Description
Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies are rich, tender morsels that melt in your mouth. These classic holiday treats pair creamy butter with toasted pecans, then roll in snowy powdered sugar for a festive finish. Easy to bake, they hold their shape, stay soft inside, and look irresistible on a cookie tray or gift tin. Perfect for Christmas, winter gatherings, or cozy nights, they deliver comforting, nutty sweetness in every bite. Yields about 24 cookies; you can adjust sweetness by dusting more or less powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- Additional powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in vanilla extract.
- Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in chopped pecans.
- Scoop dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until bottoms are lightly golden but tops stay pale.
- Let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then gently roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.
- Once fully cooled, roll again in powdered sugar for a thick snowy coating.
Notes
- Do not overbake; cookies should be pale and set.
- Use unsalted butter for consistent salinity.
- If dough is soft, chill for 15–20 minutes before shaping.
- Finely chop pecans to ensure even texture.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze for longer.
- Dust with extra powdered sugar while still warm for a powdery snowball finish.
- Yield: about 24 cookies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12–15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
Keywords: Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies, Pecan Snowball Cookies, Snowball Cookies, Butter Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Easy Cookie Recipe, Nutty Cookies, Powdered Sugar Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Giftable Cookies