The ultimate Christmas cookie, these Snowball Cookies with toasted pecans are a melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread coated in powdered sugar. Perfect for a holiday gift or sweet treat at your next party.
By now my freezer is starting to look a lot like Christmas.
With Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, Chocolate Truffles, and Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprints, it's pretty sweet up in there. And now it is time to make room for more. I've got one of my favorite Christmas cookies of ALL-TIME today: it's these Snowball Cookies, aka Mexican Wedding Cookies, aka Russian Tea Cakes.
I grew up with these cookies every Christmas. My mom would make a big batch early in December and freeze them so that we could enjoy them slowly throughout the Christmas Season. Despite all the sugar and chocolate of other cookies, I always went for the soft, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, Snowball Cookie.
What is a Snowball Cookie?
Snowball Cookies are a cookie with many names. They are commonly referred to as Mexican Wedding Cookies. Growing up, at my house we called them Sandies. They can also be called Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Balls, and Pecan Melt-aways. And I'm sure that's only the tip of the iceberg.
While there are subtle differences between some of these cookies (such as the type of sugar used or the cookie's shape), this cookie of many names is a buttery shortbread that is filled with finely chopped nuts - usually pecans - and rolled with powdered sugar.
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Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars and healthy sugar alternatives.
- Flour - I have also made these cookies with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend (<<affiliate link) with great success.
- Vegan Butter - When working with few ingredients, it's very important to use a high-quality vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Vanilla Extract
- Pecans - I also love this cookie with hazelnuts.
Recommended Equipment
For all my cookie recipes, I recommend a stand-up mixer. These make whipping, beating, and blending so much easier. However, they are pricy and if they are not in your budget, you can make cookies with by hand or with a handheld mixer.
In addition, you will need basic cooking equipment including a baking sheets, silicone baking mats, and a wire cooling rack. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
Step One - Make the Dough
Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a stand-up mixer until the butter is light and fluffy. Next, add the flour and mix until it's just combined. Finally, add your finely chopped nut. The nuts will likely stick to the bottom of your mixing bowl, so I find that this step is best done by hand.
Step Two - Bake the Cookies
Shape the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons big and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 25-30 minutes at 300 until the cookies are firm. To check for doneness, cut a cookie in half. The cookie should be fairly crumbly and cooked all the way through.
Step Three - Roll in Powdered Sugar
To finish, let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Once they are cool, place them in a large ziplock bag along with the powdered sugar and toss them to coat. Alternatively, you can place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and roll the cookies to coat.
Pro Tip: Let the cookies cool completely before coating them in powdered sugar. If the cookies are still warm, the sugar will melt.
Serving and Storing
Serving - Let the cookies cool completely before coating them in powdered sugar. If the cookies are still warm, the sugar will melt. You can serve immediately or store for later use.
Storing - Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tips and Trick
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Use high-quality ingredients, especially when choosing your vegan butter.
- Start with cold butter. This will help the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Mix it until the flour is just incorporated as to not developed too much gluten.
- Bake a low temperature. We want the insides of these cookies to bake fully for their shortbread texture.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Vegan Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate-Dipped Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
- Classic Gingerbread People Cookies
Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter, I use Miyoko's
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry-roasted pecans or hazelnuts
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream vegan butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the flour and mix until combined.
- Mix in the finely chopped pecans. You may need to finish folding the nuts in by hand as some of them get stuck in the bottom of the bowl.
- Roll dough in balls about 1 heaping tablespoon big. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check for doneness by cutting one in half to ensure that it's cooked all the way through. Transfer cookies onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- Place powdered sugar in a large ziplock bag with about 6 cookies at a time. Shake it around until cookies are completely coated. Repeat until all cookies are coated. Alternatively, you can place the powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and roll the cookies to coat.
- Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
- The most accurate way to measure flour is to spoon it into your measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a knife.
- Use high-quality ingredients, especially when choosing your vegan butter.
- Start with cold butter. This will help the cookies keep their shape while baking.
- Do not over-mix the batter. Mix it until the flour is just incorporated as to not developed too much gluten.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Vegan4lyfe says
I am excited to try this recipe on Tues, just a quick question, do you cut the butter in squares so it will be easier to mix?
Thank you for your time
Sarah says
You can, but if you have a stand-up mixer it's not necessary.
Veronica says
These were always my favorite holiday cookies, too! My husband just does not understand it, but something about the sugary goodness and melt-in-my-mouthiness of these cookies just makes me smile. Then again, he's usually more of an ice cream kinda guy than a baked goods one. Thank you SO much for this recipe and thank you for filling my inbox with vegan goodness. I'm super excited to try these. 😀
Michele says
Yum thanks for sharing, so happy to be able to make one of my favorite cookies vegan! Well you were right on with the Miyoko's butter recommendation. I tried one batch with Miyoko's and one with Earth Balance buttery sticks and there was a big difference. Both were good but Myoko's has a better flavor, and held the dough together better. Personally I found it hard not to play with the dough too much, as you needed to warm the butter up on your hands a bit for the balls to stick together. They still came out good but did lose their shape when baking a little as a result. If anyone has any tricks to roll the balls and not play with the dough too much please share.
Sarah says
Mikyoko's butter is incredible, isn't it? Glad you enjoyed these!
Anita says
These were pretty amazing! I’m not vegan but made these for a friend, thought I’d miss the butter, but no way, so good! Only thing I would change when I make them again is make them smaller, like 2 tsp size (I went for 1 1/2 Tbsp balls). I think the ratio of powdered sugar to cookie would be better with small one bite cookies. Thanks for the great recipe!
Nina says
Maybe it would help if you put them for 15 minutes into the refrigerator before baking?
Audrey says
If I'd like to freeze these to eat later like you, at what point do you freeze them? When it's still in dough form or after they've baked? Also, how do you store them in the freezer, and what's the defrosting process before serving them? Would I powder them with the sugar before freezing or right before serving? Thank you! 🙂
Sarah says
I freeze then after baking. The texture is such that it is not compromised by baking/freezing/re-thawing. You would just want to pull them out about an hour before serving.
However you could freeze them while still in dough form, baking them just when you need them, for the fresh out of the oven taste. If you were to do that I would scoop them on to a cookie sheet (with powdered sugar on), freeze them, then transfer to a plastic bag. When you want to bake them just baking them right out of freezer.
Audrey says
Awesome! thanks so much! I've actually never tried these cookies before, but the way you described them and your photos made we want to try!
J says
what flour would you suggest to make these gluten free?
Sarah says
I'm really not too experienced with gluten-free flours. Most of my gluten-free baking is flour free. I would probably try a pre-mixed flour like Bob's Red Mill baking flour or if you want to make your own here's a cool conversion chart I have passed on a couple other times: http://www.gygi.com/blog/2012/07/20/gluten-free-baking-the-conversion-chart/
lauren says
which earth balance type do use use, they seem to have several. do you buy the nuts already dry roasted or do it yourself, and how? could you possibly sub some other type of healthier flour for part of the all purpose? thanks!
Sarah says
I buy Earth Balance buttery sticks, but I know they aren't available everywhere. If the tub is your only option, I but the original buttery spread. But they also have a soy-free one I have used which works fine.
I typically buy my hazelnuts dry roasted, but if you buy them raw it's very easy to roast. Turn your oven to 300. Spread nuts single layered onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, checking and stirring every 5 minutes. Once they are fragrant, check by tasting. They can go from roasted to burned pretty quickly, so be careful to check often.
You could sub 1/2 the flour for whole wheat. I haven't tried this personally, but I don't think it would be a problem. If you find white whole wheat flour, that would even be better because it is finer like white flour. In terms of non-wheat flours, I really wouldn't know without experimenting.
Good Luck!
Sherry (BTLover2) says
I have pinned so many of your recipes and here's another! I was wondering (a little too late as this is already being beaten in my mixer)... did you use powdered sugar in the dough or regular? I know that the ones I used to make (pre-vegan days) usually used powdered in the base as well as when coating the outside. Thanks so much!
Sarah says
Thanks for bringing that up, I just clarified this in my post. I did mean granulated but I would see no problem using powdered. It's such a little amount and I don't see it having an effect the texture. Well, it sounds like that's how you made them. How did they turn out?
Sherry (BTLover2) says
Hi Sarah,
I actually used granulated and they turned out great! I may try them with powdered at some point just for fun but these were delicious as is. I also swapped pecans for hazelnuts (but only because I cannot get them easily where I live). Like you, these have always been my Christmas cookie. I'm so happy I don't have to give them up now that I am vegan.
One more thing... You are one of my most favorite vegan recipe makers (for lack of a better term)! I've loved every recipe I've ever made from your site. Just want to thank you so much. Happy Holidays, Sarah!
Sarah says
Thanks Sherry, You put a smile on my face this morning. Happy Holidays to you too!
Lisa says
So that's where all those Sandies went every year!!! I like your substitution of vanilla extract for the water. I dry roast my raw hazelnuts before I cook with them--I think it brings out their flavor. Have you tried making vegan macaroons?
Sarah says
I just edited that in the post. I used dry roasted, so I was just not thinking as I wrote. Haven't tried macaroons yet, really want to but I have to figure out the best possible way. Thanks for the Sandies tradition!
Name (required) says
do you have a cheap source for vegan butter? I hate using recipes that cal or such a large amount since its so expensive... but these look soooo good!
Sarah says
In terms of vegan butter, I always buy Earth Balance. It is expensive, but it is very important to quality and much healthier than hydrogenated margarines. I know you could find vegan margarine that would be cheaper than Earth Balance but in my opinion you would be sacrificing the taste since these rely heavily on the buttery-ness. I hear you though, it does cost an arm and a leg.