Old fashioned snowball cookies are one of those must-haves during the holiday season. They are buttery, nutty, and have a melt-in-your-mouth texture that reminds me of cotton candy. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
These Old fashioned snowball cookies are a Christmas tradition in my home like my Chocolate Fudge Crinkle Cookies, but they go by a number of different names including Mexican wedding cakes, Russian tea cakes, and Italian wedding cookies. No matter what you call them, they are sure to be a hit! If you are a fan of melt-in-your-mouth cookies, don’t forget to check out my Melt Away Cookies. They are creamy, crunchy, and delicious.
Let's take a quick look at the ingredients
• Butter
• Powdered sugar
• Flour
• Chopped pecans
• Salt
• Vanilla
Scroll down to the bottom for the full printable recipe card!
Equipment Needed for Snowball Cookies
• Hand mixer
• Large and medium mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and Spoons
• Baking sheet
• Food processor
• Cookie Scoop
• Cooling rack
How to Make Snowball Cookies
Whether you are whipping these up for your Christmas dinner, or just want a light and fluffy treat, you’re going to love how easy these snowball cookies are to make!
Step 1: Prep Before you begin, bring your butter to room temperature on the counter.
Step 2: Cream Ingredients Cream your margarine, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer on low speed.
Step 3: Fold in Flour and Salt Next, fold in half of your flour and salt and mix on low to medium speed until fully blended.
Step 4: Add More Flour and Salt Then, fold in the rest of the flour and salt and mix again on medium speed until everything is incorporated.
Step 5: Mix in Nuts Finally, add your chopped nuts to the mixture and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
Step 6: Refrigerate Cover your mixture and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Step 8: Preheat the oven Preheat your oven to 350℉, and then remove the dough from the refrigerator. Grease a cookie sheet.
Step 9: Roll the Dough Roll your dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Step 10: Bake the Cookies Bake your cookies at 350℉ for 14-15 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.
Step 11: Make the Topping While your cookies are baking, put 2 cups of powdered sugar into a shallow bowl or baking dish.
Step 12: Roll Cookies in Powdered Sugar Immediately roll your cookies in the powdered sugar after you pull them out of the oven. Make sure they are fully covered and set aside to cool.
Serve and Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Do a little planning. You will want to plan on setting the butter out 1-2 hours before you make the recipe so that it can come to room temperature.
- Don’t overmix. Overmixing these cookies will lead to a dry cookie. Be mindful not to overmix.
- Use a melon baller. Using a small melon baller helps to keep the cookies uniform in size.
- Don’t handle the dough too much. Try to handle the dough as minimally as possible for the best results.
- Add more powdered sugar. If you choose, you can use a sifter to add more powdered sugar to your cookies.
Do I Have to Use Pecans?
No! You can use just about any chopped nut for this recipe that you choose. Walnuts, hazelnuts, and Macadamia nuts are some other favorites.
How Do I Chop the Nuts?
To chop your nuts, you will need a food processor. Place them in the food processor and pulse them a couple of times until the nuts are finely chopped. There should only be a few larger chunks here and there. If you pulse them too much, you will turn them into a fine flour-like substance. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place them in a plastic bag and roll a rolling pin over when a few times.
How Do I Store Snowball Cookies?
You can store your leftover cookies in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they will keep for 2 weeks.
Can I Freeze Snowball Cookies?
Absolutely! Place the cookies in a Ziploc freezer bag. They can stay in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you are ready to eat them, allow them to thaw in the fridge, and then let them get to room temperature before eating.
Other Cookies to Try
Looking for more delicious cookie recipes. Try some of my favorites, below!
Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies
Oreo Dipped Christmas Cookies
Peppermint Chocolate Cake Truffles
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Snowball cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 2 cups and 4 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar divided
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Bring butter to room temperature on the counter. Plan on setting out your butter 1-2 hours before making the recipe.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, vanilla, and 4 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar with a hand mixer on low speed.
- Next, add the flour and salt and mix until combined.
- Finally, add chopped nuts and mix just until combined. Try not to over mix.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for the best results.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the dough from the refrigerator.
- Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Using a small cookie scoop helps to keep the cookies uniform in size.
- Try to handle the dough as minimally as possible for the best results.
- Bake at 350 degrees until the bottom of the cookie is golden brown for about 14-15 minutes.
- While cookies are baking, prepare a shallow bowl or baking dish with 2 cups of powdered sugar.
- When cookies are done, immediately roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar. Ensure your cookie is fully covered with powdered sugar and set aside to cool. Using a sifter, dust the cookies with additional powdered sugar.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
There are a number of names for these cookies. Mexican wedding cakes, Russian tea cakes, and Italian wedding cookies. Often it will depend on the region you live in and the slight variation that each region makes to the cookie. You may use just about any chopped nut for this recipe. Walnuts are a favorite too. To chop nuts, place them in the food processor and pulse them a couple of times until the nuts are finely chopped with a few larger chunks here and there. If you pulse them too much the nuts will become like flour. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour. Overmixing these cookies will lead to a dry cookie. Be mindful not to overmix.
Hmmm...that usually means not enough butter or they were baked too long. If you would like to send me an email I can help you troubleshoot and see what went wrong 🙂
About a third of mine fell apart while I was dredging them is powdered sugar. What did I do wrong?
will try this xmas