Let's make Vegan Snowball Cookies this holiday season! Sugar-dusted, buttery, nutty, light as air, and so quick and easy to make!
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"Wow - these were so good! Should have doubled the recipe because they didn't last long! " - Jennie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
‘Tis the season, friends, and Vegan Snowball Cookies are a must-make treat for the holidays!
These iconic Christmas cookies are uniquely buttery and nutty with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
They look so pretty with their snowy sugar-dusted exteriors and this foolproof one-bowl recipe is really quick and easy to make with simple ingredients and no complicated steps.
What Are Snowball Cookies?
Snowball cookies are round shortbread cookies that often contain nuts, and are rolled in powdered sugar to give them their characteristic snowy appearance.
They are popular in many parts of the world, with slight variations in the flavorings and types of nuts used, and are known as Italian Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Butterballs, and Snowdrops, amongst many other names.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need at a glance, along with some important notes and substitution ideas:
- Dairy-free butter - I recommend using a harder vegan butter such as Earth Balance or Miyokos for this recipe. It will give much better results than softer margarine style spreads like Becel.
- Powdered sugar - Also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar. This is what gives the cookies their melt in the mouth texture and snowy appearance.
- Vanilla - Important for flavor. I recommend using vanilla extract and not vanilla essence.
- Flour - This should be all-purpose flour. In the UK use plain flour.
- Cornstarch - For added tenderness and more structure (it helps keep the cookies in their signature ball shape).
- Pecans- Chopped very finely they add delicious texture and flavor. You could use walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or pistachios instead although the flavor and appearance will change.
- Salt - Important for flavor and depth in sweet recipes as well as savory.
With so few ingredients I don't recommend making any substitutions in this recipe, except for the nuts as described above. Every ingredient has an important job and if you change them in any way you won't get the best results.
How To Make Vegan Snowball Cookies
Can't wait to make them? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me give you a quick walkthrough to set you up for success when it's your turn to make them:
1 - MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH - Along with the cornstarch and vanilla until soft and fluffy. Add the flour and pecans and mix to form your dough.
2 - ROLL - Scoop out tablespoon size portions and roll into balls. At this point you can freeze the balls for later. See below under "making ahead" for more details RE freezing.
3- BAKE - Place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray and bake. They puff up a bit but don't spread much.
4 - COAT - While warm roll the cookies in powdered sugar then put them back on the baking tray.
5 - COAT AGAIN WHEN COOL - This is the trick for making the powdered sugar stick and coat the cookies well. After the first roll when warm, the sugar will become a bit sticky. When rolling the second time it will stick well because of that stickiness.
Expert Tip - I do not recommend using silicone baking mats or greased baking trays when making snowball cookies because they create a slippery surface and encourage spreading which we don't want. Parchment paper works much better for this recipe.
Making Ahead
Follow the recipe through to rolling the balls of cookie dough and placing them on the parchment lined baking tray. Then pop the entire tray in the freezer until the dough balls become hard. At this point remove the tray from the freezer and transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer bag or airtight container. They will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Bake straight from the freezer (do not thaw) on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350°F (175°C) for 14 minutes.
Storage Tips
Snowball cookies are at their best within a few days of baking, but will keep for up to a week in an airtight container. The powdered sugar coating will get a little sticky as they age. You can freshen them up by re-rolling in powdered sugar at any time.
Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature. Give them a roll in some more powdered sugar to freshen up their appearance.
Recipe FAQs
This can be for many reasons, but the most common is not measuring the ingredients accurately. It's very important for the ratios of flour, butter, and sugar to be accurate in snowball cookie recipes. The only way to be accurate is to weigh your ingredients with a digital scale. Cups are not an accurate way to measure when baking and it's very easy for the amounts to be off. Spreading can also be caused by inaccurate oven temperature, not chilling the dough before baking (particularly if your kitchen is warm), and baking on silicone mats or greased baking trays. The slipperiness can encourage spreading.
Recipe
Vegan Snowball Cookies
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 grams) vegan butter , room temperature
- 1½ cups (187 grams) powdered sugar , divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK)
- 1 cup (105 grams) pecans , finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. Do not use silicone mats or greased baking trays for this recipe.
- Add the vegan butter, ½ cup (63g) of the powdered sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt to a mixing bowl. Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer) beat until fluffy. You can do it by hand if you don't have a mixer, just use lots of elbow grease and make sure it's soft and fluffy.
- Add half of the flour and beat on low speed until roughly combined, then add the rest of the flour and the pecans. Beat again on low until the butter is moistened, then turn up the speed to medium and continue beating until all ingredients are combined well.
- With a cookie scoop take 1-tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Place them gently on the prepared baking tray leaving at least an inch between them. The dough will be soft and sticky but should be easily rollable. If not put it in the fridge to firm up just a little.
- For the very best shaped cookies I recommend popping the baking trays with the cookies into the fridge for 15 minutes before baking (especially if your kitchen is warm). If not you can bake them immediately but they won't be quite as well-rounded. (Freezing instructions are also included in the post above).
- Bake the cookies for 12 minutes (13 from the freezer). The trick with these is not to let them brown. They will be very pale, very soft, and look like they aren't ready.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, leave them for 5 minutes to cool enough to handle, then roll in the powdered sugar. The sugar won't coat them well but that's ok. It provides a base for the next coat. Once rolled pop them back on the baking tray and allow to cool completely.
- Once completely cool, roll the cookies in the powdered sugar a second time. They will be a little sticky and the 2nd coat will stick much better.
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Teresa says
I love these cookies! Thanks!
Jennie says
Wow - these were so good! Made them with walnuts since that's what I had on hand. Should have doubled the recipe because they didn't last long. I associate snowballs with the winter holidays but I will definitely be making again throughout the year!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed them Jennie, and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
Dana says
These are quite decadent and delicious!
Maureen says
We have just finished double coating them. Of course we had to sample one each (I was counting!) earlier today before we went out to look at all the Christmas lights. We needed nourishment right?? They are wonderful and just what I wanted them to be. Have frozen some of them and kept out one container ready for Christmas Day. I might need some more nourishment before then... Thanks again for all your wonderful and successful recipes.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm really pleased you're enjoying them Maureen! Merry Christmas!
Shelly says
Thank you for this vegan version of a childhood favorite Melanie!! I will be making them in the morning :)
Happy Holidays!!
Judy says
I’ve been a vegan cook for over 12 years and I’m a really healthy 78 year old. Much of this is because I don’t use fat or sugar. Not all vegans are healthy and this recipe is one reason why. It is so high in fat and sugar that it could mislead people to think it would be good for them. I do use your recipes that don’t include these ingredients and I appreciate those. Dates and maple syrup are good substitutes for sugar and applesauce can often replace fats in a lot of recipes. Just my two cents🥰
Melanie McDonald says
Oh good grief Judy...There's an easy solution for you...Don't like the recipe? Don't make it. But let the rest of us enjoy it in peace.
These are a Christmas cookie that is not intended to be healthy. Nowhere does it claim they are healthy, and you are on a website that focuses on vegan comfort food (not health food) so no-one is being misled.
These cookies taste absolutely amazing and are a delicious holiday treat. That's the aim of the game here and I nailed it.
Merry Christmas!
Maureen says
Tis Christmas time and I am making these tomorrow morning so I have something yummy to eat on Christmas afternoon after my Christmas lunch (next year I am going to start earlier and make my own mincemeat for my own mince pies (husband doesn't like them!).
Your recipes are THE ones I always recommend for those wanting tasty and successful recipes - vegans and non-vegans.
Keep up the great work please.
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Maureen, and Merry Christmas to you and your family!