Description

These Melt-in-Your-Mouth Holiday Snowball Cookies are delicate, buttery treats perfect for festive occasions. Soft, crumbly, and coated with powdered sugar, these classic cookies feature optional toasted pecans for an added nutty crunch. With a tender texture that literally melts in your mouth, they make an irresistible holiday dessert or gift.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional: 3/4 cup (100g) finely chopped and toasted pecans

Coating Sugar

1 1/4 cups (150g) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

Make Dough: Beat the softened unsalted butter in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Add the 3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla extract. Continue beating until well combined and fluffy. Gradually incorporate the all-purpose flour and salt, mixing until the dough comes together uniformly. If you choose to include pecans, gently fold them into the dough at this stage.
Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the dough to firm up, which makes it easier to shape and helps the cookies hold their form while baking.
Roll and Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Take about one tablespoon of dough for each cookie and roll it between your palms into a smooth ball. Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spaced slightly apart. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
First Coat: Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While they are still warm, gently roll each cookie in the confectioners’ sugar coating to cover them lightly. This warm coating helps the sugar stick to the surface.
Second Coat: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. Once fully cooled, roll the cookies again in the confectioners’ sugar to create a thick, snowy white coating that gives these cookies their iconic look and sweet finish.

Notes

You can substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds if preferred, or omit nuts altogether for a nut-free option.
Ensure the butter is softened but not melted for best dough consistency.
Rolling the cookies in powdered sugar while still warm allows a better initial coating, and re-rolling after cooling results in the classic snowball appearance.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for longer storage.
Using parchment paper or silicone baking mats prevents sticking and promotes even baking.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Holiday cookies, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, snowball cookies, buttery cookies, Christmas cookies, pecan cookies, powdered sugar cookies