These Easy Snowball Cookies are buttery, tender walnut cookies rolled in powdered sugar for their classic snowy finish. They have a delicate melt-in-your-mouth crumb, warm vanilla flavor, and a double coating of sugar that makes them especially pretty for holiday cookie trays.
The Cookie That Somehow Gets Powdered Sugar Everywhere.There is no graceful way to eat a snowball cookie.
You take one bite, powdered sugar lands somewhere on your sweater, and you immediately reach for another one anyway.
These are buttery and crumbly in the best possible way, with finely chopped walnuts running through the dough and enough vanilla to make the whole batch smell warm and bakery-like.
The first powdered-sugar coating goes on while the cookies are still slightly warm, so some of it clings to the buttery surface. Then, once they’re completely cool, they get one more roll for that thick, snowy white finish.
If you’re putting together a cookie box, my Shortbread Cookies give you another buttery, tender texture, while Greek Cretan Biscuits bring toasted almond flavor and a slightly different bite.
For something with walnuts plus chocolate, try my Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, and these little powdered-sugar cookies are especially good beside a mug of Homemade Hot Chocolate.
Table of contents
Ingredients
How to Make Italian Almond Cake
- Finely chop the walnuts (as in, small pieces, not dust).
- In a bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy. Add the vanilla, and mix again.
- Whisk in the flour and a pinch of salt. Add the little lump of dough to it and mix until it’s all crumbly.
- Stir in the chopped walnuts and mix until dough comes together (you may finish it by hand).
- Form the dough into small balls and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between them.
- Bake until the bottoms are barely golden and the tops appear set. Let cool so they firm up.
- Roll and coat each cookie in powdered sugar.
- For a more snowy appearance, roll again once cookies are completely cool.
What Are Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies are buttery, crumbly nut cookies rolled in confectioners’ sugar. Similar cookies can also be called Mexican wedding cookies, Russian teacakes, wedding cookies, or vanilla snowballs, depending on the recipe and tradition.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Using melted butter instead of softened butter.
- Adding too much flour, which can make the cookies dry.
- Skipping the chilling time if the dough feels too soft.
- Rolling the cookies too large, so they do not bake evenly.
- Overbaking them until they turn brown instead of lightly set.
- Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar while they are too hot.
- Storing them before they have cooled completely, which can make them sticky.
What To Serve With Snowball Cookies
Snowball Cookies are delicious served with hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cold milk, or espresso. They also pair well with fresh berries, vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate truffles, shortbread cookies, or a holiday dessert tray for Christmas, parties, and homemade gifting.
FAQs
Just ensure that the walnuts are chopped very fine and the dough is fully brought together before rolling.
Yes — just omit the additional pinch of salt.
No, but repeating the roll adds a thicker, prettier “snowball” coating.
Yes. You can store the dough, covered, in the fridge, then roll and bake as needed.
You want them to be lightly golden on the bottoms and set, but pale on top (they shouldn’t brown much in the oven).
Yes. Freeze the formed balls, then bake from frozen (add a couple minutes) and coat after they cool.
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Easy Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Chop the walnuts into small pieces.
- Beat the butter with 60 g powdered sugar until creamy, then mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and a pinch of salt. Mix until crumbly.
- Add the chopped walnuts and mix until the dough comes together (finish by hand if needed).
- Roll into small balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops are set. Cool.
- Roll cookies in powdered sugar.
- Roll again after fully cooled for a thicker coating.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Chop walnuts finely so the dough rolls smoothly and holds together.
- For extra snowy cookies, roll twice: once slightly warm, then again when fully cool.
- If the dough feels too soft to roll, chill briefly, then shape.
- Swap walnuts with pecans or almonds if preferred.
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Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
