Pumpkin Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
Polvorones are also known as Mexican wedding cookies. This pumpkin-flavored twist on the classic recipe is the perfect fall treat.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on November 24, 2025
These pumpkin spice cookies are good. Really good. They’re powdered sugar-dusted nuggets with tender, golden, nutty insides. I adapted the recipe from a basic polvorones recipe, which I’ve always known as Mexican wedding cookies. They’re a simple, not-too-sweet, shortbread-like cookie full of toasted chopped nuts.
This pumpkin-flavored twist on the classic recipe is the perfect treat for fall. It’s easy to make, too, with no chilling time required. Little hands might like to help roll the dough into balls, and then roll them into powdered sugar after baking.
These cookies might be even better on day two, after the flavors have had time to rest. Make them for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or a fun fall weekend baking project. The recipe happens to be vegan and dairy-free, for those following special diets.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s what you’ll need and why.
- Coconut oil or butter: Polvorones usually call for a good amount of butter, but I cut the amount of butter in half to incorporate pumpkin purée. Then, I swapped in coconut oil for the remaining butter, and I prefer the cookies that way. Surprisingly, coconut oil lets the pumpkin and spice flavors carry through better, whereas butter was distracting. The cookies are a little less crumbly than their all-butter counterparts, but I loved them nonetheless. They’re vegan if you use coconut oil instead of butter, but if you are a butter lover or if that is all you have on hand, go with the butter.
- Pumpkin purée: Storebought yields more consistent results than homemade. I like Whole Foods 365 brand or Libby’s.
- Sugar and powdered sugar: You’ll need regular granulated sugar for the dough and powdered sugar for rolling (did you know that you can make your own powdered sugar?). I like to use natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey when I can, but they will make these cookies too wet.
- Vanilla extract: Standard in Mexican wedding cookies, vanilla also plays well with pumpkin.
- Pumpkin spice and salt: Pumpkin spice contributes much of the pumpkin flavor. The recipe calls for individual spices (cinnamon, ginger and allspice) instead of a pumpkin spice blend to ensure that your cookies taste just like mine.
- Pecans: The recipe includes instructions for toasting the pecans to bring out their best flavor! I love how pecans taste with the pumpkin, but you could also use walnuts or almonds.
- Flour: Traditional wedding cookies use all-purpose flour. I love to use whole grain flours when I can, and this recipe turns out well with whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour. Take your pick!
More Pumpkin Treats to Make
If you enjoy this recipe, here are a few more pumpkin recipes to try:
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
- Homemade Pumpkin Chai Latte
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze
Please let me know how your pumpkin polvorones turn out in the comments! They are such a fun fall cookie.
Pumpkin Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
Polvorones are also known as Mexican wedding cookies. This pumpkin-flavored twist on the classic recipe is the perfect treat for fall. These tender, nutty, whole wheat pumpkin cookies are so simple to make, and might even taste better on day two. Recipe yields 18 to 24 cookies.
Ingredients
- ½ cup room-temperature virgin coconut oil* or unsalted butter
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 slightly heaping cup raw pecans
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set it aside.
- Lightly toast the pecans in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they’re nice and fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat. You can either use a food processor to finely chop the pecans (about 10 pulses should do it, don’t blend so well that you end up with pecan butter) or finely chop the pecans with a chef’s knife on a cutting board (let the pecans cool until they’re comfortable to touch before chopping).
- In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil or butter, pumpkin purée, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Beat them with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the chopped pecans and flour, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.
- Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls (if using a scoop, roll each ball between your palms to smooth out the edges). Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 ½-inches around each cookie (the cookies will not expand in size).
- Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.
- Pour the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Roll each warm cookie in it to coat liberally, then place it onto a wire rack to cool. Taste, and if the cookies aren’t quite sweet enough to delight, roll them again in powdered sugar. Leftover cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or for several months in the freezer.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Kraft’s recipe for Mexican wedding cookies.
*Coconut oil note: If your oil is too solid to scoop (this can happen during the colder months), gently warm it in the microwave just until it’s easier to work with.
Make it dairy-free/vegan: Be sure to use the coconut oil instead of regular butter.
Change it up: Substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
These sound perfect and I love the fact that they are vegan. I’m going to bake them for church! :)
These look H.O.T…..just like Matthew McConaughey! Mmmmmm. I want to snuggle up with both of them under a blanket. Shhhh, don’t tell Kiley.
What a great idea! I love those crumbly little cookies & adding pumpkin is a wonderful addition for Fall. I may have to make some to set out at my husband’s office – he’s a chiropractor so we’re always looking for semi-healthy goodies to share with his patients. I may even experiement with making them gluten free… Thanks for sharing!
If you do try making them gluten free, please let us know how they turn out! I think oat flour might be good here.
OMG kate, these sound so good! I love Mexican wedding cookies + pumpkin… I am dying to make these :)
Please do make them, Michelle! No doubt you’ll love them.
These are lovely! What a great fall cookie!
Hahaha. That Michael McConaughey thing… thank you for that. :D
These look incredible! And the color is amazing. I really, really want to make these. I’ve never even had Mexican wedding cookies, which is just silly considering I’m from Texas.
Oh, my; these are beautiful little nuggets of gold! I live and breath pumpkin this time of year, and polvorones are news to me. These will be mine, asap. Thanks for sharing! xxx, j
I’ve never had pumpkin cookies! They look interesting :D
I totally know what you mean! I always hated fall because, growing up in the midwest, a long cold winter was in store. I must be getting old (and the 100 degree heat is finally getting to me!), because this is the first year where I’m becoming ok with it :)
These look so gorgeous, love your healthy additions (and well, subtractions)..
Now that I’m facing a Kansas City winter, I almost wish I’d moved south to Austin. :)
so intrigued by this recipe–definitely a must try!
What a lovely autumnal twist on a familiar recipe! I hope baking and delicious things-made-with-pumpkin keep you warm and cheered as you deal with the impending cold and other trials.
I’ve always loved fall, but know what you mean about resenting it. Winter is soooo long here in Minneapolis. Ugh. These sound so tasty! I love pumpkin-y things, and haven’t got around to making any yet. I’ll have to try these!
Here I am dreading a cold Kansas City winter and you live in Minneapolis! I don’t know how you do it, Sarah. Hope you’ll make these when you need an excuse to turn on the oven.
I never use wheat, I made them with spelt flour and no white sugar allowed in this house, so I used honey in its place, and no powdered sugar since it has corn starch and we all know how bad that is for you…..they are delish!
I realize this ^ is an old comment… Great idea using spelt instead of ww pastry flour, I even considered a premixed, gluten-free flour. I used organic cane sugar in the batter but maybe I’ll try maple syrup since you’ve tried honey…just wondering how that will affect the moisture of the batter. I also made my own confectioners sugar to dress them by grinding (in blender) in that same sugar until pulverized. They turned out moist and such a treat. Will be making again very soon!
Now I am made at myself for not having one of these Monday night! They sound so perfect!
Ah, but doing nothing under a cozy blanket is like… an autumnal rite of passage! The Danes have it right (as usual): once the cool breezes blow in, they take up Hygge, which is more or less a pursuit of coziness. Like NEXT LEVEL coziness. Cooking, reading and quiet time are the main concerns of the day. It’s like pursuing sedentary activities as art form. Am I making fall sound maybe a tiny bit more appealing?
Anyway. These cookies, so bomb. Can’t believe I hadn’t thought of mixing pumpkin into the polvorones party. Brilliant.
I am so taken by the Danes’ concept of Hygge. I have central heat in this new apartment of mine, so I’ll be turning that on low and donning some slipper socks before long. Seriously, make these cookies. I swear they’re better on the second day.
So beautiful, Kate! Your writing and photography is like a gift to my eyes each time you post.
These sound delightful! I love vegan baking – not because I am vegan, but because it gives me methods to get around a nasty dairy allergy. Pumpkin – love it – pecans – ditto – coconut oil – staple – got this covered – guess who’s baking tonight ;-) ♥
Never heard of these, but those photos are gorgeous and I’m seriously considering making these for my next party- I like the idea of something different rather than the same old chocolate chip cookies :)
Hope you do make them for the party, Christy. I can’t say they’re the most attractive cookies on the outside, but it’s the inside that counts, right?
I am not a fall lover either but I do love pumpkin – gorgeous cookies!
All you had to do was liken these to Matthew McConaughey and I’m in.
I love these kinds of cookies! I love that you made them healthier and it was a great idea to add pumpkin. Can’t wait to try them!
Hi Kate! I have been reading your blog for a long time and I had to stop and say thanks! im’ not a vegetarian, not even close but your blog is a favorite of mine! Your pictures are beautiful ( i really think is time that someone offers you a book deal ) and really inspirational !i want to make it all. In fact, i made your banana bread about 4 times since the first, can you believe my sister (who does not specially likes healthy meals) just fell in love with it? and all the time she is asking me to do it again! . I also enjoy very much your writing between the recipes.. I’m looking for more desserts and baked goods in the future if you can, since in my house all have a sweet tooth and is nice be able to offer them something delicious and at the same time good for us! maybe another chocolate cake recipe? haha i loved chocolate. well sorry about this long coment but is necesary congrat the people who is very inspiring and share it…
I’m from Argentina (sorry about my english) and as you love to travel, i think that you should visit our country someday.. i’m sure you’ll really like it!. i hope that your life in the new city get better i’m sure it will be! .
Maia, thank you for your wonderful comment. I would love to visit Argentina someday. I’ll get there, somehow! I’m happy to hear that you and your sister have enjoyed my recipes. I will definitely be baking more now that the weather has cooled down, so I’ll have more baked goods for you soon!
My guy loves polvorones. I love pumpkin spice. These cookies were made for us ;) Lookin’ good, lady!
I know what you mean about the beginning of the end…I just try to remind my self that, on the bright side, ill be eating sweet potatoes almost exclusively for the next six months! Oh and pumpkin of course. Loving these cookies! Totally Matthew-esque.
Yes to months of sweet potatoes! I ate one for lunch today, as a matter of fact.
Looks wonderful!
These look so yummy!
Can I use regular whole wheat flour?
Good question, Amir. I think whole wheat flour will work and taste fine, but I don’t think the cookies will be quite as tender.
So, I’m in love with these. I love Mexican wedding cookies, and I love pumpkin. They’re perfect. I am totally making these before Halloween.
These sound so beautfiul! I’m a huge fan of Mexican wedding cookies, so I’m definitely going to try these. Great idea.
I do think Fall is quite a romantic time of year, and I can imagine it being hard being in a new city! But, there’s something romantic about getting to know a new place by yourself, too. I love wedding cookies like this and your addition of pumpkin sounds fantastic! I also very much approve of the baking music choice! We’ve been listening to the new Grizzly Bear album like WOAH. Have a wonderful weekend, friend!
I really can’t get enough of that album, especially track two. I think it will be the soundtrack to my fall. :)
Oh really? And I thought we had several things in common, but apparently one thing we don’t share is my love for fall. Ah well, we’ll find other things in common. Love the crumbly texture of the cookies, I’m still in need to baking with coconut oil. Which brand do you use?
You are going to love coconut oil! I like Spectrum oils in general so I tend to pick the Spectrum coconut oil. Go for one in a glass jar.
Gosh, I just came across your blog today and fell in love. Those cookies are spectacular!
Hi Kate! I love pumpkin…everything, and these look amazing but I’m allergic to nuts. Any suggestions for ways to replace them in the recipe? Or do you think they would still be good if I just left them out? Thanks!
Alex, I think the cookies would be good without the nuts but the texture would be lacking some of that delicate crunch. You could get creative with other add-ins. Dried cranberries/raisins/chocolate chips might be fun!
Thanks for the inspiration, Kathryn! I made mine with olive oil and cacao nibs instead of nuts. They are a hit! http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/2012/10/pumpkin-cacao-nib-polvorones.html
These sound so very tasty; love the combination of pecan & pumpkin.
I made these to bring to a family dinner at a friend’s house and they got RAVE reviews. Everyone was impressed they were vegan too. After tasting the dough at the end I decided to add another probably 1/2 tsp of salt and more cinnamon, which made them taste right to me. I also didn’t roll them in sugar until they were completely cool, which makes them stay pure white and dry because the sugar doesn’t melt at all.
So glad to hear it, Julia! Thank you for the feedback, it’s really helpful. I upped the salt and spices in the recipe based on it. I was trying to be conservative, but I really don’t think you can have too much spice in pumpkin-flavored treats.
These cookies are so awesome. I mixed in the coconut oil at room temperature and the batter did get fluffy-ish. Yum!
Great to know! Thank you, Carolyn.
These look so fun and delicious! I’ve made Mexican wedding cookies before, but the addition of pumpkin looks great!
Mhhh, they look absolutely delisious!
Do you think I could use honey instead of cane sugar, or would the dough become too runny?
Thanks!
Good question, Lena. I don’t think you could substitute honey for the cane sugar without reducing the liquid in the recipe somehow. The only liquid-y ingredients to reduce would be the oil or pumpkin, I’m really not sure if that would work! Please let me know if you try.
these are amazing! perfect for a party & easy to transport!
xoxo Shauna
I could go for a little bit of do nothing time, a cozy blanket and a plate of these.
Hi Kate,
I am just wondering how many cookies were you able to make with the ingredients listed.
Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
Cheers,
Kitu
Yields 18 to 20 cookies.- I found my answer!!
Such a pretty and honest little piece about this time Kathryne. I hit home with this too. Cookies look amazing. hope you are good right now. miss u, x
Just had to let you know I made these this evening and they are soooo good! I mean really, really delicious! I knew I’d love them but even my husband, who is not a pumpkin fan, thought they were outstanding. I see an addiction coming on ;) Thanks for this recipe!!
That’s terrific, Sherry! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cookies. I have been going through withdrawals since I ran out of them… I think I ate four on the last day so I’m a little afraid to make them again!
these were absolutely delicious! they were a huge hit at the fall party i brought them to, and i’ll be making them again this week for a work event. thanks for the inspiration!
Victory! I’m glad you and your friends enjoyed the cookies, Katie-Anne. Thanks for commenting!
Kate, I finally got around to making these for my husband (he’s a HUGE fan of your standard wedding cookies) and he LOVED them. I rolled twice in powdered sugar like I do with my usual wedding cookies: once warm, which creates almost a glaze, and then once cool (and the semi-melted sugar helps the second coat stick!). I will definitely be making these again…there’s still more fresh pumpkin in the fridge!
Vix, I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the wedding cookies! Great tip on rolling the cookies twice. I felt like these needed a second romp in powdered sugar before they were really addictive. :)
Nice! Mine just came out of the oven and I am impressed.
I made these with the following modifications to make gluten free and less of a hit on blood sugars
1 C gluten free flour mix (1/2 c rice flour, 1/4 c tapioca starch, 1/4 c potato starch)
1 C sweet white sorghum flour
1/4 c blackstrap molasses
1/4 c maple syrup
I covered with powered sugar + unsweetened cocoa mix (just a dab for mine)
These were delicious. The molasses gives it a nice dark earthy undertone. Next time I would put cocoa nibs in the mix. Coconut oil gives it a nice texture but doesn’t overwhelm. These were actually too sweet for me and I would play with the recipe a little bit more. I like the texture of the flours. It wasn’t too dense at all. They will be a big hit with my friends and family
Thanks!
Thank you very much for sharing your substitutions! Your version sounds great.
So I just made these and am still licking the powdered sugar off of lips and dusting my keyboard in a fne sheen of white powder. But I just had to tell you that these are AMAZING! So tasty and super easy. I will be making these again – thanks for the recipe!
Hooray! Delighted to hear that you liked the cookies, Kate.
Thanks Kate, another successful recipe I have made from your blog! These cookies were amazing, so easy to make and taste great!! I am going to make them again as a Thanksgiving snack for my family. I think my boyfriend had about 8 of them last night, I kept finding powdered sugar on the counter, on the rug, on the couch etc….they are almost all gone after one night!
Haha, awesome! These cookies are addictive, can’t blame him for eating eight in one night. So glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for commenting, Ashley!
So, I had to tell you… tomorrow night I am going to an autumn, “hooray, a friend got engaged” Mexican-food feast… and these cookies are PERFECT! They hit all three points of the theme for the party, and I can’t wait to share them! Thanks for the recipe.
That’s great, Meghan! Hope you and your friends love the cookies.
Since these cookies are AMAZING, I’ve decided to make a second batch for xmas. Why? I’m meeting my bf’s family for the first time and I bet these will win them over!
Thanks, Adriana! I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with your bf’s family but these cookies certainly couldn’t hurt. :)