Snowball cookies (which are also know as Mexican wedding cookies) are always a favorite for the holidays!!!
Snowball Cookies
I made Lemon Snowball Cookies a couple of years ago, so this year, I decided to try nonflavored Snowball cookies!!! These are excellent finger food desserts for parties and can be stuck on a toothpick for a mess-free dessert!
I always remember making them while growing up. I had the job of rolling them in powdered sugar, and you can imagine how much fun that was for a kid.
Making these cookies was also a great math lesson since measuring and remeasuring the ingredients helped me learn and visualize fractions.
Still, to this day, when I am working with fractions, I think back to my childhood kitchen covered in flour and sugar everywhere. It was such a great hands-on learning lesson that turned into delicious cookies.
Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of the simple ingredients for making epic Snowball Cookies! The printable recipe card at the bottom of the post includes specific measurements and step-by-step instructions.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Flour
- Almonds
- Powdered Sugar/ Confectioners' sugar
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula/Kitchen Spoon
- Cookie Sheet/Baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
An electric mixer or standing mixer with the paddle attachment can be used to make it easier to mix everything together.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
I've included complete instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here's a quick version.
- Preheat oven
- Cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the vanilla and slowly add the flour
- Add the almonds and mix
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.
- Bake
- Remove and let cool. Roll in powdered sugar and place on a wire rack to completely cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
Preparation and Storage
Make Ahead: As with other cookie recipes, this Snowball Cookie recipe is easy to prepare beforehand since you can prepare the dough the day before and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Always refrigerate your dough in an airtight container.
Storage: Baked leftover cookies stored at room temperature in an airtight container will last about a week.
Freezing/How to Freeze: Roll the cookie dough you want to freeze into 1-inch balls, freeze them on a cookie sheet until frozen, and transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to an airtight, freezer-safe container to keep them from becoming freezer burned. Bake them within three months, and let them thaw to room temperature before coating them in powdered sugar.
Recipe Variations
Substitutions: We use salted butter in these Snowball Cookies, but you can use unsalted butter and salt if you don’t have salted butter in your fridge. A pinch of salt is essential to the taste and texture of your cookies, so don’t skip it if you use unsalted butter.
If you are not a fan of almonds other nuts can be used including chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or cashews.
Change it up and add in mini-chocolate chips for epic Christmas treats.
Vegetarian Option: This cookie recipe is vegetarian-friendly!
Vegan Option: Replace the butter with your go-to plant-based alternative for baking to make this recipe vegan-safe.
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour to make your Snowball Cookies safe for a gluten-free diet. The remaining ingredients are typically gluten-free, but look for gluten-free labels on each package if you are highly sensitive.
Alcohol-Free Option: We don’t use alcohol in our cookies, but we’ve seen other versions that add rum, Kahlúa, or Frangelico to add layers of boozy flavor.
Smaller Serving Size + Larger Group/More Servings: The written recipe yields 24 servings. Scale it up or down based on your desired yield, keeping in mind that you may need extra cookie sheets if you scale up.
Make it Spicy: We’ve seen uniquely spicy Snowball Cookies on the internet that use sweet paprika, cinnamon, or pumpkin spice.
Sugar-Free: This recipe contains 7 grams of sugar per serving. Use sugar-free substitutes for the white sugar and powdered sugar to make it sugar-free.
Tips for the Best Snowball Cookies
- Did you know that Snowball Cookies go by many names? You may have also seen them called Russian tea cakes, pecan sandies, or Swedish tea cakes.
- Printable recipe card instructions are below.
- Nutrition information, including calories, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin c, potassium, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and more, will vary depending on the products used.
What to Serve with Snowball Cookies
These elegant, melt-in-your-mouth Snowball Cookies are a gorgeous part of a holiday dessert platter. Here are some menu pairing suggestions to make it part of a festive feast for sharing with friends and family.
Sides: Brown Sugar Bacon Wrapped Smokies, Cheddar Bay Sausage Balls, Cheesy Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams, Creamed Corn Casserole, Campbell's Green Bean Casserole, CrockPot Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
Main Dishes: Eggnog French Toast, Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole, Ham & Cheese Crescent Roll, CrockPot Turkey, CrockPot Ham, CrockPot Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs, Bourbon Baked Ham, CrockPot Orange Glazed Ham, CrockPot Coke Glazed Ham
Desserts: Eggnog Cookies, Sugared Cranberries, 4 Ingredient Christmas Crack, Reindeer Chow, Grinch Bark, No Bake Church Window Cookies, Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Glaze, No Bake Eggnog Pie, Cranberry Fluff Salad, Snow Ice Cream, Black Forest Cupcakes
Drinks: Broken Down Golf Cart Shot, Baileys Hot Chocolate, Grinch Jello Shots, Fireball Jello Shots, Cherry Bomb Shot, Cranberry Mimosa, Eggnog Coffee, Peppermint Patty Shot, Polar Bear Shot, Boozy Grinch Drink, Three Wise Men Shot, Maple Old Fashioned Cocktail
When to Serve
- Thanksgiving
- Holiday Cocktail Party
- Christmas
- New Year’s Day Party
Great Holiday Recipes
We love classic Christmas cookie recipes but also love to change it up with fun new cookies.
Do you love recipes? Check out our copycat recipes, dessert recipes, and our CrockPot Recipes.
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Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Butter Softened
- ½ Cup White Sugar
- 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Almonds finely chopped
- ½ Cup Confectioners Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚.
- In a bowl cream together the Butter and Sugar.
- Add in the Vanilla and slowly add the flour mixing as you go.
- Add the Almonds and mix to combine. The mixture should be a soft dough.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.
- Bake at 350˚ until the bottoms just start browning, 12-14 minutes.
- Remove and let cool until you can comfortably handle them. Roll in powdered sugar and place on wire rack to completely cool.
- Store in airtight container.
Nutrition
Recipe originally shared on November 28, 2014. Updated September 2020.
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