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Christmas Sand Tarts are tasty little pecan butter cookies coated with sweet powdered sugar. These little walnut-sized cookies have a lovely balance of sweetness and nuttiness using only five simple ingredients, yielding two dozen!

a plate of sand tart cookies on a table with holiday decor.

The cookie dough is like a shortbread with finely chopped pecans added. The cookies are coated with confectioner’s sugar while they are still warm from the oven, and then again once they have cooled — making sure they are plenty sweet!

Why you’ll love this Sand Tarts Recipe!

  • Perfect for Gifting- One of my favorite perks of this classic cookie recipe is how easy it is to gift them. Sand Tarts make a good shipping cookie because they are dense and not so delicate. Plus, they look adorable in festive gift boxes or bags!
  • Simple Holiday Recipe- These cookies are great for many occasions, including bridal showers and birthday celebrations. However, they are extra fitting for the hectic Holiday season, using only five basic ingredients and following a straightforward recipe.
  • Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture- Sweet and nutty, this cookie melts on your tongue, bursting with decedent pecan flavor. Trust me, after that first bite, this may become your new favorite Christmas cookie recipe!
ingredients for sand tarts on a table.

Ingredient notes

  • Butter | Give the cookies rich and creamy notes with unsalted butter.
  • Powdered sugar | The cookies are sweetened with confectioner’s sugar, then double coasted while still warm from the oven, and then again once they have cooled — making sure they are plenty sweet!
  • Flour | Use sifted all-purpose flour to bring structure to the cookies.
  • Pecans | The cookie dough is like a shortbread with the unique taste and texture of finely chopped pecans added.

How to make Sand Tart Cookies

Be the talk of the party when you bring pecan sand tarts to your next cookie swap or Halliday gathering!

STEP 1 | Preheat and prep

First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.

cookie dough in a mixing bowl for sand tarts on a table.

STEP 2 | Make the dough

next, cream together butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric mixer and a large mixing bowl. If possible, use the paddle attachment for easier mixing.

Then, combine the flour and ground pecans. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and mix on low until incorporated.

Step 3 | Shape dough and bake cookies

Now, shape the dough into small balls about the size of a walnut and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Then, Bake the cookies for 30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.

tips

  • For the perfect texture of the original recipe for pecan cookies, ensure the nuts are crushed into fine crumbs.
  • Using a small cookie scoop helps ensure all the dough balls are the same size.
  • Sifting the powdered sugar before rolling the warm cookies is crucial to keep the sugar from clumping.
cookie dough balls on a baking sheet; rolling sand tarts in a bowl of powdered sugar.

STEP 4 | Roll cookies, cool, and enjoy!

While the Sand Tarts are still warm from the oven, roll each cookie in a bowl of powdered sugar. Allow to cool, and then, for good measure, roll them in powdered sugar again to guarantee a good coating of sweetness.

That’s all there is to it! Serve fresh or store in an airtight container for later.

If you’re a pecan fan, you probably already know how delicious they are in cookies and other desserts! For more tasty pecan cookie recipes, try my Pecan Candy Cookies and Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies.

holding a sand tart cookie between 2 fingers.

What our readers have to say…

These Sand Tarts are the most delicious cookies I’ve ever made! They’re crumbly and sweet! I replaced the pecans with chocolate chips (my younger brother isn’t fond of nuts) and it worked very well!
— Judith

Variations and substitutions

  • Try Other Nuts. If you’d like, try this recipe with walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts.
  • Toasted Pecans. Try toasting the pecans before adding them to the recipe, boosting the flavor!
  • Spiced Pecan Cookies. For more seasonal flair, add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  • Roll Dough in Pecans. Make more chopped pecans and roll the dough in it before baking for an extra toasty twist.

Storage tips

Freezing the dough: an excellent meal prep Jack for this recipe is to freeze the cookie dough up to one month ahead of time. Shape the recipe into a ball of dough, then flatten it into one large disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and seal it in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to serve, thaw the dough in the fridge overnight, let it come to room temperature, then bake as directed. 

Freezing the baked cookies: You can also freeze the pecan sand tarts after they’ve been baked. Place the cookies in a bag for up to three months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge, and enjoy the next day!

sand tart cookies stacked on top of each other, one broken in half showing the cookie inside.

Frequently asked questions

How do you fix crumbly pecan sand tart dough?

Keep in mind that this dough is already more crumbly and dry than typical sugar cookie dough. If the dough is too crumbly to press firmly into a ball, you may want to add some moisture by flicking it with small amounts of water and then work it in. Be careful not to use more than two tablespoons of water.

Where did sand tarts originate?

The beginnings of sand tarts are unknown. Some say it was an Americanized version of a German dessert, while others claim the recipe was created in different countries.

Are pecan sand tarts the same as Mexican wedding cookies?

There are so many names for this delicious recipe! You may better know by a different name, like Snowball Cookies, Powdered Sugar Cookies, Pecan Snowball Cookies, Pecan Sandies, Wedding Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, Danish Wedding Cookies, Butterballs, Melting Moments, Southern Tea Cakes, or Russian Tea Cakes.

Why are my Mexican wedding cookies so crumbly?

The lack of eggs and finely chopped nuts give this cookie a crunchier texture, rather than chewy, like classic sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies. They’re more like a shortbread, with a crunchy bite and melt-way effect. 

close up image of sand tart cookies with pecans scattered in between.

Looking for more Christmas Cookies?

Buttery pecan cookies are perfect for cookie swaps! Here are a few more ideas for your next holiday cookie platter- try my Chewy Ginger Cookies, packed with seasonal flavor, traditional Sugar Vanilla Bean Cookies with frosty-white icing, fun Chocolate Christmas Pinwheel Cookies, and decadent Gingerbread Kiss Cookies— Yum!

Serving suggestions

The cookies would pair beautifully with this Cranberry Fluff, a creamy fruit salad. Or serve your sand tarts recipe with a scoop of homemade Peach Ice Cream or festive Peppermint Ice Cream.

A plate of sand tarts on a table with holiday decor in the background.

Behind the recipe: Christmas Sand Tarts Recipe

This recipe was first introduced to me by a friend at work who would bring these cookies to share with our office every Christmas. It’s become a holiday tradition to make cookies, and they are always a hit!

Truthfully, though, the fond memories of making our favorite recipes and sharing them with the ones we love make the family tradition special.

Baking cookies to give away to friends and neighbors is one of my Christmas traditions. Every year, I have difficulty deciding what cookies to make, but these nutty Sand Tarts never disappoint!

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a plate of sand tart cookies on a table with holiday decor.

Sand Tarts

Similar to Danish wedding cookies or Mexican wedding cookies, these tasty old-fashioned butter cookies are coated with powdered sugar while still warm from the oven. Perfect for cookie swaps!
4.24 from 121 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Cookies & Bars
Cuisine American
Servings 2 dozen
Calories 157 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
  • ½ cup powdered sugar sifted, for coating cookies

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a stand mixer, cream together butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Add flour and pecans and mix on low until incorporated.
  • Shape dough into small balls about the size of a walnut and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • While cookies are still hot, roll in a bowl of sifted powdered sugar. Let cookies cool, then roll again in the powdered sugar. Store in airtight container.

Notes

Copyright 2015 Life, Love, and Good Food
    • For the perfect texture of the original recipe for pecan cookies, ensure the nuts are crushed into fine crumbs.
    • Using a small cookie scoop helps ensure all the dough balls are the same size.
    • Sifting the powdered sugar before rolling the warm cookies is crucial to keep the sugar from clumping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 157kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 65mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4g

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword cookies, sand tart
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was.
Sheila Thigpen, blogger

About Sheila Thigpen

Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer

Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.

30 Comments

  1. This was one of my favorite Christmas cookies growing up. The recipe was delicious and did not disappoint. Thank you for bringing back so many childhood memories

    1. Richele, I really don’t have much experience baking with almond flour, so I’m not sure how the substitution would work.

  2. With the amount of butter in this recipe there is no need of parchment paper or a silicone mat. I’ve been making these for almost 50 years.

  3. The original recipe calls for cake flour not A/P. Mix and shape the dough and freeze bake when needed. Don’t freeze over 2 month. ice crystals form. bake at 350. chill dough before baking. These cookies hold up for nearly 3 weeks after baking.

  4. One of my grade school mothers gave my mom a recipe for sand tart that were crescent shaped cookies. Mom passed the recipe along to me and it’s been lost for many years. Going to try this recipe. Can you use salted butter?

    1. Anne, my preference is for unsalted butter, but if salted is all you have I believe it should work. Happy New Year!

    1. I’m not sure how to fix that problem exactly, but you could try baking a few of them for 5 to 10 more minutes and see if that works. Of course, you would roll them again in the powdered sugar while they are still warm. Let me know if that works!

  5. 5 stars
    These are the most delicious cookies I’ve ever made! They’re crumbly and sweet! I replaced the pecans with chocolate chips (my younger brother isn’t fond of nuts) and it worked very well!

  6. What is the difference between these Sand Tart cookies and Russian Teacake cookies? The pictures here are lovely.

    1. Rebekah, I have never tried Russian Teacake cookies, so I’m not familiar enough to answer your question. Thank you for reading and for the encouragement on my photos 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        I’m so Happy to find your recipe! My mom gave the recipe and lost it . This is amazing. It’s exactly what’s on the 3×5 Card from 40 year ago. Now for the New Year 2018 , I can finally make this Sand Tart Cookies. She also gave me a recipe for Unforgettable Cookies but lost that as well. It’s Egg White , Semi Chocolate Chips. I believe heat the oven at 350 ? Not sure what else goes with the recipe. I’m truly disappointed because She gave it to me before she passed on 2012. Been looking all over the Kitchen Drawers etc. But at least I got the Sand Tart . It’s the best Cookies. It’s hard to make without the mixer but I try my best to do it with my hands.
        Thanks for the uplifting recipe! Now I can finally make them
        Happy New Year ✨
        May all your Wishes comes true

        1. My mother’s Forgotten Cookie recipe (50+ years she made them.)
          Ingredients:
          2 egg whites
          1/4 tsp salt
          2/3 cup sugar
          1 cup nuts, chocolate chips, or diced cherries

          Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg whites til stiff. Add salt. Gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff like meringue. Fold in nuts or other combination of items. Drop by spoon onto greased cookie sheet. Place in oven and turn off oven. Leave for one hour.

  7. Pingback: The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2015: Recipe Roundup Part 2 | the little kitchen

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