Easy to make Snowball Cookies that will melt in your mouth. These classic Christmas Cookies are made with pecans and then rolled in powdered sugar for a light, tender cookie everyone is going to love!
Snowball Cookies Recipe
Ok, I’m not here to proclaim that Snowball Cookies are my favorite Christmas cookie (it’s so hard to pick just 1!) but these are high up there on my cookie list.
These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are not only delicious, but they’re so easy to make! To show you how easy they are to make, I made a quick recipe video that you walks you through the steps! My 3 year old daughter helped me make these cookies!
What Are Russian Tea Cakes?
What do you call these cookies? I’ve heard a variety of different terms for classic Snowball cookies. Some call them Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cakes, and I’ve even heard some call them butter balls.
Russian Tea Cakes (or snowball cookies) are commonly baked around the holiday season. They are a form of Jumble which was a popular cookie pastry made in the Middle Ages. Jumbles were popular during that time because they traveled and kept so well, thanks to their hard nature being made with nuts or seeds.
Although in the Middle Ages they were known to keep these cookies around for a year without becoming stale, I dare you to keep them around for a week without eating them all up!
Ingredients
You only need 6 basic ingredients for this recipe. You probably already have everything in your kitchen!
- Butter (softened)
- Confectioners’ Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Finely Chopped Pecans
Other nuts can be used in this recipe (like walnuts), but I prefer using pecans for these cookies. You want to make sure they are finely chopped, so they don’t overwhelm the cookies. Simply take a handful and throw them in your food processor. A few pulses later you’ll have the exact consistency that you want.
How Do You Make Snowball Cookies?
Start this snowball cookie recipe by creaming together the butter, sugar and vanilla extract, together in a mixing bowl.
In another bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture and stir well to fully incorporate the ingredients. Add the finely chopped pecans and stir so they are equally distributed. I do this with a spoon.
Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll cookie dough into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or silicone baking mats. When rolling the cookies, keep the balls on the smaller side, about 1 inch. This will help them hold their shape when they are baking.
Bake for around 10 minutes or until cookies are light brown on the bottom.
Remove from oven. While cookies are still warm roll each cookie in powdered sugar.
I hope you enjoy these Snowball Cookies as much as my family loves them!
Why are my snowball cookies falling apart?
Your cookies are probably falling apart because you didn’t chill the dough long enough. The cookie dough needs to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes. I always like to chill for a little longer.
Why do you want to chill the dough? These cookies have flour in them, so chilling the dough permits the gluten strands in the flour to cause a rubbery texture in the final cookie. Also, having the dough chilled makes it much easier to roll up all the dough into balls when it’s time to bake them.
They also might be falling apart because they are too dry. Try adding a tablespoon of two of milk to the batter and mix with your hands.
How do you store snowball cookies?
These cookies keep well, stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week. The cookie dough can be made in advance and frozen for up to one month.
Other Favorite Holiday Cookies To Try:
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Blossoms
Christmas Cookies you can bake with kids
Christmas Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chow Mein Cookies
Easy Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Gingerbread Men (and Women) Cookies
Nutella Butter Cookies
Pin for later:
Snowball Cookies
PrintIngredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/4 cup confectioners powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- additional powdered sugar to roll cookies in
Instructions
- Cream together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla together in large bowl.
- In another bowl mix together flour and salt.
- Add flour mixture into butter bowl and mix until crumbly and well combined.
- Add chopped pecans and stir with a spoon so they are equally distributed.
- Chill dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Roll dough in 1 inch balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet or silicone baking mats.
- Bake 9 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms are light brown. Remove from oven.
- Add about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. While still warm, roll each cookie in powdered sugar. Now my favorite part – eat them! Store cookies in an airtight container.
Lauren says
Any tips on the cookies being too doughy in the middle? I tried baking them longer, still doughy
Pamela Reed says
Hey Lauren, if doughy I would add more time (I know you said you did, but maybe even a little longer). Also these will come of the oven a little soft, so be sure to allow to cool as this will help solidify the centers. Hope this helps and you give them another try.
Marloe says
The only problem I had is there are no measurements! How much butter? How much sugar? How much vanilla? Can you please text me the amount of measurements? Thank you!
Pamela says
Hi Marloe, all the measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Peggy says
I cannot have nuts due to a medical condition. Could I use toffee pieces instead of nuts?
Pamela says
I would use crushed pretzels instead of toffee as they will hold the cookie together better.
Grace says
Love this recipe thank you
Mirjana says
I made the recipe for 18 cookies but was able to get 26 out of the dough using a small ice cream scoop. Very tasty! Sprinkled the powder sugar rather than rolling them. Look very neat and professional this way. Thanks!
LisaH says
For stars because the recipe is so small. If you’re making for Christmas, triple the recipe. I doubled it and it only made 44 cookies. Balls are appropriately 1-11/2″ in size.
Pamela says
Hey Lisa, the recipe makes 18 cookies as stated in the recipe card. There’s a handy “serves” button that you can tap or hover over to change the serving size, which automatically adjusts the ingredient amounts. Hope that helps.
B says
I’m freezing rolled un-baked cookie dough. Do I roll in confectioners sugar before freezing?
Pamela says
Hey B, I actually do it twice if I’m freezing. I will roll in sugar before freezing, and then once defrosted, I’ll lightly roll in sugar again to make them look good. Hope this helps!
Jana says
Can you freeze these once rolled in icing sugar? 😬
Pamela says
Hey Jana, yes you can! 🙂
Mirjana says
I made the recipe for 18 cookies but was able to get 26 out of the dough using a small ice cream scoop. Very tasty! Sprinkled the powder sugar rather than rolling them. Look very neat and professional this way. Thanks!
Lorna says
We love these!
They’re also so simple to make.
Christie Roberts says
Pamela, I have mixed up all the ingredients according to your recipe. I must have done something wrong/ I chilled the mixture and attempted to roll into balls. The mix is soooooo dry it will NOT form into anything remotely resembling a ball. I can’t believe the only WET ingredient is butter. Please help me. Can I just add some water? I have put the mixture in a baggie in the fridge. I await your input.
Pamela says
Hey Christie, this is a old family recipe so I can confirm this is the right recipe! I just made them last week for Christmas! 🙂 I would add a little bit of water – like one tablespoon at a time until you can roll into balls – this should not take much more than that! Send me a picture of your final cookies – would love to see them! Enjoy!
Lorna says
It seemed dry for me as well, but if you really squeeze the dough tight it will form into a ball. I couldn’t roll them smoother, (because then they would break up), but they still worked out & baked perfectly.
Christie Roberts says
Thanks, Pamela
Christie Roberts says
Does the recipe call for powdered sugar in the cookie mix or regular sugar? The powdered sugar is for rolling the cooked ball in, right?
Pamela says
Hi Christie – both! You use 1/4 cup confectioners powdered sugar for the cookie dough and then additionally roll the cookies around in it.
Bj Hopkins says
These cookies are delicious. I did some research and they’re called polvorones in Mexican bakeries. Does anyone know if they can be mailed I would like to send my daughter a box of bees in New York.
Bj Hopkins says
Bees should have read “these” ☺
Pamela says
Hey BJ, you could definitely mail the cookies to your daughter. I would suggest using a 2 day delivery service.
PS. I would not recommend mailing bees! 😉
Maisy says
Pamela, your edible snowballs look amazing! I’ve never had such cookies before but I’m stoked to try them! I have featured you at the Friday Favorites linky party this week. Come check it out! https://be-alice.blogspot.com/2017/12/friday-favorites-week-403.html Hope you pop by and visit again this week 🙂
Jelica says
I’ve had these cookies before and, let me tell, you they are so delicious! I had never known what to call them, but now I know! And although I’ve eaten them before, I’ve never made them myself – so glad you shared the recipe. Going to have to try this!
Meg says
Is it plain or self rising flour?
Pamela says
Hey Meg, just regular all-purpose flour.
The Recipe Hunter (Cook and Enjoy) says
Awesome, just love the simplicity of the wonderful treat. I have tweeted and pinned as I want to make this. Unfortunately, I have already made all my edible treats for Christmas but this will be one that I will try for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Cherryl Ehlenburg says
I think these are just about my favorite kind of cookies. But I never think about making them until I see a recipe on Pinterest or something. So thank you for the reminder!
Virginia says
Yum! Thanks for the recipe. Pinned it.
Leslie says
I always knew them as snowballs, and they were a childhood favorite. I’ll have to test recipe this against my own version. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
April J Harris says
What a lovely, classic cookie, Pamela! My late Mom had a recipe for something similar that we used to make. We used to call them Snowballs. Thank you so much for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link party. I hope your week is going well!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
Delicious looking snowballs Pamela! Pecans are my favorite nut!
Rika says
I like the name, Snowball Russian Teacake cookies 😉 perfect and gorgeous!
Shikha @ Shikha la mode says
Look great – I love snowball cookies!
Kammie @ Sensual Appeal says
Umm yum this is fabulous and I call them Snowball cookies but I have heard most people call them Snowball Russian Teacakes. Never butterballs… butterball makes me think of ham. Haha. Merry Christmas to you and yours, love!
Serena @ Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
I always love a Russian Tea Cake! I’m pretty sure it’s the powdered sugar that gets me every time! Same thing with powdered sugar doughnuts. I can’t believe anyone could keep these cookies around for more then a day! They disappear like hot cakes in our house! Have a Merry Christmas!
Ash-foodfashionparty says
Perfection, love the teacakes. One of those cookies which are so addictive.
laurasmess says
Gorgeous photos Pam, so Christmasy! Love the idea of these cookies-teacakes-biscuits-balls-of-infinite-goodness, they sound delicious. Definitely going to put these on my to-bake list. I hope that you guys have truly wonderful Christmas and an even happier, art/food/garden/love/cat filled new year! xx