Snowball Cookies are rich, buttery cookies that are full of chopped pecans and twice rolled in sugar for a powdery coating. Also known as Russian Tea Cakes and Mexican Wedding Cookies (among others), these are classic holiday cookies. But, they are easy enough to make whenever you are craving a nutty treat. And, they look like little snowballs, which works for me since we get a lot of snow here! For another popular and fun holiday cookie, check out my Sugar Cookies Recipe.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Butter: Be sure the unsalted butter is at room temperature before making the cookies. I prefer using unsalted butter to have more control over the salt added. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the salt in the recipe.
Pecans: To finely chop the pecans, you could use a food processor or chop by hand. Or, try walnuts or almonds if preferred!
How to Store Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies will last up to 3 days at room temperature, in a sealed container, or up to 2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator. Add them to your Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board when ready to enjoy!
Can I Freeze Snowball Cookies?
Yes, snowball cookies are a wonderful way to get a head start on your holiday treats! They can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months. Remember to use a freezer-safe container and add a label and date. Check out my freezing, baking, and storing cookies for more helpful hints!
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) confectioners' sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (105 g) pecans, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the butter with ½ cup of the confectioners' sugar and vanilla.
- Starting on low speed, add the flour, pecans, and salt. Increase speed to medium until all ingredients are incorporated. The mixture will look like coarse sand.
- Using a 1-tablespoon scoop, drop balls of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Use your hands to roll each into balls. Place them onto the lined baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until light golden brown. (You don't want them too brown.)
- Remove cookies from the oven and while still hot, roll each in the remaining cup of confectioners' sugar. Set coated cookies back on the lined baking sheets to cool.
- Once cool, roll the snowball cookies in the confectioners' sugar a second time. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Video
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Great recipe. The cookies are delicious. I used a bigger scoop so for next time I should probably use a melon baller for smaller cookies.
I’ve made this recipe multiple times. I like to cool them on the tray for 5 minutes. Then I can more easily put a few in a ziplock bag & shake them with the powdered sugar.