Perfect for a classic Christmas treat.
Buttery, tender, and coated in a double layer of powdered sugar, Snowball Cookies are a holiday classic you’ll want to make year after year. They are great shippers and hold up well in cookie boxes. You’ll end up adding them to your must bake list every year.
Walnuts or Pecans?
This is an easy one….for our household it’s ALWAYS walnuts. It can be quite shocking to bite into a snowball that doesn’t contain the nut you grew up eating. These are a classic. A Christmas cookie I remember making and enjoying when I was little.
These are also some of the first cookies my mom ever made as a child so you can imagine how much of a well loved treat this is in our family. She always reminds me not to over bake them. So from her to us – only bake until the bottoms are just golden, the tops WILL be pale.
I look forward to these every year!
Ingredients
I love when a cookie recipe is incredibly simple, don’t you? We all have those 72 step recipes we do every year, maybe dread it a little bit, but enjoy the end result. Have you ever made Rainbow Cookies? That’s the kind of recipe I’m talking about.
But these, these are simple. But to no detriment to its taste.
Let’s break it down:
Ingredients
- unsalted butter – I almost always use unsalted for baking
- powdered sugar – lots of powdered sugar for this one
- all purpose flour
- kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal in all my recipes
- vanilla extract
- walnuts – we talked about this, walnuts definitely win here, but choose the nut you enjoy or grew up eating!
How to Make Snowball Cookies
- Make the Dough: Cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour and salt, then fold in the chopped walnuts until the dough comes together.
- Chill and Scoop: Chill the dough so the butter firms up, then scoop onto your cookie sheet.
- Bake Until Just Golden on the Bottom: Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly golden, the tops will still be pale.
- Roll in Powdered Sugar (Twice!): Roll the cookies in powdered sugar, then roll again once they’re completely cooled.
Double Roll Snowballs in Powdered Sugar
I know it can be tedious to double roll snowballs, but I promise it’s worth it!
The first roll in powdered sugar while slightly warm allows the sugar to melt beautifully into the cookies and is truly what makes these cookies taste so great. There’s not a ton of sugar in this dough, and they are a tad crumbly, so that melted sugar adds great texture.
We roll it a second time to get that signature snowy look to the cookies.
See below for yourself!
How to Store Snowball Cookies
Store fully baked and rolled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. If they lose their bright white color, re-roll them in powdered sugar before serving.
How to Freeze Snowball Cookies
For longer storage, freeze snowballs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You will need to roll them in powdered sugar again when you defrost them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the cookies so pale, are they done?
That is normal. The bottoms of the cookies will be lightly golden, the tops will have no color and be very pale.
Why do I have to roll the cookies in powdered sugar twice?
The first roll will melt into the cookie giving it a delicious texture. The second roll is what makes these look like a snowball, bright white.
What if I don’t like walnuts?
You can use another nut of your choice. Our family recipe includes only walnuts!
Print
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2¼ cups all purpose flour and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Fold in ¾ cup chopped walnuts.
- Place the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the dough using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop for small cookies or a 1.5 tablespoon scoop for large cookies. You can place them an inch apart as they will not spread.
- Bake 10-12 minutes for small cookies or 17-19 minutes for large cookies. The bottoms should just be turning golden and the tops of the cookies will not brown.
- Roll in confectioners sugar once cool enough to touch but still warm. Roll a second time once the cookies are cool, as the initial layer will have melted.
Notes
The dough is not overly sweet because we roll the cookies in powdered sugar.
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