I love the holidays, especially Christmas. It is a great time to bust out all of those holiday cookie recipes. A popular holiday cookie here in the United States is snowball cookies.
They go perfectly on a plate of Christmas goodies that you can hand out to friends, neighbors, and family members. And the best part is, they only require 6 ingredients and can be made in under 30 minutes. If I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get baking!
What are snowball cookies?
Snowball cookies or Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies are kind of like a sugar cookie mixed with a shortbread cookie with finely chopped nuts, shaped into a ball, and rolled in powdered sugar.
Step 1: Gather the ingredients
In order to make these yummy homemade snowball cookies you just need the following simple ingredients:
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter, but you can use salted too if you like. If you use salted, just make sure to reduce the amount of added salt by half.
- Vanilla extract – This adds lots of flavor and enhances the other flavors.
- Powdered sugar – The powdered sugar will add sweetness. Although these cookies aren’t incredibly sweet, in my opinion, even once they are rolled in powdered sugar.
- Nuts – I always use pecans, but you can use walnuts, peanuts, etc.
- Flour – Use all-purpose/plain flour. Do not use self-rising flour. These are not supposed to have any leavening agents in them.
- Salt – The salt will enhance the flavor and balance out the sweetness.
Tools
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer or wooden spoon (and whisk)
- Spatula
- Cookie sheet or sheet pan
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Small bowl for powdered sugar
- Wire rack
Step 2: How to make snowball cookies at home
Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Make sure the main rack is in the middle position.
Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and cream those ingredients together with a mixer.
NOTE: Use a whisk if you don’t have a mixer and once you start adding the flour, switch to a wooden spoon.
Now mix in the chopped pecans. You can use walnuts or peanuts too if you like.
Step 3: Finish the snowball cookies dough and bake those cookies!
Combine the salt with the flour. Then mix the flour mixture in a little at a time until the cookie dough forms. The cookie dough will be thick. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Remove the beaters and clean them.
Use a tablespoon and scoop out a heaping amount of the snowball cookie dough. Then roll it in your hands. It winds up being a two Tablespoon worth ball. Place the cookie ball on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the bottom is slightly golden brown. You will notice it on the edges. The tops may look slightly brown too.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the pan.
Step 4: They seem me Rollin’ those cookies…
Now roll the cookies in a bowl of powdered sugar and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
NOTE: The powdered sugar sticks better to warm cookies. So don’t wait until the cookies are completely cool to roll them.
Once completely cooled, time to eat them! Enjoy!
How long do snowball cookies last?
Snowball cookies will last about a week at room temperature stored in a plastic ziplock bag or an airtight container. They will last about a week longer in the fridge. You can also freeze the cookies. Or freeze the dough and bake them later. After forming them into a ball place them on a pan and put them in the freezer. After about an hour you can take them off the pan and put them in a freezer bag, then back in the freezer.
Here are other holiday desserts you may like:
Snowball Cookies
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer or wooden spoon (and whisk)
- Spatula
- Cookie sheet or sheet pan
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Small bowl for powdered sugar
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup of unsalted butter softened (227g)
- 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract 7ml
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar 65g
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans walnuts, peanuts, etc. (112g)
- 2 1/4 cup flour 270g
- 1 tsp salt 5g
- Extra powdered sugar for rolling the cookies in. about 1 cup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Make sure the main rack is in the middle position.
- Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl and cream those ingredients together with a mixer.
- Now mix in the chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, peanuts, etc.)
- Combine the salt with the flour. Then mix the flour mixture in a little at a time until the cookie dough forms. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon worth of dough and roll it into a ball with clean hands and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the bottom is slightly golden brown. You will notice it on the edges. The tops may look slightly brown too.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the pan.
- Roll the cookies in a bowl of powdered sugar and place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
NOTE: The powdered sugar sticks better to warm cookies. So don’t wait until the cookies are completely cool to roll them.Nutrition
Do you like the recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.
Check out my other website 101 Creative Dates for fun date ideas. Food and dating go hand in hand!
These cookies are so good! My kids really enjoyed them! Can’t wait to make it again!
Glad you like them! 🙂 🙂
These are my favorite cookies! I am making some more tomorrow!
So cool, Tracey! 🙂
My family has always loved snowball cookies! My kids love the powdered sugar! I like adding these to goodie plates.
Awesome! 🙂