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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Karen ROSE
I substitute 1/2 CUP TOTAL: TOASTED WHEAT GERM, (AND, OR TOASTED SESAME SEEDS, or COMBO OF BOTH) for the friends with NUT ALLERGIES! THEY STILL COME OUT GREAT & TASTE GOOD!😋🥰👌
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip, Karen!
Deb
For those who have family members that need to avoid both nuts and soy both, try making them with allergen free mini chocolate chips such as Nestles, etc. That is what I will need to do. I look forward to making this recipe!
Jenny D.
Great snowball cookies, such a fun Christmas treat and one of my favorite cookies. Thanks for the recipe!
Allyson B
Oh my goodness these are SOOOO tasty! Thank you for the easy recipe!!! My kids beg me to make these every year!
Lavanda
The fact that they freeze well is a huge bonus, great for prepping ahead of time! Can’t wait to try them and see which name they end up with in my house!!
Yelena
These are really lovely cookies. Such a festive treat and we loved the icing sugar coating and the vanilla flavoring too. These would also make nice Christmas gifts!
Trish
These are always so delicious during the Holidays! It’s such an easy recipe and a crowd-pleaser
Harmony
Love these snowball cookies. They are our favorite Christmas cookie. Thanks for the great recipe, I have used it for years.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Harmony!
Jen
Yummy – I would enjoy these shortbread cookies with some coffee! Thanks for providing different nut options as I’d use pecans when baking since my husband is allergic to walnuts. However, if making for my daughter (when she is back from college) then I’d omit all nuts since she has a tree nut allergy.
Beth Pierce
Understood! My daughter is allergic to nuts!
Sally Ann
I have to try these. They look and sound amazing, I have bookmarked to make when I am next on a baking mission
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sally Ann! Enjoy!
Tracey
So darn delcious! I could eat the whole batch by myself!
Karen Coats
These cookies look so delicious, I love pecan so so much. I can’t wait to make your recipe!
Eliza H
These were amazing! Snowball cookies are the best part of the holiday season, and these have the perfect texture.
Michelle
I make cookie trays for our neighbors every year and these snowball cookies are always a favorite!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Michelle! We love them too!
Catie S
These snowball cookies were so delightful! They have that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture, and they look so cute a the holiday cookie tray.