Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (2024)

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freevegan

This easy snowball cookies recipe is the best. These pecan snowball cookies are melt in your mouth good, and they’re completely dairy free and vegan! They’re the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray, and I promise they’ll be the first to disappear. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (1)

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Why I love this snowball cookies recipe

I’m not really sure what name I like for this cookie…snowball cookies, Russian teacakes or Mexican wedding cakes. Up until a few years ago I didn’t know any name for the cookie.

It was just my favorite Christmas cookie – usually made by my Grandmom which made it even better. I only ate them at Christmas and only when we went to Philadelphia.

My mom says that she use to make them, but I have no memory of that happening. Anyway, they are pretty easy to make and are as cute as can be the way they resemble snowballs and are stored in piles of powdered sugar – perfect for Christmas!

More Christmas cookie recipes: fruitcake cookies / Grinch cookies / anise cookies / chocolate molasses sugar cookies / almond crescents

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (2)

Here’s what you’ll need to make them

Equipment
Ingredients

For this recipe, I’ve used vegetable shortening. I prefer to use a brand that uses non-hydrogenated and sustainable oils, but there are many brands on the market that will work. Use what’s best for you and your budget. You can also use you favorite dairy free butter instead of shortening.

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (6)

How to make snowball cookies

Mise en place. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If needed, grind or finely chop your pecans, and measuring out the rest of your ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the pecans, flour and salt in a medium bowl and set it aside.

Beat the wet ingredients. With an electric mixer, cream the shortening, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract until they’re light and fluffy.

Combine dry and wet ingredients. Mix in the flour mixture and continue beating until a dough forms. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of water to help the dough combine.

This will depend on the brand of shortening or vegan butter you’re using, but do it only 1 tablespoon at a time.

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (7)

Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and spread them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet – about an inch or so apart from each other.

Bake the cookies. Pop your snowball cookies into the oven for about 12 minutes. They will not be fully brown and that is okay, but as long as the tops are set, you’re good.

Coat with sugar. After about 5 – 10 minutes, coat them in powdered sugar. The cookies should be slightly warm when you do this because it helps the sugar to stick.

Apply a second coat. After the cookies have completely cooled, coat them again in powdered sugar before storing them in an air-tight container with extra powdered sugar.

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (8)

FAQs and tips for making the best pecan snowball cookies

Can you freeze snowball cookie dough?

Yes. You can freeze these dough balls. When you’re ready to bake, simply thaw them on the counter for an hour or two before baking and continuing with the recipe as directed.

How long can you freeze snowball cookies?

Snowball cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months without compromising their taste or texture. They should be stored in an airtight container or freezer-friendly bag for best results. After thawing, I recommend coating the cookies in powdered sugar one more time.

Can I use something other than pecans?

Absolutely, this recipe would work well with other nuts, such as almond or walnut. I chose to make mine with pecans because they’re my favorite. Use what’s best for you!

Are Russian tea cakes the same as Mexican wedding cookies?

Snowball cookies, also called Mexican wedding cookies, are pretty much the same thing. The name varies by location, and different nuts may be used, but in the end they’re the same.

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (9)

More dairy free cookie recipes

  • Sprinkle cookies
  • Chocolate chocolate chip cookies
  • Pumpkin cookies
  • Pineapple cookies
  • Sugar cookies
  • Cowboy cookies

More Christmas favorites

  • Christmas sangria
  • Microwave fudge
  • Baked scallops
  • Tourtiere
  • Relish tray
  • Dairy free hot chocolate
  • Pickled eggs
Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (10)

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Snowball Cookies

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (11)

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This easy snowball cookies recipe is the best. These pecan snowball cookies are melt in your mouth good, and they’re completely dairy free and vegan! They’re the perfect addition to your holiday cookie tray, and I promise they’ll be the first to disappear. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

  • Author: Melissa Belanger
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 3 dozen 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 cup ground pecans
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening or vegan butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together the flour, ground pecans and salt – set aside.
  3. With an electric mixer, cream the shortening, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla extract at a medium speed.
  4. Slowly add flour mixture to the bowl and mix. If needed, add 1 – 2 tablespoons of water, until a dough forms.
  5. Form 1-inch balls with the dough and spread on a cookie sheet about an inch apart.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allowthe cookies cool for 5 – 10 minutes.
  7. Place remaining powdered sugar in a bowl and coat each cookie. Transfer to a cooling and let cookies cool completely before doing another coat of powdered sugar.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 100
  • Sugar: 3.4 g
  • Sodium: 10.1 mg
  • Fat: 6.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8.9 g
  • Fiber: 0.3 g
  • Protein: 0.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook.

Published: December 2, 2019. Updated: November 6, 2023.

Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why did my snowball cookies go flat? ›

Why do my snowball cookies go flat? These snowball cookies should not flatten. If they do it's likely the dough wasn't chilled long enough and the ingredients were too warm to begin with so they spread. It's also possible you accidentally measured the ingredients incorrectly!

Why didn't my snowball cookies stay round? ›

Chilling your cookie dough thoroughly, at least an hour, should help. The rest in the chill chest helps that butter firm up. That, in turn, helps the cookies hold their shape.

What is the history of snowball cookies? ›

The origin for pecan snowball cookies is unknown. Beloved in many parts of the world, these cookies may have traveled to the U.S. by way of immigrants from Eastern Europe or Mexico. Since the 20th century, they've become part of traditional American offerings for weddings and holidays, including Christmas and Easter.

How far ahead should I be to make Christmas cookies? ›

Aim to make them about two weeks in advance if you keep them at room temperature. Making them one week or a few days in advance is even better if you are going for the freshest possible cookies. Remember that you can always make a new batch if you accidentally keep your cookies out for too long and they become stale.

Why is my snowball cookie dough crumbly? ›

Not enough liquid

There are a few things you can do if your cookie dough is too dry and crumbly. First, try adding more liquid to the dough. This could be milk, water, or even just additional eggs. If that doesn't work, you could also try melting some butter and adding it to the dough.

Why are my cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›

Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies.

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter? ›

Adjust Salt

Next, if you're swapping unsalted for salted butter, reduce the amount of salt listed in the recipe to adjust for the salt in the butter. Take ¼ teaspoon of salt away for every stick of butter used*. Do the opposite if you're swapping salted for unsalted butter.

Is confectioners sugar the same as powdered sugar? ›

Although the terms are often colloquially used interchangeably, they are not the same. Powdered sugar is similar to confectioners' sugar but without the cornstarch. Because the words are often mistaken for each other, you will even find "powdered sugar" in the grocery store that is actually confectioners' sugar.

Which cookies was invented as an accident? ›

1. The chocolate chip cookie was created by accident. In the 1930s, Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts, added broken chocolate bar pieces into her cookie batter thinking that they would melt. Instead, the classic dessert was born.

What are the oldest cookies in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

What state invented snowballs? ›

Many insist that the snowball was created in New Orleans in the 1930s, while others insist that Baltimore, Maryland, was their place of origin. Snowballs have grown to become a wildly popular tradition in Louisiana regardless of where they were first created.

What Christmas cookies stay fresh the longest? ›

Shortbread and spritz cookies are longer-lasting cookies, which means they are perfect for holidays when there is some competition on the table. After all, Christmas in many homes is celebrated with a variety of dishes and sweet treats.

Can you leave Christmas cookies out overnight? ›

Curious how long cookies last at room temperature? Most homemade cookies will maintain their taste and texture for up to 3 days. If you leave them out for too long, the cookies begin to harden or dry out. To prevent cookies from becoming stale, cover them with plastic wrap or keep in an airtight container.

How do you keep Christmas cookies fresh for 2 weeks? ›

The USDA website says that generally, cookies can be stored at room temperature for two to three weeks or refrigerated for two months. If you find yourself with more cookies than you can eat in that time frame, consider putting the baked cookies in a sealed container in the freezer.

Why did my cookies come out completely flat? ›

The Problem: Your Oven Is Too Hot

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot.

Why do my cookies lose their shape? ›

If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

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