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The BEST holiday cookie is our favorite 6-ingredient snowball cookies – loaded with pecans, it’s melt-in-your-mouth perfection!
A Holiday Favorite!
It should be no surprise we love love LOVE today’s Snowball Cookies (aka Russian Tea Cakes)!
They 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. YUM! 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 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.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 14 minutes
- 1 cup unsalted butter – or salted butter, see How to Soften Butter Quickly.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract – ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2¼ cup all-purpose flour – 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)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar – for dusting, as needed
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!
Pro Tips!
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes may make it easier to roll into balls. It will also help them keep their shape.
- Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to easily make uniform cookies.
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Snowball Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2¼ cup 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.
Video
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.
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.