Besitos de Nuez - Mexican Walnut Kiss Cookies
Traditional Mexican walnut and condensed milk cookies, crisp and crumbly.
About this recipe
Besitos de nuez are traditional Mexican walnut cookies with condensed milk, with a unique texture between crumbly and crisp, served at weddings, baptisms and family celebrations. Their name comes from their small size and rounded shape, like a little kiss. They are one of the most beloved sweets in Mexican home baking for their simplicity and intense walnut flavour.
History & Origin
Besitos de nuez are part of the rich catalogue of sweets and biscuits of Mexican home baking, a tradition that blends techniques and recipes from Spanish colonial confectionery with American ingredients such as the Castile walnut (Juglans regia), which arrived in Mexico with Augustinian friars in the sixteenth century and was rapidly adopted in convent and domestic cookery. Castile walnuts are cultivated primarily in the states of Coahuila, Chihuahua and Sonora, and Mexico is the fourth largest walnut exporter in the world. In the convent kitchens of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, numerous walnut biscuits and walnut powder preparations were developed that are the direct antecedents of modern besitos. Condensed milk, introduced to Mexico in the nineteenth century, simplified many baking recipes by replacing sugar and milk in complicated proportions. Besitos de nuez are today a classic of artisan bakeries in cities such as Puebla, Oaxaca and Guadalajara, and their home preparation remains a family tradition passed down from generation to generation, especially for Christmas, weddings and Día de Muertos.
Estimated cost
£5.00
Total cost
£0.17
Per serving
* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets
Nutritional information per serving
180
Calories
3g
Protein
20g
Carbohydrates
10g
Fat
1g
Fibre
30mg
Sodium
* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
- 2
Process the walnuts in a food processor until you have a coarse flour. Do not over-process - they should retain some texture, not become a fine powder.
💡 You can also chop them by hand for greater control of the texture.
- 3
In a large bowl, mix the plain flour, chopped walnuts, room-temperature butter in pieces, condensed milk and vanilla extract. Work the mixture with your hands until you have a dough that comes together and can be shaped into balls without crumbling.
💡 If the dough is too soft, add one more tablespoon of flour. If it is too dry, add a tablespoon of condensed milk.
- 4
Shape the dough into balls the size of a walnut (about 15 g each) and place them on the tray, spaced 3 cm apart. Flatten slightly with your thumb.
💡 You can press half a walnut on top of each biscuit to decorate.
- 5
Bake for 18–22 minutes until the edges are golden but the centres still pale. Leave to cool completely on the tray before moving - they are fragile when hot.
💡 Do not rely on colour alone - walnuts brown quickly. Set a timer.
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Founder, Recetas Mexas
Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 736+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for European kitchens. Based in Madrid since 2018.
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