Snowball cookies are a soft, buttery shortbread cookie mixed with chopped pecans on the inside, coated with the perfect dusting of sweet powdered sugar on the outside. They are the perfect holiday cookie.
They come by their name honestly, because they truly look like the perfect snowball sitting atop a plate. These simple, yet classic, Christmas cookies are so delicious and they make for the perfect holiday treat.
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Snowball Cookie Recipe
These Snowball Cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies of all time. I think it’s because they instantly remind me of my grandma. She used to make them every year for our family gatherings.
These cookies are also (in my humble opinion) one of the most overlooked Christmas cookies. They are really simple to make and the texture and flavor is so yummy.
They truly melt in your mouth. Not to mention, they are beautiful. When you have an entire platter of snowball cookies they make for a really nice centerpiece at the table.
Try our twist on this classic cookie with our Peppermint Snowball Cookies!
Ingredients
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Clear vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Chopped pecans
- Powdered sugar
Additions & Substitutions
Pecans: If you are not a huge fan of nuts, you can lessen the amount of pecans. Alternatively, if you love nuts, you can also add in more. You could also switch out the pecans for many different types of nuts. Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, or hazelnuts are others that would also work for this recipe.
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How to Make Classic Snowball Cookies
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Cream the butter until the butter turns a pale yellow.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix well until the butter mixture is fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and mix to make sure the vanilla is incorporated well.
- Slowly add the flour mixture, a 1/4 cup at a time, and mix until the flour is incorporated.
Pro-Tip: Do not overmix. Stop the mixing as soon as the flour is fully incorporated. - Add the finely chopped pecans, and mix just until the pecans are evenly mixed into the dough.
- Add the extra 2 cups of powdered sugar for rolling the warm cookie balls in, and set aside.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie dough scoop, scoop out the dough. Carefully but tightly, press and roll the dough in your hands to form the rounded cookie ball. Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart.
- Place snowball dough balls in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, uncovered to chill.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden brown.
- Remove the cookies and allow them to rest a few minutes.
- Gently roll the cookies in the powdered sugar.
Pro-Tip: Best to use a fork to move them around in the powdered sugar so the heat from your fingers doesn’t start melting the sugar and making it mushy. - Transfer to a tray to finish cooling completely.
- Roll the cookies one more time in the powdered sugar to ensure they are completely coated.
Tips
- I have found that a stand mixer makes for the best results. It makes it much easier to slowly add ingredients in while the mixer is going. However, you could also use a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer as well. Either would work just fine!
Useful Kitchen Tools
Here are some useful kitchen tools that will help make your baking life a lot easier! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Cookie Scoop – this makes it much easier to get the perfect size scoop of the dough. This is a set of 3 so you always will have the right size!
- Silicone Baking Mat: – This is a kitchen MUST HAVE! I use them for everything… making cookies, sheet pan dinners and so much more!
How to Store Snowball Cookies
Store the coated and cooled cookies in an airtight container for 5-7 days. They can be placed in the fridge or stored on the countertop at room temperature.
You also can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze uncooked dough balls and bake them from frozen, adding an additional 1 minute to the instructions above.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups | Chocolate Christmas Tree Pretzels | Christmas Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies | Christmas Pinwheel Cookies | Cinnamon Roll Cookies | Chocolate Covered Oreo Reindeer Cookie | Christmas Truffles | Old Fashioned Christmas Sugar Cookies | Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2½ tsp clear vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 2 cups powdered sugar for coating the baked cookies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, or a medium size mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer, cream the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until the butter turns a pale yellow. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Slowly add the powdered sugar a ¼ cup at a time, mixing well until the butter mixture is fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Keeping the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and mix for a few seconds to make sure the vanilla is incorporated well.
- Continue to keep the mixer on low speed. Slowly add the flour mixture a 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well after each 1/4 cup until the flour is incorporated. Do not overmix. Stop the mixing as soon as the flour is fully incorporated.
- Add the finely chopped pecans, and mix just until the pecans are evenly mixed into the dough.
- Using a medium size bowl, add the extra 2 cups of powdered sugar for rolling the warm cookie balls in, and set aside.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out the dough. Carefully but tightly, press and roll the dough in your hands to form the rounded cookie ball. The cookie balls should be about the size of a large marble. Place the cookie dough balls 2 inches apart.
- Place snowball dough balls in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, uncovered to chill.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms are light golden brown.
- Remove the cookies and allow them to rest a few minutes until they are easy to handle. Carefully transfer the cookie ball to the powdered sugar bowl. Gently roll the cookies in the powdered sugar. Best to use a fork to move them around in the powdered sugar so the heat from your fingers doesn’t start melting the sugar and making it mushy.
- Transfer the dusted cookies to a tray to finish cooling completely for a few minutes.
- Roll the cookies one more time in the powdered sugar to ensure they are completely coated.
- Store the coated and cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Nutrition Info
I followed recipe, looked good and handled timing really well. Except it made a Sandy feeling on hands. Thought it may be the butter, and I always use unsalted unless it calls for it. They came out beautiful, cracking a bit but not too much, but still felt a bit Sandy on hands. Rolled the first one in sugar, after cooling, gave half to my hubby(taste tester) and we both had the same reaction. Ugh! It crumbled like air, but it was so pasty when we chewed it! It made us feel like we are heating a roux in our mouths, but without enough liquid! Very pasty! The thing I could think of, was the cornstarch. All ingredients were fresh, but it was like way too much flour or cornstarch. I concluded, it had to be the later. I had made them years ago and had never included the cornstarch.