Snowball Cookies
The perfect Christmas cookie for your holiday cookie exchange! Snowball Cookies are light, tender and sweet made with pecans and powdered sugar. They are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Snowball Cookies often make an appearance on Christmas party trays, gifts and cookie exchanges. They are considered a “classic” Christmas cookie. And for good reason. These bite-sized buttery shortbread balls are scrumptious!
Made with minimal ingredients and easy to follow instructions, these easy cookies will be ones you’ll make year after year. I remember my grandma making them for Christmas. I usually make them every year, too!
They are also a pretty cookie to look at with in their white billowy powdered sugar coating. Just like snow!
Why You’ll Love These Snowball Cookies
- Sweet and delicious
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges
- Classic holiday cookie
- Freezer-friendly
- Makes about 35 cookies
Ingredients for Snowball Cookies
- Salted butter – Make sure it’s softened to room temperature.
- Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial is fine.
- Powdered sugar – We call it icing sugar in Canada.
- All-purpose flour
- Finely chopped pecans
How to Make Snowball Cookies
Step One: Add the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium speed until light and creamy.
Step Two: Add ¾ cup powdered sugar to the creamy butter and mix on low to incorporate. Switch to medium high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Step Three: Add the vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.
Step Four: While the mixer is on low speed, gradually add the flour one spoonful at a time. Once all the flour is added, turn the speed up on the mixer and beat until well mixed and comes together in a dough ball.
Step Five: Add the finely chopped pecans. Mix to incorporate. The mixture will be very thick and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Step Six: Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
Step Seven: When ready to bake, remove the cookie dough from the fridge to warm slightly. Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare two cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Pour 1 cup of powdered sugar into a large shallow bowl and set aside.
Step Eight: Scoop out the snowball cookies with a small cookie scoop (or by 1 tablespoonfuls). Roll into a ball gently with your hands and place balls on cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
Step Nine: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms are just starting to turn light golden brown.
Step Ten: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then roll them in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat them completely.
Step Eleven: Once completely cooled, roll them in powdered sugar again. The second coat of powdered sugar should stick very well and give a heavy powdered “snowball” look.
Equipment Needed to Make Pecan Snowball Cookies
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What to Serve with Christmas Snowball Cookies
Substitutions and Additions
- Add 1/3 cup of red and green sprinkles into the dough when the crushed pecans are added.
- Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and chocolate chips for a chocolatey version.
- Add a couple teaspoons of pumpkin spice to make Pumpkin Spice Snowballs.
- Use peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract and add some mint chocolate chips.
Storage Instructions
How long do Snowball Cookies last?
Snowball Cookies will last about one week at room temperature when stores in an airtight container or sealed ZipLoc bag.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes, Snowball Cookies freeze very well. Bake the cookies as directed and once they’ve cooled, place them in an airtight container in your freezer for up to three months.
Can I use toasted pecans in this recipe?
Definitely! Some people prefer to use toasted pecans in their Snowball Cookies.
To toast pecans, lay the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 300F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Toasting pecans give them a richer, nuttier flavor.
How to Grind Pecans
To get the pecans into a very fine consistency to use in this recipe, I recommend using either a food processor or mini food chopper.
If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix blender, you can use that as well. Just make sure to not do them too much or you’ll have pecan butter.
And, of course, a nut grinder will also do the trick!
If you don’t have any fancy tools, you can always use a pastry cutter to get the pecans nice and small.
Christmas Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Ritz Cracker Cookies
- Christmas Cake Mix Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Cream Cheese Cookies
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Brown Sugar Cookies
- Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies
- Bear Paw Cookies
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Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar divided
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on medium speed until light and creamy.
- Add ¾ cup powdered sugar to the creamy butter and mix on low to incorporate. Switch to medium high speed and beat until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and mix until combined.
- While the mixer is on low speed, gradually add the flour one spoonful at a time. Once all the flour is added, turn the speed up on the mixer and beat until well mixed and comes together in a dough ball.
- Add the finely chopped pecans. Mix to incorporate. The mixture will be very thick and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- When ready to bake, remove the cookie dough from the fridge to warm slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare two cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Pour 1 cup of powdered sugar into a large shallow bowl and set aside.
- Scoop out the snowball cookies with a small cookie scoop (or by 1 tablespoonfuls). Roll into a ball gently with your hands and place balls on cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the bottoms are just starting to turn light golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then roll them in a bowl of powdered sugar to coat them completely.
- Once completely cooled, roll them in powdered sugar again. The second coat of powdered sugar should stick very well and give a heavy powdered "snowball" look.
Equipment
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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These are Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, etc.
Nice