These Norwegian Cookies absolutely MELT in your mouth!
With lots of ground walnuts and butter, these are the perfect celebration cookie that everyone will love!!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This recipe for Norwegian cookies has been adapted from one of my favourite cookbooks by Greg Patent, “A Baker’s Odyssey and is deliciously buttery and not too sweet.
Being just a small cookie, these are perfect to just pop the whole cookie into your mouth. That means no tell tale powdered sugar mess on your shirt!
Quick and easy recipes like this Mascarpone Cream is what I go for these days. But when I want easy baking, these buttery Norwegian cookies tick all the boxes!
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card bottom of the page.
Ingredient notes
The ingredients required for these Norwegian Cookies are typical baking essentials that you’ll have in your pantry or fridge.
However, please pay attention to how you grind the walnuts. It’s important that the walnuts are still light and fluffy. Don’t over process and end up with nut paste. This won’t work in this recipe.
Variation
For a extra nutty taste, toast the walnuts in the oven until just becoming light, golden brown and fragrant. Don’t let them get too dark.
You can also toast in a frying pan. In this case be sure to move them around so that they don’t burn.
Be sure to allow the walnuts to cool completely before grinding in the food processor.
Instructions
Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with non stick paper.
- Grind the walnuts.
- Beat the butter with sugar and vanilla, then add walnuts, flour and salt.
- Form into small balls.
- Bake until pale golden brown then coat in powdered sugar.
Tips for success and FAQ’s
Be sure to have the butter at room temperature so that all the butter is completely combined with the other ingredients.
If you have a nut mill or hand held mouli grater, use these to grind the nuts.
If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until you have reached a sandy consistency with a few chunkier pieces. The important thing here is not to end up with nut paste. The walnuts need to be light and fluffy not stuck together.
Yes, these are tiny bite-sized cookies but you can make them a little larger. In that case, they may require a little more time in the oven.
Norwegian cookies with keep in an air tight container at room temperature for about 1 week. If the weather is hot or humid, keep container in the refrigerator.
Yes, place the cookies into an air tight container with baking paper between the layers. Freeze for up to one month.
More recipes like this
Scottish Shortbread
Christmas Spritz Cookies
Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snowflake Cookies
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Norwegian Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 oz (approximately ¾ cup/85 grams) walnuts
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons/115 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose (plain) flour
- 2 cups powdered (icing) sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the baking sheet by lining with non-stick baking paper and preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
- Grind the walnuts carefully in the food processor. Be careful not to grind too finely or create a nut butter. Set aside.
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, salt and vanilla and beat for 1 or 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. With a wooden spoon stir in the nuts, then stir in the flour until the dough gather into a mass. Knead the dough briefly in the bowl until it comes together.
- Divide the dough into 36 equal parts. Roll each into a ball and place 1 to 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet.
- Bake until the cookies are a very pale golden brown all over 15-20 minutes.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large flat bowl and add 4 or 5 hot cookies. With two forks or with your fingers, roll the cookies to coat completely with sugar. Then remove the cookies and set on wire racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining cookies while they are hot.
- Sift more powdered sugar over the cookies cooling on the wire rack.
- Cool completely then store Norwegian Cookies in an airtight container for up to a week.
Caroline B.
It sounds delicious! I print the recipe now!
Lisa
I love these! They remind me of these pecan swdish crescents I make. Love them with walnuts too and I do love the ball shape! They melt in your mouth – one of my favorite types of cookies!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
I really want to make these as they look gorgeous. I love Scandinavian recipes 🙂
Anh
wow! These look absolutely amazing!
Ciao Chow Linda
These have always been a favorite and I see them called by many names – Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican wedding cookies and now this! No matter what nationality claims them, they're delicious.
Alida
This is such a nice recipe. I will add it to my list. Lovely blog. Ciao!
Claudia
These must just melt in your mouth. They are similar to my mother's Italian wedding cookies – which does not have any flour.
Phil in the Kitchen
Delicious sounding cookies. I made something similar recently using pecans and I used a processor too – I'm sure a manual nut grinder would be good but I don't think I've ever met anybody who has one.
Elpiniki
These balls look delicious! I just found your blog and I loved it! Am a happy follower now! Visit me at:
my-greek-cooking.blogspot.com
Hope to c u around!
Angie's Recipes
These walnut balls look fantastic! I am going to try it with a mix of different nuts.
Thanks for sharing!
Angie