Pecan Snowball Cookies are delicate, rich and buttery cookies packed with toasted pecans and coated in powdered sugar. They're easy to make and perfect for the holiday season!
Looking for more Christmas recipes? Try my Cherry Winks, Molasses Crinkles, and Biscoff Truffles.
Quick Look: Pecan Snowball Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Chill Time: 1 Hour
- Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Servings: 20 Cookies
- Difficulty: Easy, perfect for holiday baking.
- Dietary info: Vegetarian, egg-free.
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Pecan Snowballs are classic holiday cookies made with butter, flour, powdered sugar, vanilla and pecans. These are also known as Mexican wedding cookies, Russian tea cakes, and Italian wedding cookies. These tiny snowball cookies with pecans are known for their rich, nutty flavor, crumbly texture, and their signature coating of powdered sugar, which gives them a dreamy, snowy look.
These Mexican wedding cookies are often made during Christmas because they are classic, easy to prepare, freeze well and look festive and beautiful on holiday cookie trays.
If you love traditional Christmas baking, you might also like my Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies, Santa's Whiskers, Polish Christmas Jam Cookies, Peanut Butter Blossoms, and Italian Castagnelle.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- They're crumbly, delicious, and just melt-in-your mouth.
- These cookies have a classic buttery flavor that is perfect for Christmas baking.
- This recipe needs simple ingredients and easy steps.
- They're perfect for holiday cookie trays and homemade gifts.
- The dough can be made ahead, and the baked cookies freeze well.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Flour - Regular all-purpose flour or plain flour works perfectly for this recipe. You could also use whole wheat flour, but the texture of the cookies will be different.
Butter - You will need to use softened unsalted butter. It can be replaced with margarine but the flavor and texture might vary. Make sure the butter is at room temperature before making the dough. Replace it with vegan butter for a dairy-free version. I recommend unsalted butter so you can control the salt in the recipe. If you are using salted butter, skip salt.
Pecans - I have roasted my pecans to add a deep, nutty flavor and a slight crunch. Make sure to chop them finely so they mix evenly into the dough. You can also replace them with walnuts, almonds or pistachios.
Powdered Sugar - Also known as confectioner's sugar. You will need it to sweeten the dough and coat the baked cookies. Granulated sugar will not give the same texture, so it's best not to substitute here.
Vanilla - Enhances the overall flavor of the cookie. Use pure vanilla extract if possible for the best results.
Variations:
This old-fashioned pecan snowball cookies recipe is easy to customize, and there are many ways to change the flavor depending on the season.
For a spiced holiday snowball cookie version, add a little bit of cinnamon or nutmeg to the dough. You can also mix in a little cardamom powder for a warm, festive flavor for the Christmas season. Check out my Gingerbread Snowball Cookies if you love spiced cookies.
You can also swap pecans with other nuts like almonds or walnuts. Just make sure they're toasted and finely chopped for the best texture.
If you love experimenting with snowball cookies just like me, you might also enjoy some of the other versions on the blog, like Lemon Snowballs, Orange Cranberry Snowballs, Double Chocolate Snowballs, Secret Kiss Snowballs,and Cherry Snowball Cookies.
How to make Pecan Snowball Cookies
Start by spreading pecans on a lined baking tray. Bake them in the preheated oven for 5 minutes at 180 degrees C.
Once the pecans are fragrant and roasted, take them out of the oven. Let them cool completely and chop them finely. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
Add flour and mix just until a soft dough forms.
Add the roasted, chopped pecans and mix everything to make a soft dough.
Tightly wrap the prepared dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into 1 inch balls.
Place the chilled dough balls on the lined baking sheet.
Bake them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until light golden at the bottom at 180 degrees C. Let them cool the baked cookies for 3-5 minutes.
Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are still warm.
Once they are completely cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar.
Tips & Notes:
- Use fresh and high quality ingredients for the best results.
- Do not skip roasting pecans. This step adds a deeper and richer flavor.
- Make sure the butter is softened at room temperature. Otherwise, it won't cream properly.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. Chilling helps the baked goods hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too much while baking. If you are not able to roll the dough after chilling, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Do not overbake the cookies, as it can make them dry. Bake them until the bottoms are lightly golden.
- Roll in powdered sugar while cookies are warm. The powdered sugar sticks well when they are still warm. Rolling them again once cooled or before serving gives that classic snowy look.
Serving suggestions:
Pecan snowballs are perfect to have with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Their buttery texture and mild sweetness make them a great afternoon snack.
They're a classic addition to Christmas trays and holiday dessert spreads, along with other holiday treats like Coconut Ice, Cream Cheese Mints, Oreo Bark, and Baci di Dama.
Storage suggestions:
These cookies can stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They can freeze as well. Once they are baked and cooled, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls.
FAQs:
Snowballs, a.k.a. Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, are buttery, crumbly, melt-in-mouth cookies. It is a classic holiday treat. You can find more variations in my Snowball Cookie Recipes.
These are meant to be tender and crumbly. If they fall apart too easily, the dough may be too dry. Make sure the flour is measured correctly.
Absolutely! The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. The baked cookies can also be stored and freeze well.
More Christmas recipes:
Pecan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Flour
- ½ Cup Pecans
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar (for dough)
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅛ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar (to coat the baked cookies)
Instructions
- Spread pecans on a lined baking tray. Bake them in the preheated oven for 5 minutes at 180 degrees C.
- Once the pecans are fragrant and roasted, take them out of the oven. Let them cool completely and chop them finely. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Add flour and mix just until a soft dough forms.
- Add the roasted, chopped pecans and mix everything to make a soft dough.
- Tightly wrap the prepared dough with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls.
- Place the chilled dough balls on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until light golden at the bottom at 180 degrees C. Let them cool the baked cookies for 3-5 minutes.
- Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are still warm.
- Once they are completely cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar.
Video
Notes
- Do not skip roasting pecans. This step adds a deeper and richer flavor.
- Do not skip chilling the dough. Chilling helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents them from spreading too much while baking. If you are not able to roll the dough after chilling, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
- Roll in powdered sugar while cookies are warm. The powdered sugar sticks well when cookies are still warm. Rolling them again once cooled or before serving gives that classic snowy look.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only.
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