Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe – Running on Real Food

What are Snowballs?

Pecan snowball cookies are a variation on a classic shortbread cookie, coated in confectioners sugar for a festive effect. They’re also known as Russian tea cakes, Italian snowball cookies or Mexican wedding cookies.

Snowballs are made with butter, flour and icing sugar for the a delicious melt-in-your-mouth texture. These always disappear quick from a Christmas goodie tray.

You’ll love this simple recipe for your holiday baking and don’t miss these lemon shortbread cookies too, they’re lovely!

Please see the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list with amount. This section covers notes on specific ingredients used and any possible substitutions.

• Butter: Use your choice of plant-based butter. If you’re not vegan or dairy-free, you can use regular butter.
• Powdered Sugar: Also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar. Wholesome makes an organic vegan powdered sugar, otherwise any brand works or you can make your own.
• Vanilla: You can use pure vanilla extract, or artificial extract, if needed.
• All-Purpose Flour: This recipe works with all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose baking flour.
• Cornstarch: You should be able to substitute tapioca starch for this.
• Pecans: Use pecans with no added salt or oil. Chopped walnuts or almonds (or any chopped nut) work as a substitution. Use toasted pecans for extra flavour!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This should take about 2-3 minutes.

After you’ve combined the butter and sugar, add the vanilla and beat briefly to mix it in.

Quick Tip: If you’d like to toast the pecans for extra flavour, add them to a sheet pan and bake for 5-7 minutes at 350 F while you prepare the dough.

Step 3: Add flour, cornstarch and salt and start beating on low, slowly increasing the speed until everything is combined.

Step 4: Add the pecans and chill the dough.

Stir in the pecans or beat briefly to combine. Once you’ve mixed those in, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dish towel and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Quick Tip: You can prepare the dough as much as 24 hours in advance and chill overnight.

Step 5: Shape the cookies and bake.

When you’re almost ready to start baking, preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use a small cookie scoop to make approximately 18 snowballs and place them on a baking sheet.

If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can use your hands to create the snowballs using a generous tablespoon per cookie. Bake them for 13-15 minutes until the bottoms are light golden brown.

Recipe Notes

1. If you are toasting your pecans, you can put them in the oven at 350˚F (177˚C) for 5-8 minutes while preparing the dough. 
2. It’s highly recommended to use a digital scale to measure ingredients for accuracy and to ensure success.
3. For best results, coat the cookies in sugar twice, once after cooling for 10 minutes and again once fully cooled.
4. A small cookie scoop will help you get uniformly-sized snowballs.
5. Use room temperature butter when starting the recipe.

Variations

• Lemon Snowballs: Add 1 tbsp lemon zest to the dough when you add the cornstarch and flour.
• Almond Snowballs: Substitute the vanilla extract for almond extract and use chopped almonds instead of pecans.
• Chocolate Chip Snowballs: Use mini chocolate chips instead of chopped pecans.

Storing Instructions

• Let the cookies cool completely before storing.
• Once cooled, store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• To freeze, cool completely then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.