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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!

Snowball Cookies piled on Christmas plate.
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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 for snowball cookies on counter.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter – or salted butter, see How to Soften Butter Quickly
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2¼ cup all-purpose flourHow 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

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. 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.
  3. BAKE. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until a light golden brown.
  4. 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.
Snowball cookies stacked on top of each other on white plate.

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4.97 from 52 votes

Snowball Cookie Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
The BEST holiday cookie is our favorite 6-ingredient snowball cookie recipe – loaded with pecans, it's melt-in-your-mouth perfection!
Servings: 30
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 14 minutes
Total: 24 minutes

Ingredients 

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

Tip. Chilling the dough for 30 minutes may make it easier to roll into balls.
Store cookie dough. 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 baked snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or freezer for 3-4 months. Remove from the container to thaw.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 73mg, Potassium: 15mg, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 190IU, Calcium: 4mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to store cookie dough?

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. 

How to store snowball cookies?

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.

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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4.97 from 52 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




65 Comments

  1. Jolyn salas says:

    5 stars
    This is my other favorite type of cookie

  2. Julie McCleary says:

    5 stars
    These were perfect! Nice and soft and buttery!!

  3. Allison Carrington says:

    5 stars
    If you want a show stopper cookie to give to family and friends try this! Melts in your mouth delicious.

  4. Brenda Edwards says:

    5 stars
    These were so yummy! We make a Greek cookie like this every year but I loved the nuts in this one! This will now be our go to Christmas cookie!

  5. Susan Kucharek says:

    5 stars
    The snowball cookies are my personal favorite of all the cookies.

  6. Jennie Little says:

    5 stars
    These are so yummy!! Perfect holiday treat!

  7. Mindy Powell says:

    5 stars
    Some of my favorite cookies!!

  8. Rachel DeMille says:

    5 stars
    I have always wanted to make these cookies, but I was intimidated. I decided to give it a try and the instructions and tips that were given made it so easy. They turned out amazing!

  9. Gwyn says:

    I have the dough all made but it is too dry to roll into a ball. What did I do wrong? I’ll set it aside until I hear back from you.

    1. (☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞ says:

      You might not have put enough softened butter or enough Vanilla extract

      1. mary says:

        Just wondering unsalted or salted butter?

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        I like to use unsalted. Enjoy!!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you! I hope you like them 🙂