Ask anyone in my family which cookie has to be on the Christmas tray, and you'll get the same answer in about two seconds.
Not the cutouts I spend an afternoon decorating.
Not the fancy layered bars, either.
They want the little powdered sugar balls, and they want them by the dozen.
For a long time, I assumed these Christmas snowball cookies had to be a lot of work, since they disappear faster than anything else I bake.
Then I actually made them and laughed out loud.
It's one bowl, a handful of pantry staples, and a pile of toasted pecans.
The only real mess is the double roll in powdered sugar, which leaves my counter looking like a snow day.
My kids fight over who gets to do the rolling, so I let them, and the cookies still come out looking perfect.
Each one is buttery, sandy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender, with a nutty crunch under that snowy coat.
One batch makes about 36 cookies, and they bake in roughly 15 minutes.
Make them once and they'll be on your Christmas list forever, I promise.
What Are Snowball Cookies?
Snowball cookies are small, round shortbread cookies made with butter, flour, nuts, and powdered sugar. There are no eggs and no baking soda or powder, so they stay dense and tender instead of rising.
After baking, you roll them in powdered sugar twice, which gives them that soft, snowy look.
You've probably seen them under other names, too.
- Russian tea cakes. The same buttery nut ball, a very common name on older recipe cards.
- Mexican wedding cookies. Usually made with pecans or almonds, and often served at weddings and celebrations.
- Italian wedding cookies. Many versions use almonds or walnuts, but the dough and sugar coat are nearly identical.
- Butterballs. A Midwest favorite name that pretty much says it all.
- Kourabiedes. The Greek cousin, often shaped into crescents and flavored with almonds.
So what's the difference between snowball cookies and Italian wedding cookies? Mostly the name and the nut.
Call them whatever your family calls them. At my house in December, they're snowballs.
Why You'll Love These Snowball Cookies
This is the easiest cookie on the whole holiday tray. It also happens to be the one people ask for first.
- Six simple ingredients. Butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, salt, and pecans. That's it!
- One bowl. No separate dry mix, no sifting, and very few dishes.
- No eggs. Handy when you're baking through a dozen recipes and run out.
- Make-ahead friendly. The dough chills up to 3 days, and baked cookies freeze for months.
- Perfect for gifting. They're sturdy, they stack, and they look festive in any tin.
- Kid-friendly. Rolling the balls and coating them in sugar is a great way to get little helpers involved.
Ingredients You'll Need
With only six ingredients, each one matters. Use the good butter here.
- Unsalted butter (1 cup). Softened to room temperature, so it dents easily with a finger but isn't greasy. Butter is the main flavor, so this is where quality shows.
- Powdered sugar (½ cup for the dough). Use powdered sugar in the dough, NOT granulated. It dissolves completely and gives the fine, sandy, melt-away texture.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons). Pure vanilla gives these a warm, bakery-style flavor.
- All-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups). Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Packed flour is the number one reason snowballs turn dry.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon). Just enough to sharpen the butter and nuts. Skip it if you only have salted butter.
- Pecans (1 cup). Toasted and very finely chopped. Small pieces keep the balls round and smooth instead of lumpy.
- Powdered sugar (1 ¼ cups for rolling). This is the snow. You'll use most of it across two coats.
Expect a Crumbly Dough
The first time you mix this dough, it will look wrong. Don't panic.
Right after the flour goes in, it looks like dry, sandy crumbs.
Keep mixing for another 30-60 seconds and it will start clumping into big, soft pieces.
Pinch a little between your fingers. If it holds together, it's ready.
Still too crumbly? Knead it a few times by hand. The warmth of your hands helps the butter bind everything.
How to Make Christmas Snowball Cookies
The method is quick, and the double sugar roll is the only step that needs a little patience.
Step 1: Toast and Chop the Pecans
Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast them at 325°F for 8-10 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Let them cool, then chop them very finely, almost to the size of coarse sand.
Pro tip: Toasting is optional, but it makes the nut flavor twice as deep. I never skip it anymore.
Step 2: Make the Dough
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Add the ½ cup of powdered sugar and the vanilla, and beat until fluffy and pale, about 1 more minute.
Add the flour and salt on low speed, mixing until the crumbs start to clump together. Mix in the chopped pecans until they're evenly spread through the dough.
Step 3: Chill and Roll
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes. This keeps the balls round in the oven instead of slumping into flat discs.
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and roll it into a smooth ball about 1 inch across, then set the balls about 1 ½ inches apart.
Step 4: Bake
Bake one sheet at a time for 13-15 minutes. The tops should stay pale and the bottoms should be just barely golden.
Overbaked snowballs taste dry and lose that melt-in-your-mouth texture, so start checking at 13 minutes.
Step 5: Roll Twice in Powdered Sugar
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, just until you can handle them. Roll each warm cookie in a shallow bowl of powdered sugar and set it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once they're fully cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time. This is the coat that makes them look like real snowballs!
How to Make the Powdered Sugar Stick
The secret to a thick, snowy coat is rolling twice at two different temperatures. Each coat does a different job.
- The warm coat. The heat melts the first layer of sugar slightly, so it clings and forms a thin, sticky base.
- The cool coat. On a fully cooled cookie, the second layer sits on top of that base and stays bright white and powdery.
- The optional third coat. If your cookies have been sitting in a tin for a few days, give them one more quick roll right before serving.
Roll them too hot and the sugar melts into a pasty glaze. Wait until they're cold for the first coat and nothing sticks.
Fair warning: Your counter will be dusted white. It's part of the fun.
Tips for Perfect Snowball Cookies
Most snowball problems come from butter temperature, flour, or bake time. Each one has a quick fix.
- Cookies flattened in the oven. The butter was too soft or the dough was warm. Chill the shaped balls for 15 minutes before baking.
- Dough won't hold together. Usually too much flour. Knead it by hand for a minute, or add 1 tablespoon of softened butter.
- Cookies taste dry. Pull them earlier. They should look pale on top, not golden.
- Sugar turned pasty. They were rolled too hot. Wait the full 5 minutes before the first coat.
- Uneven sizes. Use a small cookie scoop so every ball bakes in the same time.
- Chunky nuts. Large pecan pieces poke through and break the round shape. Chop them very fine.
Variations
The basic dough takes all kinds of flavors. These are the ones I keep coming back to.
- Walnut snowballs. Swap the pecans for the same amount of finely chopped walnuts.
- Almond snowballs. Use finely chopped toasted almonds and add ½ teaspoon of almond extract.
- Pistachio snowballs. Chopped pistachios give a pretty pale green inside that looks festive.
- Nut-free snowballs. Leave the nuts out entirely, or stir in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips.
- Peppermint snowballs. Mix ¼ cup of finely crushed candy canes into the final coat of sugar.
- Spiced snowballs. Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough and a pinch to the rolling sugar.
How to Store Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies keep beautifully at room temperature. The butter keeps them tender all week.
- Countertop. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Stacking. Lay parchment between the layers so the sugar coat doesn't rub off.
- Gifting. Pack them in tins or cellophane bags, and give them a fresh roll in sugar right before you hand them out.
Make Ahead and Freezing
These are one of the best cookies to bake ahead for Christmas. I usually have a batch in the freezer by early December.
- Chilled dough. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let it sit out 30 minutes before rolling.
- Frozen dough balls. Freeze shaped balls on a tray, then move them to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes.
- Frozen baked cookies. Freeze after the first sugar coat for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then roll in sugar again.
- Cookie box timeline. Bake up to a week ahead, store airtight, and do the final roll the day you pack your boxes.
Who doesn't love a cookie that's this easy and this festive?
Give them a try this Christmas, and don't be surprised if the tin is empty by morning!
Recipe
Christmas Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226 g)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (281 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans toasted and very finely chopped
For Rolling
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Toast the pecans on a baking sheet at 325°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Cool and chop very finely.
- Beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute until creamy. Add ½ cup powdered sugar and the vanilla and beat 1 minute more until fluffy.
- Mix in the flour and salt on low speed until the crumbs clump together. Mix in the pecans.
- Cover and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Shape and Bake
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll 1 tablespoon portions of dough into smooth 1-inch balls and place them 1 ½ inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 13 to 15 minutes, until the tops are pale and the bottoms are just barely golden.
Coat in Sugar
- Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes. Roll each warm cookie in the powdered sugar and set on a wire rack.
- When the cookies are completely cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time.
Notes
- Powdered sugar in the dough: Do not swap in granulated sugar. Powdered sugar gives the fine, melt-away texture.
- Crumbly dough: Keep mixing until it clumps, or knead briefly by hand.
- Nut-free: Leave out the pecans or replace them with ½ cup mini chocolate chips.
- Storage: Keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week with parchment between layers.
- Freezing: Freeze dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months. Re-roll in powdered sugar after thawing.
