Snowball Cookies Recipe (Pecan Snowball Cookies)
Updated Aug 17, 2026
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This buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pecan snowball cookies recipe is easy to make with 6 ingredients. An old family favorite, we make these snowball cookies for Christmas every year!
These pecan snowball cookies are a beloved family recipe that I’ve been enjoying my entire life. My mom made them every Christmas, and one bite instantly takes me back to Christmas in the ’90s.
This snowball cookies recipe is easy to make with 6 ingredients. They’re buttery, nutty and melt-in-your-mouth delicious – a totally nostalgic Christmas cookie that has stood the test of time and is still one of our family’s favorites today.
There are no leavening agents in this recipe, so they hold their ball shape perfectly. Then, after being dusted with powdered sugar they really look like cute little snowballs – and are irresistibly delicious!
Why You’ll Love These Snowball Cookies
- 6 ingredients. They’re made with simple baking staples you probably already have on hand.
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture. The buttery shortbread cookie practically melts in your mouth.
- Easy to make. The dough is simple to mix, chill, roll and bake.
- Perfect Christmas cookies. Their snowy powdered sugar coating makes them a beautiful addition to Christmas cookie trays and boxes.
- Tried and True family recipe. I’ve been making these cookies as long as I’ve been alive! 🙂
See what Jennifer says:
These have become a holiday tradition…they are impossible to stop eating!!! Yum yum yum!
– Jennifer
Snowball Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
Let’s chat about the ingredients in this snowball cookie recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well, and you don’t have to adjust the salt. The butter should be softened to room temperature, but not too warm or melted. Butter that is too warm can the snowball cookies to spread while baking.
- Powdered sugar. Powdered sugar (aka: confectioners’ sugar) is used both in the cookie dough and to coat the baked cookies. Do not substitute granulated sugar.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Fine sea salt. Regular, iodized table salt can be substituted.
- Pecans. Finely chop the pecans so they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough and the cookies are easy to roll into balls. Walnuts or almonds can be substituted for pecans if desired. Or, omit the pecans and increase the flour by ¼ cup.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
This pecan snowball cookies recipe is easy to make in a standing mixer or with a hand-held mixer. Check out the step-by-step instructions below and don’t forget to watch the video.
In a small bowl, combine flour and sea salt, set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter until fluffy (about 1 minute). Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute.
Add flour/salt mixture and beat on low speed, then increasing to medium-high until the mixture consists of large, coarse crumbs. Then, add pecans and stir until evenly distributed.
Chill
Transfer the snowball cookie dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Portion & Roll
When you’re ready to bake the pecan snowball cookies, preheat the oven and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the snowball cookie dough from the refrigerator and use a measuring spoon to measure out 1 tablespoon portions of dough. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake & Cool
Bake the rolled butterball cookies in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden-brown and tops are set. The dough should not spread, it should remain a ball shape.
Remove the baked snowball cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the snowball cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 additional minutes.
Coat in Powdered Sugar
After 15 minutes, place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and coat each cookie in powdered sugar while they are still very slightly warm, then return them to the cooling rack to cool completely (I do like to sneak one when they’re slightly warm).
Then, once they have cooled completely, use a fine sifter to dust them again with powdered sugar for a perfect snowy finish.
Summary: Tips For the Best Snowball Cookies
- Measure the flour correctly. Too much flour will make snowball cookies dry and crumbly. Measure with a kitchen scale or use the scoop-and-level method.
- Use softened, not warm butter. Warm butter makes the cookies more likely to spread.
- Finely chop the pecans. Large pieces make it harder to roll the dough into smooth balls and can cause the cookies to fall apart.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough. Chilling helps the cookies hold their round, snowball-like shape while they bake.
- Don’t overbake. Bake until the tops are set and the bottoms are only lightly golden brown to keep the cookies soft and melt-in-your-mouth.
- Roll them in powdered sugar twice. Once, while they’re still slightly warm so the first coat sticks to the cookies, then dust again when they’re cool for the perfect snowy finish.
How to Store Snowball Cookies
Store these snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the refrigerator for a week.
How to Freeze Snowball Cookies
You can freeze baked pecan snowball cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If storing longer, I suggest vacuum sealing them in an airless bag.
You can also freeze the dough balls and bake them fresh (preferred). Just make sure to let them thaw, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
Snowball Cookies FAQs
Snowball cookies are buttery shortbread cookies made with finely chopped nuts (usually pecans or walnuts) and rolled in powdered sugar. They have a round shape and are coated in powdered sugar so they look like snowballs – hence their name.
Yes! Snowball cookies are also known as Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes and butterball cookies. While recipes can vary slightly, they are all generally made with a shortbread-style dough, chopped nuts and powdered sugar.
These snowball cookies should not flatten. If they do it’s likely the dough wasn’t chilled long enough and the ingredients were too warm to begin with so they spread. It’s also possible you accidentally measured the ingredients incorrectly!
Absolutely, this recipe doubles very well. You can click on the “2X” button in the recipe card for ingredient measurements of a double recipe.
They last for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Make sure to roll the snowball cookies in powdered sugar after they have cooled slightly but are still warm. The warmth from the cookie helps bind the powder sugar to the outside.
Yes, I recommend chilling the dough for at least 1 hour. Chilling helps the cookies hold their round snowball shape instead of spreading while they bake.
If you add too much flour or overbake them, the cookies will be dry.
I like to roll them once, then use a fine mesh metal sifter to dust them with powdered sugar once they are cool. So two coats of powdered sugar make the best finish, but one is rolled on and one is sprinkled on.
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Pecan Snowball Cookies
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup pecans finely diced
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for coating)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine flour and sea salt, set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat butter until fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute.
- Add flour/salt mixture and beat on low speed, then increasing to medium-high until the mixture consists of large, coarse crumbs (about 60 seconds).
- Add pecans and stir until evenly distributed.
- Transfer dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Bake & Cool
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Remove dough from the refrigerator and use a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to measure out 1 Tablespoon portions of dough.
- Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-13 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned and tops are set. The dough should not spread, it should remain a ball shape.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking pan for 5 minutes.
- Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool for 15 additional minutes.
- After 10 minutes, place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and coat each cookie in powdered sugar while they are slightly warm, then return them to the cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once they have cooled completely, use a fine sifter to dust them again with powdered sugar for a perfect snowy finish.
Notes
- Salted butter. Unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter.
- Powdered sugar. I do not recommend making substitutions for powdered sugar.
- All-purpose flour. I recommend unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results.
- Fine sea salt. Regular, iodized table salt can be substituted.
- Pecans. You can substitute walnuts or almonds for the pecans. You can also leave them out and increase the flour by 1/4 cup, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What temperature are these baked at? The recipe does not list.
350 Degrees F. It says it towards the middle of the recipe instructions, because you chill the dough and preheat the oven after the dough has chilled.
These have become a holiday tradition…they are impossible to stop eating!!! Yum yum yum
Hi! Does the butter need to be softened for this recipe?
Yes!
I haven’t made these cookies yet but I just wanted to let you know that I LOVE, LOVE your recipes! I have printed so many out. I’ve made several of your recipes and if followed correctly they turn out every time! I have always loved to bake but just wasn’t so sure about some recipes because there are so many! I have used the same Betty Crocker cookbook since my Home Ec. teacher gave me one in my senior year of H.S. in 1982!! Just want to say Thank You for all of your recipes (I’m sure your family loves them!) and the time it takes perfecting, and sharing them!
God Bless, April
Hi Laura,
I’d like to add some Malt Powder to the Pecan Snowball Recipe. How much do you recommend? Thank you!.