Go Back
Easy Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe

Easy Pecan Snowball Cookies

Tender, buttery pecan cookies are rolled in powdered sugar twice for a classic snowy coating. This simple recipe yields about 32–36 cookies and is ideal for holidays, cookie exchanges, and everyday baking.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 32 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup (226 g) Unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine salt
  • 1 cup (about 110 g) Finely chopped pecans
Coating
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups (120–180 g) Powdered sugar

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar for 1–2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Whisk together the flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft dough forms.
  4. Stir in the finely chopped pecans until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  5. Scoop and roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, and chill the shaped balls for 20–30 minutes if the dough feels very soft.
  6. Bake for 12–15 minutes per batch, until the bottoms are lightly golden. Keep the tops pale and avoid overbaking.
  7. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then gently roll them in powdered sugar while still warm. Let them cool completely before rolling them in powdered sugar a second time.

Notes

Finely chop the pecans so the cookies hold together and roll smoothly. For deeper flavor, toast the pecans first and cool them completely before adding them to the dough. Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.