These classic Snowball Cookies are little balls of buttery shortbread, melt-in-your-mouth goodness with a powdered sugar coating. They are quick to fix, delicious, and freeze well.
You may even have the ingredients to make them in your house now. They are called Russian Tea Cakes, Italian Wedding cookies, butter balls, and Mexican Wedding Cookies, but in our house, we call them Snowballs. They are the delectable cookies with a thousand names.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, eliminate the added salt. Use natural, honest-to-goodness butter so your cookies taste yummy. I use Land O Lakes butter for all my cookies.
- Powdered sugar: also known as confectioners’ sugar
- Vanilla extract: pure vanilla extract, please
- Nuts: pecans, English walnuts, black walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews.
How to make Snowball Cookies
These delectable holiday cookies are so very easy to make. First, using an electric or stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and the powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
Then, turn the mixer to low speed and add the salt, vanilla, flour, and chopped pecans. Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, roll the cookies into balls and place them on a parchment-covered baking sheet with a bit of space between them. Bake until lightly browned.
Allow the cookies to cool just enough to handle them. Then, gently roll them in the powdered sugar. Place them on a wire rack to cool. When they are thoroughly cooled, roll in the powdered sugar again.
Preparation Tips
- Chop the pecans fairly fine. Remember, you can use different nuts.
- This a thick dough, so roll the cookies with your hands because the warmth of your hands will help shape the cookies.
- If you have time, do a test run with one or two cookies. This will help establish the baking time.
- Do not over-bake the cookies. These are a type of shortbread cookies with a crumbly melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- When measuring your flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a table knife to keep from adding too much flour.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Try These Recipe Variations
- Roll the dough around an unwrapped chocolate kiss
- Add 3/4 cup chopped Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips to the cookie dough.
- Add 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough
- Mix 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder at the same time as the butter and powdered sugar. Also, add 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips stirred in at the end to make Chocolate Snowball Cookies
- Replace the vanilla with lemon juice, add 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest, and use finely chopped sliced almonds instead of the pecans to make Almond Lemon Snowballs.
- Substitute almonds coarsely ground in a food processor for the pecans and add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use English walnuts, black walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and even cashews. Just make sure the nuts are shelled, roasted, and finely chopped. Each nut gives the cookie a delicious, different, unique flavor.
Freeze the dough in a practice commonly known as flash freezing. Roll the dough and place it on parchment-covered baking sheets. Ensure the dough balls aren’t touching so they don’t freeze together.
Place the whole sheet in the freezer until frozen, and then transfer the balls to a freezer bag. Store that bag in a sturdy freezer container. When you are ready to bake, simply place the cookies on a parchment-covered baking sheet and let them thaw just a tad while the oven preheats. Frozen cookies may require an additional one to two minutes of baking time.
Pack the baked cookies in double Ziploc freezer bags, place them in a sturdy, glad-ware freezer container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge overnight. Once the cookies have thawed, reroll them in powdered sugar. Place them in airtight containers and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
More Cookie Recipes
Snowball Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup pecans or walnuts finely chopped
- 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream the butter and powdered sugar. Turn the mixer to low and add the salt, vanilla, flour, and pecans. Roll the dough into one-inch balls using a 1-tablespoon scoop. Place on parchment-covered baking sheets a few inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Do not over-bake
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool just enough to handle them. Pour 1 cup powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Gently roll the cookies in the powdered sugar. Use a fork to scoop under each cookie and gently shake to remove excess powdered sugar. Place on cooling racks. Once completely cooled, roll in the powdered sugar again.
Video
Notes
- Use real honest-to-goodness butter so they taste yummy. I personally use Land O Lakes butter for all my cookies.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Chop the pecans fairly fine. Remember, you can use different nuts.
- This a thick dough, so roll the cookies with your hands because the warmth of your hands will help shape the cookies.
- Preheat the oven and load the baking sheet in the middle of the oven.
- Use parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- If you have time, do a test run with one or two cookies. It really helps to establish baking time.
- Do not over-bake the cookies. These are a type of shortbread cookies with a crumbly melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- When measuring your flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a table knife to keep from adding too much flour.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
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Bettye
Do you sift your flour?
Beth Pierce
I do not but I spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off with a table knife!
Chris
These are the best pecan butter cookies I’ve ever made. I doubled the recipe so I could sneak a couple before Christmas. I used salted butter but cut back on the salt in the recipe. Delicious and so easy.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Chris! So glad that you liked the snowball cookies!
Hari
These are the best. Hands down my favorite Christmas cookie. You will love them!
Jenny
These look so pretty for a Christmas party! My kids would love to try them, I’m going to have to try making them!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jenny! Enjoy!
Kat
Your Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies recipe is a winner! The way you break down the steps makes me feel like a baking pro in the making.
Sam
This is my favorite snowball cookie recipe. I make them every year and I love them even more each year. Don’t overbake them. They are perfect after 10-12 minutes.
Janey
My grandmother use to make these! I loved them – thank you for sharing.
Candace
It’s the cookies season. I’ll save this recipe, as it does not call for fridge time!
Tamara
Without a doubt one of my favorite cookies! Traditionally we make these only for the holiday cookie boxes…so good and so easy to make too!
Michelle
These snowball cookies are wonderful! They are always a friend and family favorite. They just melt in your mouth.
Barb
I know the recipe called for real butter,
but can i use imperial baking sticks (pkg says good for baking 48% veg oil spread). Will they still turn out yummy?..
Beth Pierce
I do not know I have not used them. Perhaps the readers will have some feedback.
Renee Humphrey
Here’s basically the same recipe and they’re called pecan dream cookies that’s what my grandmother called him one cup of butter, real butter, salted 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of finally chopped pecans 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and powdered sugar and that’s on the side when they’re done you roll a minute twice once when they come out of the oven and let them cool down some and then roll them again in the powdered sugar Set your oven at 300 Degrees and they cook for 35 to 45 minutes OK cream butter and sugar add vanilla turn in flour and pecans just make sure the pecans are chopped, almost like powder pecans. Mix well Roll into balls place on a cookie sheet when done. roll them in the powdered sugar cool and then roll again and they don’t have to be refrigerated and they will melt in your mouth.
Swright
No mamm, real butter is all I use with these!
Renee Humphrey
Please know, do not use margarine or imperial margarine. It ruins, the texture in the taste always use real butter salted real butter. The best butter to use is Land O Lakes butter and when you chop your pecans, make sure they’re really really really fine almost like powder that’s when they melt in your mouth and make them smaller. They turn out better.
Michelle
Snowball Cookies, the timeless treats with a thousand names! ☃️🍪 Your classic recipe for these buttery shortbread delights is simply mouthwatering. The powdered sugar coating adds that perfect touch of sweetness, making them an irresistible treat. Quick to make, delicious, and freezer-friendly – what more could we ask for? Excited to try making these cozy delights in our own kitchen!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Michelle! Enjoy!
ReeAnn
These are the best cookies I think I have ever had! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth!
Marie
The best Christmas cookie ever. We use this recipe every year and they turn out perfect every time. We will be making them again this year. Merry Christmas in advance.
Beth Pierce
Merry Christmas to you too, my friend.
Yeah Lifestyle
We tried these out and they are delicious! I will definitely be making another batch for Christmas this year.
Betty
These are the best cookies!! I could eat my weight in these delicious cookies. My absolute favorite.
Katherine
My favorite cookies! This recipe is amazing!!