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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sandy
my mother made these and she called them lady fingers. so good!
Renita Weston
That’s what my mother called them and she rolled them into pinky finger shape cookies. I love these cookies!
Judith A Smith
What kind of pecans do you use, roasted lightly salted or unsalted ?
Beth Pierce
Roasted unsalted
Donna
I used this recipe for thump print cookies. I rolled the cookie dough ball in chopped walnuts And added jam to the baked indent.
Beth Pierce
Sounds delicious!
Tom
I’m 65, and I remember my granny making these. I learned a lot about cooking from her.
Beth Pierce
Cool! Good time and great memories!
Dian
Can I substitute almond flour for regular flour?
Beth Pierce
I am not familiar with almond flour. Perhaps one of the readers will respond.
Melissa
I love your recipe! So easy to make – I love making these for my family on the weekend!
Jennifer
These are some of my favorite cookies ever! They are so simple and SO delicious!
Donna Burke
My absolute FAVORITE!! They are so amazing and I love the crunch!
Laura
Is there a way to make different colored powdered sugar to coat? I was thinking of making these for Easter dessert table and would be cute in pastel colors.
Beth Pierce
Sorry I have never tried.
Sylvia Muehle
Maybe try using pastel colored mini candies inside the cookies for Easter.
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip Sylvia!
Lisa
First time ever making these and they turned out amazing. Melt in your mouth, buttery deliciousness. I will definitely be making again. Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth Pierce
So glad that you liked them! They are delicious little cookies!
Linda
Just like Mom’s! I haven’t made these cookies in years and this year was missing my mom so much. I couldn’t find her recipe but found yours. Easy to make and so delicious! I made a double batch because I know they will go fast. My mom would have said YES to your recipe also. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Linda! So glad that you like them! They are so yummy!
Judy
Plain flour or self rising?
Beth Pierce
Plain flour.
Sherron
My mother always made these cookies at Christmas and for nearly 40 years I have been making them without her recipe but they were never quite the same. I made these today and I am in heaven! These are exactly how I remember my Mom’s cookies! The texture is amazing and unlike many recipes that are too sugary these allow the taste of the pecans to be appreciated.
Thank you so much for taking me home again!!!
Sherron
Beth Pierce
That is so sweet. Anytime that I can take someone back in time to a great memory is pure gold to me. It means everything to me!
Julia
These were so buttery and slightly crunchy like heaven. Loved it!
Chenée Lewis
Absolutely delicious! These cookies literally melt in your mouth!
Rachna
These snowball cookies look super inviting and easy to make. Thank you for the detailed instructions.