If you make just one holiday or Christmas cookie this year, these soft homemade snowball cookies are absolutely the recipe to try!
The best snowball cookies
This is the cookie recipe that takes over Pinterest every December.
With just FOUR ingredients, the sweet holiday cookies are so easy to make that it’s almost impossible to find an excuse not to try them.
And once you do whip up these charming homemade snowball cookies, they will hook you for life with their soft and buttery deliciousness.
Readers also love these Sweet Potato Brownies
Mexican wedding cookies
This recipe is my own spin on the popular snowball cookie recipe my grandmother used to make every year for Christmas.
You can find many versions similar to hers, both online and in traditional cookbooks. They go by many different names, including Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Butterballs, Polvorones, Meltaways, and Snowballs.
For vegan snowball cookies, simply use either coconut oil or vegan butter in the recipe. There are no eggs or milk required, so no need to worry about replacing those.
**Edit: A huge thank you to People Magazine for featuring my recipe!
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Step by step recipe video
Watch the snowball cookie recipe video above
Snowball cookie ingredients
The recipe calls for flour, nuts, oil or butter, and powdered sugar.
If you want a healthier version, pulse coconut sugar, date sugar, or evaporated cane juice in a blender to make your own homemade unrefined powdered sugar.
Other variations you might want to try include adding a few drops of vanilla or almond extract to the dough, forming the traditional cookies into different shapes, adding a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest, or stirring in a handful of mini chocolate chips.
Next on my list is to add cocoa powder for Chocolate Snowball Cookies.
I might even include some pure peppermint extract and crushed candy canes too.
Or you can make pink snowball cookies by adding a drop or two of red food coloring or a handful of freeze dried strawberry or raspberry powder.
But honestly, the classic original version is so good on its own. If you make a batch, leave a review and let me know what you think!
Baking tips and substitutions
Flour options that work well include regular white all purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or whole grain spelt flour.
If you wish to make gluten free snowball cookies, I’ve had success using Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour.
A good cookie baking tip in general is to let the cookies cool before handling. They continue to cook and firm up as they are cooling.
Start with softened or melted butter or oil. If using coconut oil, make sure all other ingredients are at room temperature. This step will ensure the oil does not harden during the mixing process.
Snowball cookies with almonds
While the original holiday cookie recipe calls for walnuts, these versatile homemade Mexican wedding cookies can also be made with almonds or pecans.
I’ve never tried another nut but would be interested to know if they might also work with macadamia nuts, cashews, or even pistachios.
For snowball cookies without nuts, simply omit the chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans. No further changes are required, and the resulting nut free cookie is a delicious soft butter cookie.
Leftover almonds? Make Almond Flour Banana Bread
How to make snowball cookies
The first step is to gather all of your cookie ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar.
Combine the pecans, almonds, or walnuts and flour in a separate bowl. Mix all of the ingredients together to form a cookie dough.
Shape into balls, place on a cookie sheet, and bake on the oven’s center rack for twenty to twenty five minutes or until the Christmas cookies are lightly browned.
Roll the warm Italian butter cookies in a bowl of powdered sugar to evenly coat, then cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!
Storing the cookies
Because they do not need refrigeration, snowball cookies are a great dessert choice for any holiday party or gathering.
They are easy to transport, and leftovers can be stored in a covered container on the counter for three to five days. Of course, that’s only if there are any leftovers!
The dough can be made days in advance and refrigerated, or rolled into balls and frozen to bake at a later time. And the cookie dough is naturally egg free.
More holiday cookie recipes
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (white, spelt, ww pastry, or Bob's gf work)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds or pecans
- 1 cup butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar or sugar free powdered sugar
- optional additional powdered sugar or cocoa powder, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the butter with the powdered sugar, and beat in a medium bowl or stand mixer. Stir together the flour and nuts in a separate bowl. Then mix all ingredients together to form a dough. Shape into balls, place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned. Ready an extra bowl of powdered sugar, and roll the warm cookies in this bowl to coat. Cool on a wire rack.*You may omit the nuts if desired. I cannot recommend using any flours not listed here or substituting a low fat butter spread, because I have not tried these substitutions. Feel free to experiment at your own risk, and be sure to report back for other readers if you do!View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
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Annette says
Seriously so good. I took these to a cookie swap and everyone loved them!
Mary says
I made these without nuts. I wrapped the dough around a maraschino cherry that had been drained. Very yummy.
Simone Dimitroff says
Hi Katie. Do you have to use nuts? My son has an allergy to nuts. Thank you. Love your recipes.
Julie says
Hi Simone. This recipe is great with white chocolate chips instead of nuts! I am allergic as well.
Donna R Suzukawa says
I made the first batch using the exact recipe using vegan butter- it turned out delicious. Second batch I used coconut oil and the cookies spread out instead of retaining the ball shape, and also were fragile/ crumbly. Would not recommend using coconut oil.
Beth C says
Has anyone made these with half butter and half coconut oil? Wondering how this would be compared to all butter.
Donna says
I used all coconut oil , I always substitute butter with coconut oil
Chris says
Easy and delicious
Toni says
Hi, first off I want to say thank you Katie for all your wonderful creations. I have your original cookbook and it’s awesome. I tried this recipe today. I believe I followed the recipe, using Bob’s GF 1 to 1 baking flour and coconut oil. Not sure if anyone’s tried it with both of those but they came out as flatter cookies, like snow drifts, not like round snowballs. Other than that they were easy and tasty.
Kathy says
I made them vegan by substituting Earth Balance spread for the butter/oil. ( I normally do not use this because it contains palm oil, but our go-to vegan butter, Kite Hill brand, has an odd texture when melted and I was afraid it wouldn’t work in baking).
Last year I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour to make them gluten-free and I felt they had a sawdust texture, like many gluten-free products.Bob’s is a great brand; you just can’t make some gluten-free items taste like the original.Since no one here has celiac disease I just used regular flour this year.Delicious!
I would love a buttery flavor but my daughter is vegan and I’m trying to eat less dairy so that’s good for us.
Susan B says
Totally Delicious & EASY! I gave this recipe to my caregiver to make. He had a “deer in the headlights” look & confessed he had never made them & didn’t much care for cookies. I have great confidence in him; the result was a SMASHING SUCCESS! Sweet, too, he tried one, then a few more… then took the recipe home & a bagful for his family. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
CCK Media Team says
This makes us so happy 🙂
Belinda says
These are not good…they’re perfect lol Made 45, ate 8 before bed because I kept going back “for 1 more”. Woke up and they were all gone with a sticky note that said “want more…these are yummy”. Super addictive. Thanks Katie 🙂
CCK Media Team says
This makes us so happy 🙂
Kate says
Made this for the first time with oat flour and used a mix of 50/50 almonds and walnuts. SO yummy!
Tina says
I made these but they spread in oven !! What i do please ? baking powder?
Warren says
I made these donuts with my daughter and we both loved the results. Thanks for the recipe.
S says
I recently tried this recipe for snowball cookies, and I have to say, they turned out absolutely scrumptious! The instructions were clear and easy to follow, making the whole baking process a breeze.
Donna says
Easy & very tasty ! I used walnuts
Freeze well , definitely making again
Mary says
I have a grandson who has egg and nut allergies, so I decided to make these Snowball Cookies without nuts – he LOVES them! They are easy to make and freeze well. I love this recipe!
Karen says
I know it’s not Christmas (or even Thanksgiving yet lol. But since finding this recipe, I don’t think I’ve gone a single month without making a batch. They truly are the most delicious cookies!
RK says
Hi. Can you replace some/all of the butter/coconut oil with almond butter please?
Thanks!
H says
Does it matter if you use salted or unsalted butter? the recipe doesn’t specify?
CCK Media Team says
Hi, either will work here and they taste very similar either way!
Tea says
I am an annual snowball cookie maker of 30 years. Tried spelt flour for the first time (absolutely love spelt in waffles and bread), but found it left a weird aftertaste. The store I buy my spelt at doesn’t say whether it is white spelt or not, so that’s the only thing I can thing of. How much of a difference would that make?
Although the snowballs didn’t really work, I used Hal the batch as shortbread and covered it with a layer of melted chocolate and topped it with pepitas. Delicious!