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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.
FINALLY A CHRISTMAS COOKIE WITH A LOW CARBOHYDRATE COUNT WHICH WE NEED DUE TO DIABETES!
These Cookies are delicious! and i love how simple they are to make!
Thank you so much!! And, I agree..super easy & good!
Just wanted to let you know in your snowball COOKIES.There is no mention of how much flour GOES in The. Recipe. For INGREDIENTS.ty
Sorry, I need to add it. It’s 2 1/4 cups of flour. I hope you like these!
Hell0!!!
Love All Your emails!
Your snOwBall cookiEs recipe is
MIssing the Quantity for the
Flour ( in both veRsions including the pdf). Pls advise. THank You
Merry christmas ! Deb
Yes, sorry about that. I fixed it 🙂 The flour amount is 2 1/4 cups. Enjoy!
I would love you receipe for you no roll out sugar cookies it sounds so easy please may I plrase have you receipe?
Hope you like them 🙂 https://lilluna.com/no-roll-sugar-cookies/
I made these and added flour TIll i had a good dough consistency. The total amount i used was 2 1/2 cups.
Very close!! It’s 2 1/4 cups, but that works too! Sorry, I forgot about the flour. I fixed it 🙂 Thanks for trying them!
THESE BRING BACK SO MANY FUN MEMORIES, HAVEN’T SEEN THESE IS SO LONG THAT I’VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THEM, SO THANK YOU FOR THESE SNOWBALL COOKIES
You are so welcome! I am glad to share 🙂
Your recipe has omitted the flour Amount!
I know..I forgot to add it, but I fixed it 🙂 It is 2 1/4 cups.
hELLO KRISTYN AS ALWAYS YOUR RECEIPTS ARE WONDERFUL BUT WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH FLOUR TO DO THIS. CAN YOU HELP US PLEASE?
THANKS FOR EVERYTHING
RUTH
It is 2 1/4 cup. I fixed the recipe, sorry to have left it out 🙂
THANK YOU!! I WILL TRY THEM THIS WEEKEND!
HAVE A NICE WEEK
Thank you so much, you too!
How much flour?
2 1/4 cups 🙂 I added it.
Intrigued with the recipe for Snowball Cookies. Instructions say to add the flour but there is no flour in the ingredients list. how much flour is used?
Yes, sorry, forgot to add it. It is 2 1/4 cups 🙂