Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
A Christmas time classic, Buttery Pecan Snowball cookies are a must bake for your holiday cookie tray. This recipe is a quick one with no chilling time needed for the dough.
Snowball cookies are known by many names, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Roly Poly Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes; all are versions of the same shortbread cookie wrapped in powdered sugar. They often include mix-ins of pecans or other nuts, but my version also includes our favorite mini chocolate chips.
Throw on your apron and favorite holiday playlist and let’s bake!
Ingredients for Snowball Cookies:
- Butter, 2 sticks salted butter (1 cup), plus 1-2 tbsp for toasting the pecans
- All purpose flour, 2 cups
- Granulated sugar, 1/2 cup
- Vanilla, 2 tsp
- Milk, 1-2 tsp (optional, as needed)
- Chopped pecans, 1 cup
- Mini chocolate chips, 1/2-3/4 cup
- Powdered sugar, 1 cup (or more as needed)
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Tools you may need
Nothing out of the ordinary for these, just your regular kitchen tools for cookie baking. Mixing bowl, good baking sheet, silicone baking mat or parchment paper, grater or pastry blender for cutting butter in, and a cookie scoop.
Tips for Snowball Cookies:
Using cold butter and cutting it in makes for cookies that don’t need chill time before baking. Keep your butter chilled while you’re prepping the rest of the ingredients, and only take out one stick of butter at a time.
How do I make buttery pecan snowball cookies?
First let’s get that oven preheated to 350 F.
Next we’ll toast the pecans. This step is optional, but I think these cookies taste better with Buttery Toasted Pecans.
In a small to medium skillet, melt 1 to 2 tbsp of butter. Add the pecans and stir around to make sure all the pieces are coated. Cook for a few minutes until the pecans smell buttery and toasty. Pour the pecan pieces into a bowl and stick in the fridge or freezer to cool. You don’t want to add hot pecans to the cookie dough.
Make the dough
In your medium size mixing bowl, add the flour and sugar, and if you aren’t using salted butter, add a 1/2 tsp of salt here too. Next, cut or grate in the butter.
Mix the butter pieces into the flour, making sure all the pieces are coated.
Add the vanilla and milk.
This step is similar to making pie dough or puff pastry. Using your hands is easiest way to do this part. Mix the dough together to form a ball. Gently squeeze the mixture in your hands until the pieces begin to clump together.
If the dough is too crumbly, add 1 tsp of milk at a time, mixing after each addition. Add only enough milk until the dough begins to come together. If the dough is too wet it won’t hold it’s shape when baked.
Once the dough has formed a ball, add the pecans and the chocolate chips and mix until they’re thoroughly incorporated into the dough.
How to Bake & Decorate Snowball Cookies
Using a tablespoon size scoop (or smaller), measure out the dough and roll into balls. Place on a baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. The cookies won’t spread very much when baking.
*Note* Unlike many sugar-coated cookies, Snowball cookies are only rolled in powdered sugar after baking, not before.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. For a melt in your mouth cookie, 12 minutes is enough. For a slightly firmer, crisper cookie, bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool for 2 to 3 minutes. You want to roll the cookies while they’re still warm so that the powdered sugar melts and sticks to them to form a coating.
Set the rolled cookies on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, roll them for a second time in powdered sugar. This second coating gives them a soft, fluffy snowball appearance. The photo on the left shows after the first coat and the right is after the second coating. Don’t skip the second rolling. It gives the perfect finishing touch!
Go enjoy your delicious cookies!
Ideas for using this recipe
Snowball cookies are great for sharing. They keep well for several days in an air tight container. Package your cookies inside a Christmas tin lined with parchment paper for gifting!
Questions about Snowball Cookies
Why do you cut in cold butter rather than creaming softened butter and sugar?
This method makes for a quick and easy cookie, and they don’t need any chill time. The cold butter helps the dough retain it’s shape when baking. When I’ve used softened butter for this step, the cookies spread into a giant mess. If you choose to use soft butter, the dough will need to be chilled prior to baking.
Can this be made ahead?
Snowball cookies can be made a day or two ahead of time. They keep fresh for several days, up to a week if properly stored in an air tight container. They won’t be as crisp as the day they were baked, but they’re still delicious!
Can you freeze this recipe?
You can prepare the dough and freeze before baking. To freeze the dough: scoop and roll the dough into balls. Place on a lined cookie sheet close together but not touching. Put the tray in the freezer for 2-4 hours until the dough is completely frozen.
Once frozen, you can put the cookie dough into a freezer safe plastic bag or container. When you’re ready to bake, the dough can be baked from frozen and then rolled in powdered sugar. They may need an extra minute or two when baking.
I’d love to hear from you!
If you try this recipe and love it, please leave a comment (and rating it helps too!) to let me know how it went. Happy Baking!
More Christmas Cookie recipes you’ll love
Let’s bake Christmas cookies!
Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks salted butter (224 g), cold
- 1-2 tbsp butter (for the pecans)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (262 g)
- ½ tsp salt (only if using unsalted butter)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (95 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2+ tsp milk, (as needed to bring dough together)
- ½-¾ cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (110 g)
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Melt the butter in a skillet, then add the pecans and stir until coated. Cook for 2-4 minutes until pecans smell toasty. Pour the pecans into a bowl and put in the fridge or freezer to cool completely. (Adding hot pecans to the dough will make it too warm and the cookies will spread).
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt if you're using unsalted butter. Grate in 2 sticks of butter and mix until all pieces are coated with the flour.
- Add the vanilla extract and milk, and using your hands, gently mash the mixture together until it begins to form a thick dough. If the dough feels too crumbly and it isn't coming together, add 1 tsp of milk at a time, mixing after each addition. Add only enough to get the dough to come together. It shouldn't feel wet or sticky.
- Pour in the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips and mix completely.
- Using a tablespoons scoop, roll the dough into balls and place on lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cookies baked for 12 minutes will be softer, melt in your mouth texture. Cookies baked to 15 minutes will be firmer and have a lovely crisp bite to them.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar and place on a wire rack to cool. Once cool, roll them again in powdered sugar.
Notes
- Using cold butter and cutting it or grating it in makes for a quick and easy cookie, and they don’t need any chill time. The cold butter helps the dough retain it’s shape when baking.
- I often make a half recipe when I just want a few cookies. This recipe can also be doubled if you want a huge batch of cookies.
