Adorable, easy and delicious, this Snowball Cookie Recipe is the perfect Christmas treat to make with kids. These festive snowball cookies use sprinkles and white chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips, instead of nuts. Everyone loves this holiday treat!
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Do you have your holiday baking all planned out yet? These easy snowball cookies make a great addition to any cookie tray. With creamy white chocolate chips baked into a buttery cookie, Snowball Cookies are a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.
These cookies only require a handful of ingredients to make, which makes them an easy option for young bakers, with supervision of course. They are like a buttery shortbread, not soft and chewy, but not hard and crunchy. They have their own unique texture which stands out from other Christmas cookies.
Snowball Cookies Without Nuts
Snowball cookies are often made with nuts. I love a good walnut snowball cookie or a pecan snowball cookie but these days you just never know who might have nut allergies.
When I’m bringing cookies to a party, I love having nut free options so that everyone can enjoy the treats. These snowball cookies are made with white chocolate chips and sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips, instead of nuts.
Use red and green sprinkles to keep things extra jolly!
Biting into these rich, shortbread like butter cookies flecked with sprinkles is sure to put a smile on your face. Bring Snowball Cookies to all of your holiday parties and get-togethers and watch how fast they disappear.
Can I add nuts to snowball cookies?
If you want to turn these into a more traditional snowball cookie, feel free! Just add half a cup of your favorite chopped nuts in with the dry ingredients. Walnuts and pecans both work well.
You can turn these into Peppermint Snowball Cookies by using peppermint flavored sprinkles or stirring crushed peppermint bits in with the sprinkles. Have fun making the snowball cookies your own!
Christmas Cookies
Christmas baking season is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. Every year, I look forward to baking batches of Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies and Hot Chocolate Cookies to share.
This snowball cookie recipe has been a favorite in my family for years. Here’s my daughter making them about ten years ago, they are her all time favorite cookie. She’s currently looking over college acceptances and picking where to spend her next four years. Time flies!
After you make these snowball cookies, you can “warm up” so to speak with some Hot Chocolate Cookies. For decorating fun with kids, don’t forget to bake some Gingerbread Men this year, too. Don’t forget to save some for Santa!
Easy Snowball Cookies
This cookie recipe comes together quickly and easily. It’s a great one for kids to help with. Here is a quick run through the ingredients and recipe steps. Remember, the full printable recipe with measurements and detailed instructions is at the end of the post.
Ingredients At A Glance
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference, but this is not one where I’d sub margarine since the butter flavor is one of the stars of the show.
- Vanilla – Because these cookies have so few ingredients, the quality of ingredients can really impact the result. If possible, pure vanilla extract is best. Please note the recipe calls for a TABLESPOON of vanilla, that is not a typo. Almond extract would also work, though will give a very different flavor.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioners sugar. If you don’t have any on hand, here’s how you can make your own. It’s a carrot cake post, but in it I show you how to make your own powdered sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour – Make sure you measure by spooning your flour into the measuring cup then leveling off. Never measure your flour by scooping it with the measuring cup, you’ll end up with extra flour that can impact the recipe.
- Salt – I typically use a kosher salt.
- White Chocolate Chips And/Or Chocolate Chips – Honestly, ANY chocolate chips will work! These candy chips are super fun, and I am obsessed with these new Yummallo Rainbow Chips. They are PERFECT for snowballs.
- Sprinkles – Optional, but fun and colorful! Sweets & Treats Boutique makes my favorite sprinkles.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat butter and sugar with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla, mix well. Add in salt and flour, a little at a time, mixing until well combined. Dough will be thick.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips and sprinkles.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2” between each cookie.
5. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for at least 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Christmas Snowball Cookies
I used sprinkles in Christmas colors to keep with the holiday theme. Feel free to use any sprinkle colors you like and have fun choosing your colors. Blue sprinkles are lovely in these.
Snowball Chocolate Chip Cookies
For this batch I divided my dough, and added sprinkles to half, but added mini chocolate chips to the other half. A half cup of chocolate chips mixed in works perfectly.
Snowball Cookies No Nuts
This is a snowball cookie recipe with no nuts. If you want a nutty snowball cookie, add a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough along with the dry ingredients.
Decorating Snowball Cookies
No need! These cookies look so pretty on a plate without requiring any frosting or decorating (or mess). You can sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like, but it’s not necessary.
More Great Christmas Cookie Recipes
Don’t miss my favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes! You’ll find over 50 of my tried and true cookie recipes that are perfect for Christmas baking. Here are some of my favorites…
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Man Cookies
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups softened butter salted or unsalted
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2-1 cup sprinkles in colors of your choice optional
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips optional
- powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Beat butter and sugar with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla, mix well. Add in salt and flour, mixing until well combined. Mix in white chocolate chips, and if using add in either sprinkles and/or mini chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
- Using a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2″ between each cookie.
- Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for at least 10 minutes. If desired dust with powdered sugar.
- Store in airtight containers.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
snowball chance 意味 says
Buenisima pagina… Muchas gracias, Un saludo
Kj says
My husband & I love this recipe! We used white chocolate peppermint morsels flavored with stevia, red & white jimmies & crushed peppermint candy cane. So good!
SP says
Can’t wait to try! Would lemon extract work and if so would you also recommend a tablespoon? Thank you! 🙂
Christi Johnstone says
I haven’t tried it with lemon, but I think a tablespoon of lemon extract would be a bit much. Maybe a teaspoon or two?
Anonymous says
If you are using mini chocolate chips, do you still use the white chocolate chips?
Christi Johnstone says
Personally I do not, but you could.
Beth W says
Are these similar in texture to Mexican/Russian Wedding cookies?
Christi Johnstone says
I have never had them so I’m afraid I can’t say for sure. I think they are, but I think the are made with nuts, so that might change it a bit.
Amy says
Is this a recipe that can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for a day, or so?
Also, should butter be softened?
Christi Johnstone says
Yes, as stated in the recipe, use softened butter. I’m not sure if you want to refrigerate these prior to baking or after. This is not a dough I chill, so I can’t speak to the results, but chilling it should be fine. The cookies themselves will last for several days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.
Christina says
Is 10x powdered sugar ok?
Christi Johnstone says
It’s my understanding that is what the powdered sugar found in grocery stores is, so yes, that would be what it’s made with. That said, with a recipe like this, it being 3X 4X or 10X would really make no difference at all.
Kay says
Do you use powdered sugar in the cookie instead of granulated sugar? Then sprinkle with more powdered sugar after cooled, if desired?
Christi Johnstone says
That is correct.
Bonnie Frost says
Great cookies
debbie says
1 tablespoon of vanilla?
Christi Johnstone says
1 tablespoons of vanilla, just like the recipe says.