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    Meals » Recipes » Desserts

    Easy Crescent Cookies Recipe

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Dec 15, 2021 · Modified: Dec 15, 2021 by Dee

    This Easy Crescent Cookies recipe with walnuts and powdered sugar makes delicious crescent shape Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth. Enjoy these traditional cookies throughout the holiday season! via @meamel

    This Easy Crescent Cookies recipe with walnuts and powdered sugar makes delicious crescent shape Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth. Enjoy these traditional cookies throughout the holiday season!

    Jump to Recipe -
    plate of walnut crescent cookies in powdered sugar on Christmas table
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Walnut Crescent Cookies
    • Baking Time
    • Variations
    • How to Store
    • Make Ahead
    • Recipe
    • Reviews

    Christmas crescent cookies are very similar to Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies. Instead of shaping the dough into round balls, you form it into a crescent shape.

    My Walnut crescent cookies are modeled after my grandmother's recipe for Polish walnut crescents, or nut horns, but are a lot easier, with a shorter prep time and no eggs.

    Grandma called them Polish or Slovak walnut cookies, though many European cultures have a variation of this dessert. You may have heard of the traditional Austrian cookies, Viennese crescent cookies, for example.

    You might also enjoy Grandma's molasses cookies, meringue chocolate chip cookies and cornflake wreath cookies!

    Ingredients

    You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy crescent cookies recipe. They should be easy to find at the grocery store, and probably in your pantry as well!

    • Butter -- I use salted butter
    • Powdered sugar -- confectioner's sugar
    • Vanilla extract
    • All purpose flour
    • Ground walnuts
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Salt

    How to Make Walnut Crescent Cookies

    Before you start baking, you need to crush or grind your walnuts, if you don't have already ground ones.

    We usually use a food processor to do this, but you could also put the walnuts in a zip-top bag and crush them with a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin.

    To make the crescent cookies, first cream the butter and powdered sugar together in a large bowl.

    You can use a hand mixer on medium speed or stand mixer for this--just make sure that the mixture is smooth and creamy.

    cream butter and powdered sugar in mixing bowl

    Then, add the vanilla extract.

    Next, gradually add the flour, stirring well.

    Next come the walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. Make sure to mix well after adding each ingredient--the dough will be thick.

    dry ingredients for crescent cookies in mixing bowl

    Instead of mixing in each ingredient by itself, you could add all the dry ingredients to the cream mixture at once.

    I've made the cookie dough both ways, and they turn out fine each time!

    Again, just make sure to stir thoroughly!

    walnut crescents dough

    Once the dough is formed, it's time to start forming the crescent cookies!

    First, grab enough dough to make a 1-inch ball. Then, shape dough into a log by rolling the ball between your hands.

    Make the dough log into a crescent shape by gently pinching the sides. If you need to, you can form the shape of the dough while it's on the cookie sheet--it can sometimes be hard to do it all in your hands!

    Place the crescent cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

    They shouldn't spread much, so you don't have to worry about leaving too much space between them.

    form dough into crescent shape in hands

    Baking Time

    Heat oven to 350 degrees F and bake cookies in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the bottom of the cookies are slightly brown.

    Once they're done baking, allow the cookies to cool down a bit on the baking tray or a wire rack.

    When the walnut crescents are cool enough to touch with your hands, it's time to cover them in powdered sugar!

    walnut crescent in powdered sugar

    You can keep the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and dip the warm cookies into that, flipping them until well coated with sugar.

    Or, you can put the powdered sugar into a large zip top bag, drop the crescents into it, and shake the bag gently.

    At the very end, sprinkle a little more powdered sugar over the tops of the cookies.

    he result is some rich, buttery cookies that melt in your mouth and aren't overly sweet!

    Christmas crescents with powdered sugar on table

    Variations

    One way to vary this classic Christmas cookie is to use different nutty flavors. Almond crescent cookies and pecan crescents are also festive and delicious!

    If you're making almond crescents, you could substitute the vanilla extract for almond extract, for even more of that nutty almond flavor.

    If you don't want to go through the trouble of forming crescent shapes, you can just roll the cookie dough into balls, as you would for a typical Russian tea cake.

    How to Store

    Keep your walnut crescent cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. It helps to line whatever cookie jar you use in wax paper or parchment paper, as the powdered sugar can be sticky!

    Make Ahead

    You can freeze the crescent cookie dough for later. It freezes very well!

    Just wrap the raw dough in plastic wrap, and place in a freezer bag for up to a month. I prefer to freeze the cookie dough in 2 to 3 portions so that it thaws easier, but use your judgement here.

    Recipe

    walnut crescent cookies with powdered sugar on white plate

    Easy Crescent Cookies

    Published by Dee
    This Easy Crescent Cookies recipe with walnuts and powdered sugar makes delicious crescent shape Christmas cookies that melt in your mouth. Enjoy these traditional cookies throughout the holiday season!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 30
    Calories 146 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Cookie Dough

    • 1 cup butter 2 sticks
    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 2 cups ground walnuts
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Coating

    • 2 cups powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°
    • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy
    • Stir in the vanilla extract
    • Gradually add the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each cup.
    • Add the walnuts, cinnamon and salt, and mix well. Dough will be thick
    • Form the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll into log shape and form into crescent shape
    • Place crescents on un greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart
    • Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are firm. Allow to cool down enough to handle
    • Dip cookies into powdered sugar, and place on cookie rack or clean cookie sheet until completely cooled

    Notes

    Store in a covered container.
    You can form into balls if you don't want to make crescent shapes.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 146kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 62mgPotassium: 38mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 159IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

     Recipe first published in 2013 and updated in 2021

    powdered sugar walnut crescent cookies

    Don't these look good--they're one of my all-time favorite holiday cookies! I love simple, uncomplicated recipes, and this is not only easy, but the cookies taste great too!

    They are perfect with a cup of hot chocolate on Christmas Eve! If you're looking for a quick sweet treat to make for Christmas, this walnut crescent cookie recipe is the thing for you!

    For more easy recipes and easy holiday recipes, be sure to sign up for the newsletter and follow me on your favorite social media!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Callie says

      December 20, 2021 at 2:08 pm

      These cookies were perfect for my Christmas table!5 stars

      Reply
    2. Sandra says

      December 20, 2021 at 2:40 am

      This is seriously amazing!! Everyone at my house loved these cookies!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Dorothy Reinhold says

      December 18, 2021 at 4:59 pm

      This reminds me of my childhood. Our dear next door neighbor would make these for us for special occasions. Glad to have the recipe!

      Reply
    4. Deirdre says

      December 18, 2021 at 4:58 pm

      Our Grandma would always make these every Christmas. I love this recipe!5 stars

      Reply
    5. Erin says

      December 18, 2021 at 6:27 am

      These Crescent Cookies are on my must-make list!5 stars

      Reply
    6. Beth says

      December 17, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      These are perfect. The flavors are delicious, and the rustic look is so classic old school Christmas.5 stars

      Reply
    7. Erik says

      December 17, 2021 at 4:04 pm

      Talk about easy, love it!5 stars

      Reply

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

    More about me →

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