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+ servings

Snowball Cookies!

Snowball cookies are a classic holiday cookie! These nutty, delicious pecan cookies are quick and easy to make! and also the perfect cookie for gifting! Christmas Snowball Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes are soft, tender cookies that melt in your mouth. Kids love rolling the cookies in snowy white powdered sugar.  And they are gluten-free!

Course Christmas, Cookie, Cookies, Dessert, gluten-free
Cuisine American, Cookies, Dessert
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 32
Calories 101 kcal
Author Christine Galvani

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature, one stick of butter)
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch (for gluten-free, use gf cornstarch or tapioca starch)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for coating cookies)

Instructions

  1. Gather and measure the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  4. In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla for two minutes.

  5. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients - chopped pecans, almond flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix well with a spoon or spatula.

  6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients (the butter/sugar mixture). It will be a thick dough.

  7. Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes.

  8. Using a small cookie scoop (2 teaspoons), scoop the dough into balls. Set the balls on the baking sheet.

  9. Cook in the prepared oven for 10-12 minutes until bottoms are slightly golden.

  10. Let the cookie cool slightly.

  11. While cookies are still warm, roll in the remaining powdered sugar and set aside.

  12. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Recipe Tips:

  • For a fun add sprinkles (red and green for Christmas) or min-chocolate chips to the batter before rolling.
  • Using a hand mixer results in incorporating air into the batter which bakes a nice soft cookie.
  • Refrigerate the dough so the cookies will be easier to scoop into a ball and are more likely to stay in that shape while baking.
  • Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar while still warm so that more of the sugar sticks.
  • Roll the cookies twice in the powdered sugar to get thicker coverage on the cookies.

FAQ's

  1. Can I replace the almond flour with coconut flour?  No, the two flours are completely different in recipes.  The amount of coconut flour would have to be adjusted.
  2. Can I substitute another nut for the pecans?  Yes, you can substitute another nut of your choice. Just make sure to grind the nuts finely for this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
Snowball Cookies!
Amount Per Serving
Calories 101 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 2g10%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 10mg0%
Potassium 14mg0%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 91IU2%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 18mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.