Snowball Cookies Recipe

by

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 right now. You might know them as Russian Tea Cakes, Italian Wedding cookies, butter balls, and Mexican Wedding Cookies but in our house, we just call them Snowballs They are the delectable cookies with a thousand names.

This is my absolute favorite Christmas cookie recipe! I love them!!! LOVE THEM!!! These Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies will melt in your mouth. They are so easy! You will find that you have a full batch of cookies ready in under 45 minutes. How can you beat that!!

These delectable holiday cookies are so very easy to make. First, using an electric mixer 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 pecans. Roll into one 1-inch balls and place on parchment-covered baking sheets and bake.

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 fully cooled roll in the powdered sugar again.

CAN SNOWBALL COOKIES BE FROZEN?

They can be baked and frozen ahead of time. Pack the cookies in double Ziploc freezer bags and place them in a sturdy glad-ware freezer container. When defrosting take them out of the containers frozen and place them on serving trays or platters uncovered. Never allow them to defrost in the plastic and the containers. The condensation that builds in there will ruin the cookies. Once the cookies have defrosted place them in airtight containers and store them at room temperature for up to 5 days.

The dough can easily be frozen as well in a practice commonly known as flash freezing. Simply roll the dough and place it on parchment-covered baking sheets. Make sure the dough balls aren’t touching so they don’t freeze to each other. 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.

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 almond extract. 

This snowball cookie recipe is a Christmas tradition and my favorite cookie! These melt in your mouth buttery pecan shortbread cookies are baked to perfection and rolled in powdered sugar.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 11 

Total Time: 26 mins Yield: 30-36 

Category: Cookies

Method: Bake Cuisine: American

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 cup powdered sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment on medium-speed cream the butter and powdered sugar.
  3. Turn the mixer to low and add the salt, vanilla, flour, and pecans. Roll the dough into one-inch balls.
  4. Place on parchment-covered baking sheets a few inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Do not over bake
  5. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool just enough to handle them.
  6. Pour 1 cup powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Gently roll the cookies in the powdered sugar.
  7. Use a fork to scoop under each cookie and gently shake to remove excess powdered sugar. Place on cooling racks.
  8. Once completely cooled roll in the powdered sugar again.

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 cups and level off with a table knife.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: 

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 147kcal (7%)Carbohydrates: 16g (5%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)Cholesterol: 19mg (6%)Sodium: 46mg (2%)Potassium: 26mg (1%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 165IU (3%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 13mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Leave a Comment