Snowball Cookie Recipe

4.97 from 52 votes

Snowball Cookie Recipe

Snowball Cookies are buttery Christmas cookies with chopped pecans, tender centers, and a double coating of powdered sugar.

Prep Time10

Cook Time14

Total Time24

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

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.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes to make rolling easier and help the cookies keep their round shape.
Roll cookies twice in powdered sugar for that classic snowy finish—once while warm and again after cooling.
Use softened butter, not melted butter, so the dough mixes together properly.
Chop the pecans small so they spread evenly through the cookies.
Roll the dough into even 1 tablespoon balls so they bake at the same rate.
Do not let the cookies brown, they should stay light for the best texture.
Make-ahead tip: bake the cookies ahead and store them covered, then add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving if needed.

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 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.

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