Easy Christmas Snowball Cookies
These sweet, soft, buttery pecan snowball cookies taste like melt-in-your-mouth shortbread coated in powdered sugar! The perfect easy Christmas cookies with only 5 simple ingredients.
Equipment
- food processor (optional, to chop nuts)
- small cookie scoop (#50 or 1.2 Tbsp)
Ingredients
Pecan Snowball Cookies
- 4 oz pecans or nuts of choice finely chopped (1 cup) I used pecans & pistachios
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 8 oz salted butter softened to room temperature (1 cup)
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Coating
- ½ cup powdered sugar (60g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Optional: Toast nuts on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool to the touch before chopping.
- Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely chopped (or chop by hand). Some larger chunks are okay, but smaller pieces are ideal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and chopped nuts. Set aside.
- Separately, beat softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer on medium speed, until creamy. (If using unsalted butter, add ¼ tsp salt.)
- Add flour mixture into wet mixture and beat on low speed until a dough forms. Use your hands & a rubber spatula to collect the dough and press it together.
- Portion dough with a small cookie scoop (#50 or 1.2-Tbsp)and roll into ~1-inch balls. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake snowball cookies for 14-16 minutes, until undersides are lightly browned & tops are still light. (Don’t wait for the tops to brown if you want a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie.)
- Allow to cool enough to handle (1-2 minutes). While still warm, roll each cookie in powdered sugar to coat. Be generous!
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely or enjoy warm.
- Storage: Once cooled completely, store snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 7-10 days.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1.2g | Fat: 6.5g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 43mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3.5g