Snowball Cookies
Posted Nov 29, 2020, Updated Nov 19, 2023
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Pecan Snowball Cookies are easy to make with 6 ingredients. They are buttery, nutty, and melt-in your mouth delicious. These butterball cookies are an old family recipe, and a must-make Christmas cookie!
These Snowball Cookies are an old family recipe I’ve been enjoying my entire life. My mom made them every Christmas, and one bite transports me back to my childhood and the eager anticipation of Christmas morning.
In my house we called these butterball cookies! They are easy to make with just 6 ingredients. They’re buttery, nutty, melt-in your mouth delicious and the perfect Christmas cookie.
Snowball Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
Let’s chat about the ingredients in this snowball cookie recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter can be used in place of salted, no problems.
- Powdered sugar. I do not recommend making substitutions for powdered sugar. You can make your own if you don’t have any.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Fine sea salt. Regular, iodized table salt can be substituted.
- Pecans. You can substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans. You can also leave them out and increase the flour by 1/4 cup, if desired.
How to make Snowball Cookies
This pecan snowball cookies recipe is easy to make in a standing mixer or with a hand-held mixer. Check out the step-by-step instructions below and don’t forget to watch the video.
In a small bowl, combine flour and sea salt, set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter until fluffy (about 1 minute). Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute.
Add flour/salt mixture and beat on low speed, then increasing to medium-high until the mixture consists of large, coarse crumbs. Then, add pecans and stir until evenly distributed.
Chill
Transfer the snowball cookie dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Portion & Roll
When you’re ready to bake the pecan snowball cookies, preheat the oven and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the snowball cookie dough from the refrigerator and use a measuring spoon to measure out 1 tablespoon portions of dough. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake & Cool
Bake the rolled butterball cookies in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden-brown and tops are set. The dough should not spread, it should remain a ball shape.
Remove the baked snowball cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the snowball cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 additional minutes.
Coat in powdered sugar
After 15 minutes, place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and coat each cookie in powdered sugar while they are still very slightly warm, then return them to the cooling rack to cool completely, then enjoy! I do like to sneak one when they’re slightly warm.
Store
Store these snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
How to freeze snowball cookies
You can freeze baked pecan snowball cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them fresh (preferred).
Snowball Cookies FAQs
These snowball cookies should not flatten. If they do it’s likely the dough wasn’t chilled long enough and the ingredients were too warm to begin with so they spread. It’s also possible you accidentally measured the ingredients incorrectly!
Absolutely, this recipe doubles very well. You can click on the “2X” button in the recipe card for ingredient measurements of a double recipe.
They last for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make sure to roll the snowball cookies in powdered sugar after they have cooled slightly but are still warm. The warmth from the cookie helps bind the powder sugar to the outside.
Yes, it is called confectioner’s sugar, powdered sugar and icing sugar and it’s all the same product.
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Pecan Snowball Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup pecans finely diced
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for coating)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine flour and sea salt, set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter until fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute.
- Add flour/salt mixture and beat on low speed, then increasing to medium-high until the mixture consists of large, coarse crumbs (about 60 seconds).
- Add pecans and stir until evenly distributed.
- Transfer dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and use a 1 TBS measuring spoon to measure out 1 TBS portions of dough.
- Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned and tops are set. The dough should not spread, it should remain a ball shape.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 additional minutes.
- After 10 minutes, place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and coat each cookie in powdered sugar while they are slightly warm, then return them to the cooling rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter.
- Powdered sugar. I do not recommend making substitutions for powdered sugar.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Fine sea salt. Regular, iodized table salt can be substituted.
- Pecans. You can substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans. You can also leave them out and increase the flour by 1/4 cup, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These have become a holiday tradition…they are impossible to stop eating!!! Yum yum yum
Hi! Does the butter need to be softened for this recipe?
Yes!
I haven’t made these cookies yet but I just wanted to let you know that I LOVE, LOVE your recipes! I have printed so many out. I’ve made several of your recipes and if followed correctly they turn out every time! I have always loved to bake but just wasn’t so sure about some recipes because there are so many! I have used the same Betty Crocker cookbook since my Home Ec. teacher gave me one in my senior year of H.S. in 1982!! Just want to say Thank You for all of your recipes (I’m sure your family loves them!) and the time it takes perfecting, and sharing them!
God Bless, April
Hi Laura,
I’d like to add some Malt Powder to the Pecan Snowball Recipe. How much do you recommend? Thank you!.