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
Video
Notes
Popular Holiday Recipes
Coconut Balls (No Bake, Keto Friendly)
I am with you, I just like to make changes in life as I need, not waiting for the 1st. But a few years back I started to make resolutions that were simple and doable. Like – learn to make more variations of salads, instead of just lettuce and tomato. That year I learned to make so many different salads, it was great and really expanded my “we’re having a salad with dinner” 🙂
This year I plan to moisturize more. Hopefully, at the end of 2013, my skin will be silky smooth and soft!
btw, I am obsessed with your website! Thanks for all of the great recipes and the time you take creating them!
LONG LIVE HOLIDAY COOKIES! And these are some of the best ever. Really, it’s not the holidays without a Russian Tea Cookie. I think this will pair famously with my glass of champagne…
These are my favorite holiday cookies!! And I’ve made them several times with earth balance sticks with no problem. I sub that or ococunt oil for most baking now. My mother always made them with pecans so I do, too. I never thought to use different nuts. But, now I’ll have to try these with walnuts. Thank you for posting this fun alternative recipe.
What a classic holiday cookie! 🙂
As for New Years resolutions, my husband and I are taking on the challenge and lifestyle change of veganism in 2013. 🙂
Love these kind of cookies!!! New Years resolution for me, is to eat healthier and exercise more!!! Have a wonderful New Years Katie!!
I love Mexican Wedding Cookies. I’m planning to make 2 batches 1 with walnuts and the other with pecans ( for my friend with a walnut allergy).
My mother and grandmother made these for years, and now I make them GF. Our recipe uses more ground almonds and just a bit of flour, and I have converted to GF quite successfully. One difference is that my Mom always made them at least 2 weeks before Christmas and stored them packed in powdered sugar. They keep for a long time if you can stay out of them, and get better with age. My grandmother got the recipe back in the 1930’s from a baker friend in Reno, Nevada who called them “Little French Cakes.”
How much ground almonds to gf flour did you use? thx
what is your GF recipe?
I make these for my dad, but with pecans (we call them pecan sandies). I love using xyla, but I haven’t tried this recipe with xyla, and now it’s on my list. And I LOVE the powdered sugar idea! I’ve never thought of that. I HAVE made powdered sugar using regular sugar with my coffee grinder but it never occured to me to use the xylitol! Thanks for the great tip!
Those have been my favorite holiday cookie for as long as I can remember. I veganize them the same way. So good! Have a happy new year 🙂
I was running out of Earth Balance, so I had to quarter the recipe. I used King Arthur unbleached 100% whole wheat flour and walnuts. I also used the “sugar free powdered sugar” made with xylo-sweet. They turned out a little dry, but I think it’s because I cooked them the full 25 minutes. Either that or it was the flour. Not sure, but they were pretty tasty despite the dryness! I think just a little tweaking and I’ll have them perfect! Thanks for another great recipe, Katie!