store Homemade Limoncello Cookies
Store: Keep Italian wedding cookies on a tray loosely wrapped with plastic wrap or foil. If you opt for a plastic airtight container instead, it will get moist and spoil faster. Kept loosely covered, they should stay fresh for up to 6 or 7 days.
Freeze: You can either freeze the dough or freeze Italian wedding cookies that are already cooked. If you’re freezing the dough balls, you don’t have to thaw them before baking. They should be fine, baked or unbaked, for up to a few months in the freezer.
Top Tips
Use quality ingredients: Use a good brand of limoncello liqueur and use fresh lemons and 100% pure vanilla extract for the best cookies.
Uniform sized cookies: Use a cookie scoop to ensure all your cookies are the same size and will therefore cook evenly.
Double coating: This is optional but I often like to roll my cookies in powdered sugar twice, so you get double the coating!
Italian Limoncello Cookies FAQs
There is often a sweet table at weddings, and these Italian cookies with finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds, and extra powdered sugar coating certainly deserve their place. These pillowy, soft shortbread cookies were probably created in Russia, and then they made their way across Europe, eventually reaching the United States.
Texture-wise, these are light, crumbly, and soft. Flavour-wise, you can expect a sweet, nutty taste along with the sweetness from the powdered sugar coating. Because these pair so well with liqueurs such as amaretto, they are often enjoyed after dinner with a coffee and a shot of your preferred liqueur.
Italian Wedding Limoncello Cookie Recipe
Limoncello Italian Wedding Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ Cup white sugar
- zest of 2 large lemons
- 1 Cup salted butter
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ Teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ Cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons limoncello, use my homemade limoncello recipe
- 1 Cup pecans, chopped or pecan pieces
- 1 ¼ Cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, set aside.
- Combine the granulated sugar with the lemon zest. Use clean hands to massage the zest into the sugar.
- Add the softened butter to the lemon sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat again.
- Add the flour and mix until the dough is crumbly and pebbly in texture. Add the limoncello and mix until combined.
- Add the chopped pecans and mix one last time to incorporate.
- Use a 1.5" cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheet 2" to 3" apart.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until very lightly golden brown.
- Roll the cookies while they are still warm in the powdered sugar and set aside to cool.
- Once completely cool, roll in the powdered sugar again (optional) and let sit for 30 minutes before serving or storing in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
Uniform sized cookies: Use a cookie scoop to ensure all your cookies are the same size and will therefore cook evenly.
Double coating: This is optional but I often like to roll my cookies in powdered sugar twice, so you get double the coating!
Nutrition
Authentic, traditional limoncello wedding cookies with their wonderful powdered sugar coating just melt in the mouth. They are perfect for any special occasion or gathering because everyone will love Italian wedding cookies. They’re easy to make and are sure to disappear fast when everyone tastes one and realizes how delicious they are.
Other Recipes to Try
- These Mini Italian Chocolate Filled Sandwich Cookies are delicate and buttery.
- Chestnut Cookies are charming, sweet, nutty, and perfect for the holidays.
- This Italian Wedding Soup is a bowl of hearty, comforting goodness!
- This mouthwatering Chocolate Chunk Pecan Pie is the ultimate decadent treat.
- You only need 5 ingredients to make Amaretti con Pignoli Cookies!
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I’m glad i made this yesterday! It was a hit! So perfect! 🙂
Really light and delicate, a bit like biscotti but less dry, more crumbly and more tasty. Still pretty good with a cappuccino though!
Make this recipe every year!