These Classic Christmas Snowball Cookies recipe have a delicious buttery, nutty, melt in your mouth flavor that make them an irresistible holiday treat. These cookies have been called different names including Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, Butter Balls and Pecan Snowball Cookies. No matter what you call them you will call this classic Christmas cookie delicious.
If you are looking for an easy to make holiday cookie then give this recipe a try. They can be made a head of time making them a great cookie to keep on hand for a quick dessert or to add to a dessert or Christmas cookie tray.
What are Snowball Cookies?
Snowball cookies are bite-sized round butter cookies made with chopped nuts. They are coated in powdered sugar which makes them look like snowballs.
These cookies are made without eggs. The are light, buttery cookies that melt in your mouth.
Making cookies for a cookie exchange this holiday season? These are a winner. They hold up well and everyone loves them.
Classic Christmas Snowball Cookies
To prepare the ingredients start by finely chopping the pecans. I look for the cheapest form of pecan (whole or halves) to make chopped pecans.
You can chop them by hand with a sharp knife or in a blender or food process. If using a blender or food processor you will want to pulse the pecans to slowly chop them into small bits. If you run the food processor without pulsing it then it’s easy for the nuts to quickly go from fine bits to pecan butter.
Ingredients for Christmas Snowball Cookies:
- All Purpose Flour – use your favorite brand of flour for these cookies.
- Butter – You will want to use real butter for this recipe as it adds to the cookie flavor. To me you don’t get the same buttery snowball cookies when using other types of margarines or shortening.
- Finely Chopped Pecans – pecans taste delicious in this recipe. You can swap them out for other nuts. See the FAQ section below for more information.
- Granulated sugar – this is used for sweetening the cookies.
- Pinch of salt – adding a bit of salt helps to balance the sweet flavors.
- Vanilla extract – a bit of vanilla extract goes well with the buttery flavor of these cookies.
- Confectioners sugar – this light, powdery sugar is used to coat these cookies.
How to make this Snowball Cookie recipe:
Start by prepping the pecans for this recipe.
Step 1: Begin by combining all the ingredients, except for confectioners sugar, in a large bowl. Mix with a mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are well combined.
Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2: Roll small scoops of dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the dough is set but now browned.
Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and roll the warm cookies in the sugar. Place on a rack and allow to completely cooled.
Once cool, roll again in additional powdered sugar. Serve or store until ready to serve.
How to store these Snowball Cookies:
These cookies don’t need refrigeration after baking so you can store them in a covered container or a food storage bag on the counter at room temperature for up to five days. Because they don’t need refrigeration they make a great cookie to include in Christmas Cookie exchanges or to give as holiday gifts.
Can I freeze these snowball cookies?
Yes you can freeze these cookies before or after baking.
Freeze the rolled balls of dough before cooking. You can make these cookies days in advance, roll them into balls and store them until you are ready to bake them. The rolled dough can also be placed in a freezer bag and the dough frozen until you need it. Just thaw the cookies in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before baking them.
After baking, place the finished cookies in an airtight container, separate the layers with waxed paper or parchment paper and then freeze. You’ll want to use a container when freezing these cookies as they can easily break if stored in the freezer in a storage bag.
Tips for making the best Christmas Snowball Cookies:
Use a small melon ball scoop, small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion out cookie dough so they are as uniform in size as possible. This will allow them to evenly bake to the same level of doneness.
The cookies are done baking when they are very lightly browned. If they start to crack then they are overdone. Try removing them from the oven 1 to 2 minutes earlier.
Can you use other nuts?
Yes you can swap out the pecan with walnuts or almonds. I have not tried them with other types of nuts but I imagine that pistachios would work too.
Why did my snowball cookies flatten?
If you find that your cookies go flat while baking then you will want to double check the oven temperature. If the oven temperature too low the cookies will spread while baking.
Make sure to bake the cookies after chilling in the refrigerator. Leaving them out for too long will allow the butter in the dough to soften and the cookies will spread.
How do you make the powdered sugar stick to the cookies?
If the cookies have cooled for too long after baking the powdered sugar will have a hard time sticking to the cookies.
To get a nice coating of powdered sugar on these cookies only allow them to cool about 5 minutes and then roll them in the powdered sugar. Place the cookies on a wire rack and allow to cool completed. You can then roll them in powdered sugar a second time.
Can you add other mixins into these cookies?
Sure you try swapping out the vanilla extract for another flavor such as almond extract, anise or even lemon.
Add about 1/3 cup of mixins such as mini chocolate chips, coconut, crushed Heath Bars or candy canes into the dough.
Check out these other holiday treats:
Christmas Tree Rice Krispie Treats
Or try some of these favorite Christmas cookie recipes:
Peppermint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
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Christmas Snowball Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup Pecans finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teapoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 cup Confectioners Sugar
Instructions
- Begin by combining all the ingredients, except for confectioners sugar, in a large bowl. Mix with a mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are well combined.
- Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll small scoops of dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the dough is set but now browned.
- Let cool for about 5 minutes.
- Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl and roll the warm cookies in the sugar. Place on a rack and allow to completely cooled.
- Once cool, roll again in additional powdered sugar. Serve or store until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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