Snowball Cookies are a delectable concoction of butter, flour, and sugar. This no-nut version of the classic snowball cookie recipe is a delicious must-make for your cookie plate.
They are a wonderful addition to a Christmas Cookie tray of Chocolate Chip Cookies and Mint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, but don’t hesitate to serve them well into the New Year. Snowball Cookies are a welcome treat almost any time!
Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, I’ll send you budget recipes and money-saving tips every week!
Jump to:
You’ve had these traditional holiday cookies before, I’m sure. They’re known by other names: Mexican Wedding Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Russian Teacakes. At our house we call them Snowballs. And they are a favorite, indeed.
These classic Snowball Cookies are soooooo good. I mean, butter, flour, sugar and nuts? You really can’t go wrong with that combination. Except for the nuts…
in a nut allergy home.
Years ago, I decided to omit the traditional chopped pecans from my favorite cookie recipe to make them free of nuts so that my younger daughter could enjoy them along with the rest of us. Nut-Free Cookies are fun for everyone!
If you’re avoiding nuts as well — or even if you’re not — I nominate these as a must-make on your cookie plate this holiday season.
(I promise you won’t miss the nuts, but I’ve also included plenty of mix-in options below if you want to gussy up this snowball cookies recipe.)
Why Make This
They are easy! The dough mixes up quickly with a mixer or food processor and bakes in a flash.
They are freezer-friendly. These are top of my list of Christmas Cookies to Make-Ahead and Freeze. They thaw quickly so you can keep a stash on hand and not worry about thawing them too far in advance.
They are delicious. Whether you make our standard recipe or try one of the variations, you’re sure to enjoy these buttery sweet treats.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Snowball Cookies:
butter – I use real dairy butter, softened, but you can use margarine or another plant-based butter.
powdered sugar – You’ll use powdered sugar in the cookie dough as well as for rolling the baked cookies when they come out of the oven.
vanilla extract – Vanilla adds just enough flavor to these cookies. So good! Remember, making your own vanilla extract is the cheapest way to go.
flour – I like to use unbleached, all-purpose flour but you can use regular as well.
salt – Don’t omit the salt. It’s the perfect foil for the sweetness of the cookie.
Variations
There are lots of ways to level up your Snowball Cookies.
- Mix-ins – Reduce the flour to 2 cups and stir in ¼ cup finely chopped nuts, such as finely chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, or jimmies sprinkles.
- Extracts – I like vanilla, but you can use rum, almond, or cake batter extract.
- Coatings – Instead of rolling the baked cookie in powdered sugar, you can dip or drizzle them in chocolate. They won’t look like snowballs anymore, but they’ll be delicious.
Pro tip: I do recommend that you weigh the flour to get the proper ratio of flour to butter. If you scoop the flour, you risk having a very dry dough. It’s not the end of the world, just pack the dough with your hands to get it to stick together. Weighing your flour is simple and easy, though, so go with that!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make Snowball Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 400°. Line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor or in a mixing bowl with a mixer.
Add the flour and salt. Blend until a coarse crumby dough forms.
Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, pressing to pack the dough together.
Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet or one lined with a silpat baking mat. Bake until set about 9 minutes. Do not brown.
Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool and serve.
Storage: Snowball Cookies are good for up to 4 days at room temperature. Freeze completely cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks. To serve: simply remove from packaging, thaw and serve.
TLDR? Watch the Easy Snowball Cookies web story.
FAQs
Snowball Cookies have just a few ingredients: butter, sugar, vanilla extract, flour, and salt. Some recipes include finely chopped nuts or other mixins.
You do not need to refrigerate Snowball Cookies. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They should be good for 4 to 7 days. Freeze for longer storage.
Yes! You can make Snowball Cookies without nuts for a tasty Nut-free Cookie.
They should be good at room temperature for 4 to 7 days, depending on how warm the room is. Freeze them for up to 6 weeks.
Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes
Be sure to check out more reader favorite holiday cookies!
Tell us what you think!
We love to hear your experiences with Good Cheap Eats. Click the STARS on the recipe card or leave a STARRED comment to let us know what you think of the recipe.
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar plus additional powdered sugar for rolling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°. Line sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor (or in a mixing bowl with a mixer). Add the flour and salt. Pulse until coarse crumbs forms. Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, pressing to pack your own snowball cookies.
- Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet or one lined with a silpat baking mat. Bake until set about 9 minutes. Do not brown. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar.
Notes
- Mix-ins – Reduce the flour to 2 cups and stir in ¼ cup finely chopped nuts, such as finely chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, or jimmies sprinkles.
- Extracts – I like vanilla, but you can use rum, almond, or cake batter extract.
- Coatings – Instead of rolling the baked cookie in powdered sugar, you can dip or drizzle them in chocolate. They won’t look like snowballs anymore, but they’ll be delicious.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on December 14, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Cheri A
We made these this weekend and used gluten-free Cup4Cup flour. They were great. I think we rolled them in the powdered sugar a little too early on one batch, and they were a little crumbly. But definitely making these again this month! After looking at some other GF recipes, I may cut the flour just a little bit.
Janelle
These were so easy and yummy! My 6 year old did most of the work! ?
Lisa Gurule
These are perfect!
Thank you!
And when they came out of the oven I dropped them in a zip lock bag full of powdered sugar and shook them up. So easy and came out great.
Theresa
Hi Jessica! I’m about to make these cookies but I’m very torn about the measurement of flour. I measured out 2.25 cups without packing whatsoever, and it came to more than double the weight of the 2.25 cups I weighed out. I have a new digital scale that is very accurate. The volume difference is a LOT!! If I hadn’t read about weighing the flour, I think my cookies would be done by now ~LOL~ What do you suggest? The weighed flour comes out to about a cup, but it’s the correct weight… 10.12 oz.
Jessica Fisher
Sorry for the delay in replying. I would go with the weighed amount.