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These Gingerbread Pecan Snowballs are the perfect cookie for the holiday season. Buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
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Snowball Cookies
You may know these cookies by a few different names. Snowball Cookies. Russian Tea Cookies. Mexican Wedding Cookies. Whatever you call them, they’re delicious!
These buttery, tender pecan cookies are combined with spices reminiscent of gingerbread and rolled in plenty of powdered sugar. They kind of look like snowballs – hence, the name!
Often times, you’ll find some variety of these cookies on holiday cookie trays. They’re always a welcome treat, in my opinion. These little bites of deliciousness are sure to become a holiday favorite.
Let me show you how they’re made …
Recipe for Snowball Cookies
- butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- molasses
- all-purpose flour
- ground ginger
- cinnamon
- ground allspice
- salt
- pecans
How to make Snowball Cookies
Time needed: 1 hour and 25 minutes
How to make Gingerbread Pecan Snowballs
- Cream.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar using an electric hand mixer.
- Add.
Add the vanilla extract and molasses and beat to combine.
- Whisk together.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- Combine.
Add the flour mixture and the chopped pecans to the butter mixture. Mix to form the dough, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Chill.
Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Prehat and prepare baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Place the cookie dough on the baking sheet.
Form 1-½ tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly golden brown.
- Cool and roll in powdered sugar.
Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then roll the cookies in powdered sugar.
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Recipe Notes
- If you use salted butter, omit or use less of the salt called for in the recipe.
- Not a fan of pecans? You can use walnuts, almonds, or another nut in its place.
Snowball Cookies: FAQs
It could be from overmixing or from too low of an oven temperature.
They are probably too dry. Try adding a tablespoon or two more of butter or some milk.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. You can freeze them for up to one month.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they’re good for up to 3-5 days. You can also freeze them.
Yes! You can freeze the dough of the baked cookies!
— For the dough: Prepare the cookie dough as stated in the recipe. Form the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet and freeze them until they are frozen all the way through. Place the frozen cookie dough balls in a single layer with wax paper between the layers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Once you are ready to use the dough, transfer the dough to the refrigerator and let it thaw for 24-48 hours or until it is soft. Baked as directed in the recipe.
— For baked cookies: Prepare the cookies as directed in the recipe. Allow them to cool completely. Place the cookies on a baking sheet in a single layer until frozen. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. When you are ready to eat the cookies, allow them to thaw at room temperature, then re-roll them in powdered sugar before serving.
How did you like this recipe?
Did you give this recipe a try? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment down below letting me know your feedback. Did you change anything? Let me know that – sometimes I find some pretty great ideas from what other people do! If you run into any problems, I’ll try my best to help figure out what is going on!
Other recipes you may enjoy
GIngerbread Pecan Snowballs
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Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup pecans, finely chopped
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar using an electric hand mixer.
- Add the vanilla extract and molasses and beat to combine.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture and the chopped pecans to the butter mixture. Mix to form the dough, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- Form 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place 1-inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottom is lightly golden brown.
- Cool the cookies on the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then roll the cookies in powdered sugar. Leave cookies to cool completely on the wire rack, then roll again in powdered sugar.
Notes
- If you use salted butter, omit or use less of the salt called for in the recipe.
- Not a fan of pecans? You can use walnuts, almonds, or another nut in its place.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
