Buckle up, cookie monsters, because it’s time to whip up the most delectable, melt-in-your-mouth snowball cookies with walnuts!
The must-have star of every Christmas cookie platter and holiday cookie exchange, these powdery bites will have you saying “just one more” before you know it. Don’t worry, we won’t judge if you end up eating the whole batch.
Why You’ll Love these Snowball Cookies
- The slightly bitter walnut flavor perfectly balances the sweet powdered sugar coating
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture with just enough crunch
- Simple ingredients and easy to follow steps, making it perfect for novice bakers or experienced home cooks.
- Perfect for holiday gatherings, gifts, or just to satisfy a sweet tooth craving.
What You’ll Need:
Ingredients:
- All Purpose Flour
- Cake Flour
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
- White sugar
- Walnuts
- Butter, softened
- Vanilla extract
Equipment:
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Parchment paper
- Food processor or blender
- Large mixing bowl
- Cookie Scoop
- Small bowl
How to make Snowball Cookies:
To make things even easier for you, I created a simple step-by-step photo guide below. For all measurements and a more detailed guide, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Prepare the Dough:
Step 1 – Place whole shelled walnuts in a food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely ground, about one minute. Set aside.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup cake flour, ⅛ tsp salt, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and two tablespoons white sugar.
Step 3 – Add 1 ½ cups ground walnuts, ½ cup cubed and softened butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the flour mixture.
Step 4 – Mix together the ingredients by hand until well combined. The dough should be coarse and crumbly.
Bake and Coat
Step 5 – Using a cookie scoop, form the dough into small balls, about ¾ to 1 inch wide.
Step 6 – Place at least 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, until just cool enough to touch, but still warm.
Step 7 – Place ½ cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled, about 10 minutes.
Step 8 – Finally, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar a second time to create powdery white snowball cookies.
Essential Tips:
Don’t skip these tips – read them before starting to avoid any potential mistakes.
- If you opt for chopping your nuts instead of using a food processor, make sure they are finely ground into a coarse flour
- Using a cookie scoop ensures consistent sized cookies, which is important for even baking.
- When rolling the cookies in powdered sugar the first time, make sure they are still slightly warm for maximum absorption of the sugar.
- Make sure the butter is completely soft before mixing it. If your butter isn’t soft after about 10 minutes at room temperature, you may want to give these methods a try.
Substitutions and Adaptations
- Pecans can be substituted for the walnuts, but may result in a slightly different texture or flavor.
- Cake flour helps to make the cookies melt in your mouth tender, but you can substitute all purpose flour if that’s all you have.
- For an extra kick of flavor, add a pinch of ground cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough mixture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Snowball cookies are a rounded cookie, made with nuts and rolled in powdered sugar to look like little snowballs.
These cookies are rich and buttery, with a texture similar to shortbread. They are also often called Mexican Wedding Cookies, or Russian Tea Cakes.
Snowballs are often made with pecans, which have almost a buttery flavor. But walnuts are ever so slightly more bitter, which I believe adds dimension to the cookies and balances out the sweetness of all the powdered sugar.
That said, both pecans and walnuts are high enough in fat to create a deliciously rich cookie.
No, I do not recommend using pre-chopped nuts unless you intend to chop them up further.
I prefer to grind my nuts in a food processor, but you can use a knife to finely chop the nuts as well. Just make sure to chop your nuts into a course flour so they clump together when you squeeze them together in your hand.
The first roll is done when the cookies are warm, so the powdered sugar sticks to the cookie. But that layer will often melt ever so slightly.
The second roll ensures you have that gorgeous, powdery coating that makes these cookies like little snowballs.
Creative Ways to Display Snowball Cookies at Your Christmas Party:
When it comes to exhibiting these adorable snowy delights at your Christmas party, a little creativity goes a long way.
- Arrange them on a festive holiday platter or a three-tiered dessert stand for an impressive display.
- Sprinkle some coconut flakes or edible glitter around them to mimic the magical appeal of freshly fallen snow.
- Place them in mini cupcake wrappers for easy grab and go treats.
To make the dessert table even more inviting, consider using printable food labels. These not only introduce your guests to the delectable snowball cookies but also add a professional touch to your display. Remember, presentation is key!
And don’t stop there — add printable holiday decor around the table to turn your dessert display into a Christmas wonderland. Think Christmas baubles, holly leaves, or twinkling fairy lights.
Click here to get ahold of all our charming printable Christmas decorations , games, and gift tags. They’re fun, easy to use, and sure to take your cookie display to a whole new level of festive!
How to Store Snowball Cookies
To store: Keep at room temperature in a dry, tightly sealed container for a maximum of one week.
To freeze: Once cooled completely, place in a sealed container and freeze for up to six months. Defrost cookies at room temperature for 24 hours before enjoying. (You may want to add a fresh sprinkle of powdered sugar before serving.)
More Holiday Recipes You’ll Love:
If you like these Snowball cookies with walnuts, why not try your hand at some other festive options? Here are a few to get you started:
- Orange Shortbread Cookies with Ginger – simple, with a tasty kick from the ginger
- Easy Candied Pecans – handed down by my mother, a yummy last-minute treat
- Soft and Chewy Almond Macaroons – when you want something different.
- Cranberry Bars with a Pistachio Crust – a total stunner! 😍
- Holiday Truffles – with a boozy twist. 😋
Or you can check out all my Christmas cookie recipes and all my Christmas desserts recipes.
Snowball Cookies with Walnuts
Master the art of baking perfect snowball cookies with walnuts using our step-by-step guide. Packed with tips and tricks, our recipe helps you create delightful, melt-in-your-mouth holiday treats that are sure to impress at any Christmas party.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1.5 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, best quality
Instructions
Get prepared:
- Cut one half cup butter into cubes and allow to soften while preparing the dough, about 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place whole shelled walnuts in a food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely ground, about one minute. Set aside.
Prepare the Dough:
- In a large bowl, whisk together ½ cup all purpose flour, ½ cup cake flour, ⅛ tsp salt, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and two tablespoons white sugar.
- Add 1 ½ cups ground walnuts, ½ cup cubed and softened butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the flour mixture.
- Mix together the ingredients by hand until well combined. The dough should be coarse and crumbly.
Bake and Coat
- Using a cookie scoop, form the dough into small balls, about ¾ to 1 inch wide.
- Place at least 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350°F oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, until just cool enough to touch, but still warm.
- Place ½ cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar and place on a cooling rack until completely cooled, about 10 minutes. Reserve remaining powdered sugar.
- Finally, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar a second time to create powdery white snowball cookies.
Notes
Remember, the step-by-step photos and FAQ in the recipe post are there to help you if you feel stuck at any point.
- If you opt for chopping your nuts instead of using a food processor, make sure they are finely ground into a coarse flour
- Using a cookie scoop ensures consistent sized cookies, which is important for even baking.
- When rolling the cookies in powdered sugar the first time, make sure they are still slightly warm for maximum absorption of the sugar.
- Make sure the butter is completely soft before mixing it. If your butter isn't soft after about 10 minutes at room temperature, you may want to give these methods a try.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 41mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
__________________________________ The nutrition information provided above is estimated using an automated calculation system. Actual nutrition will vary depending on brand and measurements used in your recipe. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutrition information for any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information using the actual ingredients you used in your recipe.
This post was originally published on December 11, 2014. It has been updated with new photos, step by step directions and photos, tips, and FAQ.
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