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Snowball Cookies are buttery, melt-in-your-mouth little treats made with just a few simple ingredients. Coated in a flurry of powdered sugar, they’re festive, easy to make, and always a staple on any Christmas cookie tray!
Have you ever heard of snowball cookies?! They’re one of the most simple classic Christmas cookie recipes, yet they’re so tasty & always an unassuming crowd favorite!
Though I’ve always known them as snowball cookies (don’t they look like cute little snowballs?!), they’re sometimes called Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes or Meltaways! No matter what you call them…..they’re DELICIOUS!!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter – I use salted butter; if you only have unsalted, you’ll want to add some salt to the dough (see recipe notes).
- Sugar – This recipe uses half granulated and half powdered sugar in the dough.
- Powdered Sugar – You need the powdered sugar for the dough and for rolling the baked cookies in.
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Pecans – You’ll want these finely chopped; I recommend using a food processor.
Recipe Testing Findings
After doing some research, I wanted to try these cookies a few ways to truly find the BEST formula. Mainly, I wanted to know if chilling the dough was necessary, if adding cornstarch would soften the cookies and whether they were best with powdered sugar or granulated sugar.
| No Chill | Chilled 1 Hour | |
| Made with Powdered Sugar (No Cornstarch) | Standard snowball cookie flavor and texture. Interior very smooth; melt in mouth feel. | Same flavor; smoother texture on the outside of the cookie. |
| Made with Powdered Sugar and Cornstarch | No significant change with the addition of the cornstarch. | The cornstarch maybe kept the cookies slightly softer on days 2-3 (but not much). |
| Made with Granulated Sugar (No Cornstarch) | The cookies spread a bit more; had more texture and better flavor. | Same flavor; slightly smoother interior and exterior texture. |
To summarize my findings, I concluded that chilling the dough was not imperial in creating excellent snowball cookies (though they were great both ways). I also couldn’t tell much difference when adding cornstarch. Though it softened the cookies oh so slightly, I decided cornstarch wasn’t necessary.
Lastly, I decided to add half granulated and half powdered sugar to the dough. Though the powdered sugar gives these cookies their classic buttery soft texture, I found that the addition of some granulated sugar really amped up the flavor and delivered a texture I loved!
How to Make Snowball Cookies
You’ll start by creaming the butter and sugars in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Once combined, add the vanilla then the flour and finely chopped pecans.
When the dough comes together, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the ingredients get incorporated.
Use a cookie scoop to get even-sized balls of dough. Roll them into balls and place on a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottom outer edges are a light golden brown. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Once the cookies are cool, roll them in powdered sugar and enjoy!
Pro Tip!
Toast the nuts before adding them to the cookie dough to add more depth of flavor!
Snowball Cookie Variations
These no-fail cookies are so yummy and nostalgic as-is, but I also love that they’re a great base cookie for different add-ins and variations!
- Browned Butter Pecan Snowball Cookies – Amp up the flavor by using browned butter! Be sure to let it solidify before adding to the recipe.
- Lemony Snowball Cookies – Add lemon zest and lemon extract to the dough for a citrusy spin!
- Sprinkle Snowball Cookies – Stir in 1/3 cup of sprinkles to the dough! I recommend using sequins or jimmies so the colors don’t bleed into the dough.
- Try Pistachios, Almonds or Walnuts – Replace the pecans with different types of nuts to see what you like best! I like using almonds and replacing the vanilla extract with almond!
- Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies – Skip the nuts (or keep them!) and add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips!
- Drizzle with Melted White Chocolate – Skip the powdered sugar and either dunk them in white chocolate or drizzle it on top! Add some sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet and let solidify on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Simply skip the nuts and increase the flour to 2 1/4 cups.
I like to wait until the cookies are cooled to roll them in the powdered sugar. I find that the powdered sugar stays on best that way. You can also roll them in powdered sugar, let the cookies set for awhile and do a second coat before serving.
You sure can. You can make the dough up to 3 days in advance, but be sure to let the dough set out at room temperature a bit before scooping (the dough is thick). You can bake them a couple days in advance and store in an airtight container or freeze them (more on that below).
Yes, you can freeze them before baking or after. You can freeze the balls of dough in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Let the set out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. You can also freeze the baked cookies. You may need another coating of powdered sugar when they thaw out.
Other Easy Christmas Cookies To Try
- Molasses Cookies
- Caramel Brownie Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkles
Snowball Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheets
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter* softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars.1 cup salted butter*, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- Add the vanilla and stir until combined.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour and pecans; stir until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.2 cups flour, 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon portions and roll into balls.
- Place onto the lined baking sheets, making sure to give at least 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake one pan at a time for 12-15 minutes. The edges should be a light golden brown.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Roll in powdered sugar and enjoy!1 cup powdered sugar
Notes
- Room Temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the cookie dough OR the finished cookies for up to 2 months.
