A Christmas Classic
Today’s Snowball Cookies (aka Russian Tea Cakes) are the ultimate Christmas cookie (right there with our Snickerdoodles and Frosted Sugar Cookies) and ones we make every year! They are so soft they almost melt in your mouth.
Best yet, they are EASY!! You just need a handful of simple ingredients and a few minutes to make and shape the dough. The kids love to make them to dip in hot chocolate. This recipe yields about 30 cookies, so you’ll have plenty. 😉
They are similar to our Mexican Wedding Cookies and just as delicious!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Simple. There are just 6 ingredients and only 4 steps! It doesn’t get much easier!
- Soft and tasty. Snowball cookies practically melt in your mouth and have a great added crunch from the pecans.
- Perfectly gift-able. They are the perfect addition to any party, but especially beautiful on Christmas cookie plates for neighbors and friends for Christmas.
Snowball Cookies Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter – or salted butter, see How to Soften Butter Quickly. The butter helps make the cookies soft and helps hold them together.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – or ½ teaspoon almond extract. It adds depth and flavor to the cookie.
- ½ cup powdered sugar – this adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the batter making the cookie irresistible.
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour – Be sure to fluff your flour before measuring – for more tips, check out our post on How to Measure Flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt – omit if using salted butter
- 1 cup pecans – or chopped walnuts, almonds, cashews, or pistachios (chopped in a food process or nut chopper). The pecans add flavor and crunch to the cookies.
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar – this is the coating that adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the cookie.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
BATTER. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with an electric mixer), cream 1 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Stir in 2¼ cups flour, 1 cup chopped pecans, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix until well combined.
Roll dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon wide, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- BAKE. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until a light golden brown.
- GARNISH. Roll hot cookies in ⅓ cup powdered sugar. Once they have cooled, roll them once more in sugar. Enjoy!
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes to make rolling easier and help the cookies keep their round shape.
- Use a cookie scoop to keep your snowballs uniform in size for even baking.
- Swap pecans with walnuts, almonds, or cashews for a fun twist.
- Store in an airtight container at room temp for up to a week, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Roll cookies twice in powdered sugar for that classic snowy finish—once while warm and again after cooling.
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar, for dusting, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream butter, vanilla, and ½ cup of powdered sugar. Stir in flour, pecans, and salt. Mix until well combined. Roll dough into balls, about 1 tablespoon wide, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes. Do not let them brown.
- Roll hot cookies in powdered sugar. Once they have cooled, roll them once more in sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Cover and store in the fridge for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for tips.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or freezer for 3-4 months. Remove from the container to thaw so that the condensation won’t cause cookies to get sticky.
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This recipe was originally published November 2018.
I like to make them at Christmas time
It’s so funny that I was making these when I sat down to read your daily email! This is my go-to recipe for easy, works-everytime, everyone-loves-them Christmas cookies!
My grandma loves these snowball cookies! They’re soft and decadent. We will be having this for Christmas!
That makes me so happy to hear!
I used walnuts instead of pecans and vegan butter instead of regular and these cookies were the bomb! They do indeed melt in your mouth. Excellent!
Before rolling into balls to bake,, dough doesn’t hold together to
Make the balls. Is this normal?
I love these cookies ! I’ve been making them the last few Christmases & also give them as gifts . now that my daughter is gluten free , I will be trying this recipe with gluten free flour !
Thanx! LOVE IT!!!
~~ MONA LISA ROCHA GARCIA ~~
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoy the cookies!
Hi Kristyn. Would you use a cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to measure the balls? I am not sure what you mean by ” 1 tbsp wide?” Thanks so much!
I can’t wait to try to make this.
We love these cookies! We have so many names for them, Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cakes, and snow balls.