Snowball Cookies
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Blanketed in powdered sugar, snowball cookies make a festive addition to any cookie tray.
Dusted in powdered sugar like fresh snow, snowballs are simple shortbread-like cookies made with a mixture of flour and ground nuts, giving them a slightly nutty flavor and delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The cookies are popular in many parts of the world, and are known by different names depending on the region. In Mexico, they’re called polvorones or galletas de boda (which means “wedding cakes” in Spanish); in Russia, they’re known as Russian tea cakes; and in Austria, the cookies are shaped into half-moons and referred to as Viennese crescents. Despite the different names and sometimes different shapes, these cookies are all basically the same delicious treat with slight variations in the flavorings and types of nuts used.
American snowball cookies are typically made with ground pecans, but this recipe calls for almond flour, which is the same thing as finely ground almonds. Unlike other nut flours, almond flour is readily available at most large supermarkets, so using it saves the step of having to grind up the nuts—and almonds add lovely flavor, especially enhanced by a few drops of fragrant almond extract. These cookies are easy to make and a festive addition to any holiday cookie tray. Just be sure to allow at least 1 hour for the dough to chill in the fridge before rolling.
“I made these cookies for a cookie exchange and they were a hit. They’re really easy to make, look cute and festive and have a nice buttery, nutty flavor.”
What You’ll Need To Make Snowball Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure to the cookies, giving them a soft and crumbly texture.
- Almond Flour: Adds a subtle nutty flavor and helps to keep the cookies tender and moist.
- Butter: Provides richness and flavor while contributing to the tender texture of the cookies.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the dough and helps to create a slightly crisp exterior on the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor with its warm and aromatic notes, adding depth to the taste.
- Almond Extract: Adds a hint of almond flavor, complementing the other ingredients and giving the cookies a delightful aroma.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Coats the cookies, giving them a snowy appearance and a sweet finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the butter and granulated sugar.
Beat on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Add flour mixture.
Mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it’s firm enough to be easily handled.
Preheat oven to 350°F and set two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Use a small fine sieve to dust the cookies all over with confectioners’ sugar. (Alternatively, you can gently roll the cookies in the confectioners’ sugar until coated.)
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Dust the cookies again with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze the cookies after baking, let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Yep, snowball cookies keep nicely for up to 5 days. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature; just give them a quick dusting with confectioners’ sugar again before serving.
You can use use more vanilla extract in place of the almond extract.
That can happen if the dough was chilling longer than 20 minutes. Not to worry — just knead it slightly with your hands to make it more pliable.)
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- Scottish Shortbread
- Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Almond Biscotti
- Viennese Crescent Cookies
Snowball Cookies
Blanketed in powdered sugar, snowball cookies make a festive addition to any cookie tray.
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ⅔ cup finely sifted/super-fine almond flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar, for coating
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the dough is firm enough to be easily handled.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and set two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough is crumbly from chilling longer than the recommended time, knead it slightly with your hands to make it more pliable.) Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are pale on top and lightly golden on the bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. When the cookies are cool, use a small fine sieve to dust the cookies all over with confectioners' sugar. (Alternatively, gently roll the cookies in the confectioners' sugar until coated.) Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Dust the cookies again with confectioners' sugar before serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To freeze the cookies after baking, let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 77
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 26 mg
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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SO good, they melt in your mouth!
My grandmother used to make these cookies with pecans over the holidays. These reminded me of hers – delicious and lovely! 😊💗
Surely there’s got to be more to this cookie. I must have missed something. I tried 1 cookie and threw the rest of them out.
Crazy question. Due to blurry eyes from too much online shopping I misread recipe and used 1 2/3 cup AP flour instead of 1 3/4 cups. Dough has been chilling overnight. Should I toss and start over or does it not matter too much. I did use correct amount almond flour. Thanks!
Hi Vikki, The cookies might be a bit flatter, but they will still be delicious. I wouldn’t throw it out! Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much! I’ll bake them today.
Should these cookies be soft to the touch when they come out of the oven? Please let me know as I would like to try the recipe.
I wouldn’t call them soft to the touch, but they’re definitely delicate when you first remove them from the oven.
Love your recipes! For these, though, they completely flattened out while baking. Any idea what I did wrong?? Thanks!
Sorry you had a bit of a problem with these! Did you refrigerate the dough before rolling into balls? What brand of flour did you use? I always recommend King Arthur all-purpose flour; it has a slightly higher protein content than many brands, which helps cookies hold their shape.
Yes, I made these Snowball cookies. They were so, so good. Thank you, Jennifer.
Can you use vegan butter to make these a vegan cookie?
Hi Halya, I do think that would work. Please LMK how they turn out!
Can this recipe be made gluten free?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried them with gluten-free flour, but I think it should work. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Is it possible to replace the fine almond flour with, for example, almond meal?
Thank you!
Sure, that should be fine. Enjoy!
My first time making them and they are delicious. They are delicate and fall apart easily. Not sure if I did something wrong? They taste great and look lovely. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Hi Ellen, Glad you like them! The cookies are very delicate when warm, but once cool they shouldn’t crumble.