I have been eating Snowball Cookies since I was a little girl. I can still remember helping my mom in the kitchen, rolling each warm cookie in powdered sugar. These classic Snowball Cookies were a must every Christmas, and they are still one of my favorite holiday cookies to make!
These buttery pecan cookies are tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and filled with finely chopped pecans. While they’re still warm, they’re rolled in powdered sugar to give them that sweet, snowy coating that makes them look just like little snowballs. They’re simple, nostalgic, and the perfect addition to a Christmas cookie tray!
If you love nostalgic cookies you should try my Fudge Crinkle Cookies and my Snickerdoodles!
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Ingredients
- butter
- powdered sugar
- salt
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- pecans
See exact measurements in recipe card below.
Instructions
First, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Remove them from the heat and allow them to cool completely. Meanwhile, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Gradually add the flour, mixing just until combined, then fold in the cooled toasted pecans until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Next, roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, or until the bottoms are just barely golden while the tops remain pale. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes, then gently roll them in powdered sugar while they are still warm. Once the Snowball Cookies have cooled completely, roll them in powdered sugar a second time to give them that perfect snowy coating.
Rolled balls of dough ready to be baked. They are only 1 inch.
Rolled cookies just out of the oven. You can see they are still a pale color. slightly golden on bottom. If over baked they are dry and crumbly
See this recipe in action below!
FAQs for Snowball Cookies
You need to check them at 12/13 minutes. The bottoms should just be turning golden and the tops are still a pale color. See the image above. If you wait for the sides to be golden then you will have a dry crumbly cookie
For a thick powdered sugar coating, roll the cookies in powdered sugar after they have cooled for about 5 minutes but are still slightly warm. This creates a base coating. Once completely cool, add fresh powdered sugar to a gallon-size zip-top bag and gently roll about 3 cookies at a time until well coated. The second coating gives Snowball Cookies that thick, snowy finish!
Top Tip
For that perfect nutty flavor, I love to toast my pecans a bit first. This brings out their natural oils and makes them taste so much better. See the recipe card for a quick toast instruction.
These are perfect for Christmas!
Equipment
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Storing Snowball Cookies
Store Snowball Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Place parchment or wax paper between layers to keep the powdered sugar coating looking its best. However, I try not to layer mine at all so they look fresh!
For longer storage, freeze the cookies for up to 3 months and add a fresh coating of powdered sugar after thawing, if needed.
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar plus extra for rolling
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup pecans finely diced
Instructions
- Line sheet pans with parchment paper.Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Let them cool completely. Beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just combined. Fold in the toasted pecans until evenly distributed. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, until the bottoms are just barely golden but the tops are still pale. Let them cool for about 5 minutes, then roll them in powdered sugar while they're still warm. Let them cool completely, then roll them in powdered sugar one more time for that perfect snowy coating. (put about 1 cup powdered sugar into a zip top bag and place 3 cooled cookies and gently roll around until coated-repeat until all cookies are coated)
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