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Snowball Cookies: A Simple Melt-in-Your-Mouth Recipe

Snowball Cookies

These classic egg-free butter cookies are packed with finely chopped nuts and coated twice in powdered sugar for a delicate, snowy finish. The recipe makes about 32–36 melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
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 1/4 cups (270 g) All-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (85–90 g) Finely chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
Coating
  • About 1 cup (120 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 2–3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Stir in the finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
  4. Shape approximately 1 tablespoon of dough into 1-inch balls. If the dough feels too soft to shape, chill it for 20–30 minutes.
  5. Arrange the dough balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  6. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden while the tops remain pale. Do not overbake.
  7. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.
  8. Let the cookies cool completely, then roll them in powdered sugar a second time for a bright, thick coating.

Notes

Use softened rather than melted butter to help the cookies keep their rounded shape. Finely chop the nuts for a smoother texture, and store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container.