Snowball Cookies (Eggless)

Snowball Cookies are buttery, soft, melt in the mouth, nutty, covered with powdered sugar, and full of pecans! These eggless cookies can be a classic and festive addition to your Christmas cookie tray.

The recipe for Snowball Cookies and its ingredients are not complicated at all! It comes together quickly with only six elements and makes lovely textured buttery cookies in no time.

Jump to:

• What Are Snowball Cookies?
• About Snowball Cookies
• Why You Will Love Snowball Cookies
• Ingredients
• How To Make Snowball Cookies
• Make-Ahead and Freezing Suggestions
• Variations
• Helpful Tips
• More Festive Cookies
• Recipe Card

What Are Snowball Cookies?

Snowball Cookies are mainly made with flour, sugar, and butter. No leavening agents are needed, and adding nuts is also optional. After baking the cookies, they are covered with icing sugar, giving an iconic snow-dusted exterior.

These cookies are called with other names as well. Snowball cookies are known as Mexican wedding cookies, butterballs, snowdrops, and Russian tea cakes.

About Snowball Cookies

The recipe is simple, with only a handful of ingredients, but yields buttery, tender, and melt-in-the-mouth cookies.

These cookies can be made with or without pecans. If you do not prefer nuts, you can skip it and follow the recipe with the rest of the ingredients.

Or, if you like to add other nuts than pecans, feel free to do so. However, toast the nuts and chop them finely. You can also use a food processor and pulse them in a coarse powder.

The Snowball Cookies recipe is another addition to my long list of eggless cookie recipes. If you are planning to bake cookies for the holidays or cookie exchange, do not forget to check out other cookie recipes on my blog.

Why You Will Love Snowball Cookies

• Snowball Cookies are buttery and crumbly with a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
• They are sweet, nutty, and full of pecans.
• The cookies are effortless to make with only six ingredients.
• You can make these cookies with or without pecans.
• They are covered with powdered sugar, giving a snow-dusted exterior.
• Great for holidays and your Christmas cookie platter.

Ingredients

1. Butter: Use unsalted butter, and it should be at room temperature.
2. Icing Sugar: It is needed for the dough and for covering the cookies.
3. Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla.
4. Flour: I have used unbleached all-purpose flour. It is essential to measure the flour correctly. The best way is to weigh the flour using the kitchen scale if you have one. But if you measure by volume, fluff your flour with the spoon, then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with the knife.
5. Salt: It contrasts pleasantly with sweet cookies and enhances the flavors.
6. Pecans: Lightly toast and finely chop the pecans for the delicious and nutty flavors. However, you can skip the nuts to make the cookies without pecans.

How To Make Snowball Cookies

Preparations

• Finely chop the toasted pecans with a sharp knife.
• Or, pulse the toasted pecans in a food processor until coarsely ground.
• Set aside.

Making The Snowball Cookie Dough

• Place butter and icing sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer.
• Instead of a stand mixer, you can also use a hand-held electric mixer.

• Cream the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment, initially at low speed and then at medium to high speed, until light and fluffy.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

• Add vanilla and mix for a few seconds until well combined.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

• Add flour, salt, and finely chopped pecans to the butter mixture, and on low speed, mix until everything comes together.
• Do not overmix.

• The dough should be soft and hold its shape but not sticky or crumbly.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with cling wrap.
• Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to two days. 

Shaping and Baking The Snowball Cookies

• When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Line the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set it aside.
• Sift ¾ cup icing sugar in a small shallow bowl. Set it aside.
• Scoop the cookie dough using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon and roll it into balls (about 20g of each ball).
• Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet about two inches apart.

• Bake the cookies for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool down on the baking sheet for five minutes.

Coating With Icing Sugar

• Roll the warm cookies gently in icing sugar to coat them thoroughly.
• There will be sugar patches, and it will be sticky, but that is perfectly fine.
• Place the cookies on the wire rack to cool completely.

• Once cooled to room temperature, roll the cookies again in icing sugar. 

Storing Suggestions

• Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.
• The cookies stay at room temperature for up to a week.

Make-Ahead and Freezing Suggestions

Freezing The Dough: Tightly cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

Freezing The Cookie Dough Balls: Place the cookie dough balls in a single layer on a plate or baking tray. Freeze them for 3-4 hours or until solid. Then, freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months. Thaw the cookie dough balls overnight in the fridge and bake them as directed.

Freeze The Baked Cookies: Freeze the cookies without coating them with icing sugar. Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to two months. After thawing the cookies, you can roll them in powdered sugar before serving.

Variations

Cookies Without Pecans: You can make the dough without adding pecans; you do not have to change anything else in the recipe. The cookies will still taste buttery delicious.

Nuts Of Choice: Instead of pecans, you can use lightly toasted and finely chopped pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts.

Chocolate Dipped Cookies: Dip the cookies in melted chocolate once completely cooled. Place the chocolate-dipped cookies in a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Chill the cookies until the chocolate is set.

Zest: Add 2 teaspoon orange or lemon zest to the dough for the citrus-flavored cookies.

Spiced Cookies: Add ¼ teaspoon of ground spices, such as cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon.

Helpful Tips

• Measuring The Ingredients: Correctly measure the flour and other ingredients for the perfect cookies. I suggest using a kitchen scale. If using the cup method, fluff your flour with the spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with the knife.
• Butter: Butter should be at room temperature for a perfect creaming method. You can check the right temperature by pressing the butter with your finger. Your finger should leave a dent and not slide down the butter.
• Toasting The Pecans: Spread the pecans on the baking sheet and bake them at 350°F (180°C) for 7-8 minutes. Let them cool, and chop them finely with a sharp knife. Or, pulse in a food processor to get coarsely ground pecans.
• Chilling The Dough: Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading. So do not skip this step and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

More Festive Cookies

You May Like More Eggless Treats

• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Eggless)
• Eggless Red Velvet Cupcakes
• Chocolate Chip Scones (Eggless)
• Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies (Eggless)
• Raspberry Muffins (Eggless) / Raspberry Almond Muffins

Recipe Card