This snowball cookies recipe makes cookies that melt in your mouth faster than real snowballs melt in your hand. Made with buttery dough, finely chopped pecans, and a blizzard of powdered sugar, they come together with just a few simple pantry staples.
Holly’s Snowball Highlights
- Flavor: These festive snowball cookies are buttery and tender, with a melt-in-your-mouth crumb and a light dusting of powdered sugar for just the right sweetness.
- Difficulty: These snow cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients and quick mixing. No special steps needed; they’re perfect for beginners or a fast holiday treat.
- Serving Suggestions: These cookies (also known as Mexican wedding cookies) are great for Christmas cookie exchanges along with other favorites like molasses cookies, Christmas dipped Oreos, and spritz cookies.
Simple Snowball Ingredients
- Cookie Dough: Leaving out the eggs and using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar makes these cookies extra light. Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend, if desired.
- Pecans: Pistachios, Macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or any chopped nut can be used instead of pecans. Be sure to chop them fine enough so the dough sticks together.
- Variations: Try adding toasted coconut, lemon, rose water, or orange zest in Step 2, if desired. They are also delicious with mini chocolate chips added.
Snowball Secrets
- For the lightest, most airy cookies, use softened butter in Step 2 and blend the batter until it’s extra fluffy.
- Whisk flour first, then scoop and level it to keep cookies light instead of dense.
- A cookie scoop or melon baller will give you perfect portion sizes without having to roll cookies in your hands.
- Before baking, chill the cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes so the butter firms up and they hold their shape.
Stash Those Snowball Cookies
- Keep snowball cookies in a covered container for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Freeze them in zippered bags for up to 3 months.
- Or shape the raw dough into balls and freeze them on a cookie sheet before transferring them into zippered bags so they retain their shape.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
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Snowball Cookies
These snowball cookies mix butter, powdered sugar, flour, and pecans into soft, tender bites, rolled in sweet sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth treat.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- In a bowl, beat butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and salt until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and then the flour and pecans.
- Scoop dough into 1 tablespoon portions and roll into a ball. Place onto an un-greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are just barely browned.
- Sift powdered sugar over the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Once cooled completely, roll in a bowl of the remaining ½ cup powdered sugar.
- Store in an airtight container once cooled.
Notes
- For light and airy cookies, use softened butter in Step 2 and mix until extra fluffy.
- Use a cookie scoop or melon baller for perfectly portioned dough.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes after placing it on the baking sheet so they will keep their shape while they bake.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days, in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, and in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 26mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Best Christmas cookies! Delicious! Perfect for whipping up a batch in a few minutes. These will definitely become a favorite of my family.
So glad your family loved these cookies! Thanks for leaving a comment 🙂