Christmas Sand Tarts (Pecan Butter Cookies)
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Nothing says holiday baking quite like a fresh tray of Sand Tarts! These delicate, crunchy cookies are both nostalgic and super delicious, which makes them a must-make every December. Let me show you why these have become a tradition in my home year after year!
“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
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot for Sand Tart Cookies
Full of buttery, nutty flavor and made with just a few basic ingredients, these nostalgic cookies come together effortlessly and make a perfect homemade gift!
This pecan butter cookie recipe was first introduced to me years ago by a sweet friend at work who brought a tin of these cookies to share with our office every Christmas. One bite and I was hooked!
They’re soft and nutty little cookies that practically melt on your tongue. Ever since then, baking these sand tarts has become one of my own holiday traditions!
Truthfully, it’s not just the recipe that makes them special, but the memories tied to them. Baking cookies to give away to friends and neighbors has become one of my favorite parts of the season. Every year, I struggle to decide which cookies to make, but these nutty little sand tart cookies never disappoint!
Ingredient Notes for Sand Tarts
- Butter | Give the cookies rich and creamy notes with unsalted butter. Make sure it is softened to room temperature.
- Powdered sugar | The cookies are sweetened with confectioners’ sugar, then double coated 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 | Since the cookie dough is a simple shortbread dough, I like to add finely chopped pecans for extra flavor!
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 them before baking for an extra toasty twist.
How to Make Sand Tart Cookies
These simple sand tart cookies come together quickly—just mix, bake, and roll!
PREHEAT AND PREP. First, preheat the oven to 325°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
MAKE THE DOUGH. 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 AND BAKE COOKIES. 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.
ROLL IN POWDERED SUGAR. 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 an airtight container.
More Recipe Success Tips
Storage Tips
- To store: Store Sand Tart Cookies in an airtight container on your kitchen counter for 1 to 2 weeks.
- To freeze before baking: An excellent meal-prep hack for this recipe is to freeze the cookie dough up to 1 month ahead. Shape the recipe into a ball of dough, then flatten it into a large disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let it come to room temperature before baking as directed.
- To freeze after baking: You can also freeze the pecan sand tarts after baking. Place the cookies in a bag for up to three months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge, and enjoy the next day!
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
They’re called sand tarts because of their delicate, sandy texture! The buttery dough and finely ground nuts create a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth bite that resembles soft “sand,” especially once they’re coated in powdered sugar.
Sand tarts are rich, nutty, and crumbly, while sugar cookies are sweeter, sturdier, and made with ingredients like eggs and leaveners that give them a softer, chewier structure. Sand tarts rely on butter, flour, sugar, and nuts for their signature texture!
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.
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. This sand tarts recipe is more like a shortbread, with a crunchy bite and melt-way effect.
Looking for More Christmas Cookie Recipes?
If you need some more amazing Christmas cookie recipes this year, make sure to try my white chocolate peppermint cookies, pecan shortbread cookies, or gingerbread kiss cookies!
What to Serve With Sand Tart Cookies
These snowball cookies pair perfectly with holiday drinks like a peppermint mocha or spiced apple cider.
They’re also one of my favorite recipes to add to a Christmas cookie platter along with molasses crinkle cookies, thumbprint Christmas cookies, or classic vanilla sugar cookies. Don’t forget, they make a lovely edible gift wrapped in a tin or cellophane bag, too!
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Sand Tarts
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
- Crush the pecans finely. For the perfect texture of the original pecan cookie recipe, make sure the nuts are crushed into fine crumbs so they blend smoothly into the dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop. This ensures each dough ball is the same size so the cookies bake evenly and look uniform.
- Sift your powdered sugar. Sifting before rolling keeps the coating light and prevents clumping on the warm cookies.
- Roll while hot, then roll again. The first roll helps the sugar melt slightly onto the cookie, and the second roll gives them their signature snowy finish.
- Don’t overbake. These cookies should remain pale. Their soft texture comes from gentle baking at 325°F until just set!
- To store: Store Sand Tart Cookies in an airtight container on your kitchen counter for 1 to 2 weeks.
- To freeze before baking: An excellent meal-prep hack for this recipe is to freeze the cookie dough up to 1 month ahead. Shape the recipe into a ball of dough, then flatten it into a large disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then let it come to room temperature before baking as directed.
- To freeze after baking: You can also freeze the pecan sand tarts after baking. Place the cookies in a bag for up to three months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge, and enjoy the next day!
Nutrition
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.
Hands down my all time favorite cookie! They are perfect every time! Thank you!
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
Made them…love them❤️
Love them
im planning on making for my large family for Christmas and am wondering many cookies in one batch?
Hi, Kelly. You should get 2 dozen cookies for each recipe batch.
I’ve never used almond flour but was given some to try. Can I substitute almond flour for AP flour?
Richele, I really don’t have much experience baking with almond flour, so I’m not sure how the substitution would work.
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.
Wow, they’re good old-fashioned cookies! Love the recipe. Thank you!
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.
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?
Anne, my preference is for unsalted butter, but if salted is all you have I believe it should work. Happy New Year!
I underbaked my sand tart cookies! They already have powdered sugar on them. Is there anything i can do to save them?
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!
Is it salted or unsalted butter
I use unsalted butter regularly.
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!
What is the difference between these Sand Tart cookies and Russian Teacake cookies? The pictures here are lovely.
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 🙂
How long will sand tarts stay fresh? Can they be frozen?
Merry Christmas, and hope you enjoyed the cookies!
Thank you, Alice! They were wonderful! Happy New Year to you!
These cookies were so good and you are right they are the perfect cookies for sending in the mail. Happy Holidays
Allie, so glad you liked them! A very Merry Christmas to you!
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
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.
They are called “forgotten cookies.” If you Google, you will find the recipe!!
meringue kisses from a a old fashioned baker 72