🛒 Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (120 g) finely chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk, only if needed

For the Powdered Sugar Coating

  • 1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cream the Butter

Place the softened butter and ½ cup powdered sugar in a large bowl.

Beat for about 2–3 minutes, until light, smooth, and creamy.

Add the vanilla extract and mix again.

3. Add the Dry Ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.

Fold in the finely chopped nuts.

The dough should be soft but firm enough to shape. If it seems unusually dry or crumbly, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it comes together.

4. Shape the Cookies

Scoop out approximately 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie.

Roll each portion between your palms to form a smooth ball.

Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden.

The cookies should remain fairly pale on top. Avoid overbaking them, as they are meant to have a delicate, tender texture.

6. First Powdered Sugar Coating

Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.

While they are still warm, gently roll each cookie in powdered sugar.

Place them on a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

7. Coat Again

Once completely cool, roll each cookie in powdered sugar a second time.

For the snowy appearance shown in the picture, sift additional powdered sugar over the cookies just before serving.

✨ Tips for Perfect Snowball Cookies

  • Use softened butter, not melted butter.
  • Finely chop the nuts so the cookies hold their round shape.
  • Don’t overmix after adding the flour.
  • Don’t wait too long for the first sugar coating—the warm cookies hold the powdered sugar beautifully.
  • Apply a second coating after cooling for a thick, snowy finish.
  • If you want extra-tender cookies, measure flour carefully rather than packing it tightly into the measuring cup.