Brazil Nut Snowball Cookies are quick & easy shortbread-like cookies made of butter and ground nuts. They are rich, light, and crumbly with a wonderfully nutty flavor that just melts in your mouth. Round & covered with powdered sugar they, do indeed, look like little snowballs. Perfect for Christmas, weddings, or any time of year.
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Homemade Christmas snowball cookies
These buttery cookies were a family tradition in my house growing up. My mom would always make 3 or 4 batches of them to gift in her cookie tins to family, friends, and neighbors.
They are still one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes and rank right up there with my Double Chocolate Mint Cookies and Eggnog Cookies. Maybe it's the buttery soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie or all that powdered sugar (which is such fun to eat) that makes them look like snowballs but, whatever it is, I can't get enough of them!
What are snowball cookies?
Snowball cookies are small, tender, round cookies made with ground nuts and rolled in powdered sugar that makes them look like little snowballs. They go by many names, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes, and Snowdrops, and have been a classic Christmas cookie for decades.
Why you'll love these Brazil nut cookies
Easy and Fun to Make - These cookies are straightforward and so much fun to make, especially when it’s time for their confectioners' sugar coating!
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Goodness - These buttery snowball cookies are soft, tender, melt in your mouth cookies, full of nutty goodness!
Ready in 30 Minutes - From start to finish, you’ll have a batch of these tasty treats ready in just half an hour, making them perfect for last-minute holiday baking.
Only a Few Simple Ingredients - You don’t need much to whip these up—just six basic ingredients plus the Brazil nuts for a flavor that’s truly special.
No Chilling Required - Unlike many cookie recipes, this one skips the dough chilling step. Just mix, roll, and bake!
Ingredients you'll need
Just a handful of ingredients are all you need for these easy snowball cookies. You'll find the exact measurements in the full printable recipe card below.
Butter - use quality butter for these Brazil nut snowball cookies as the butter contributes so much to the flavor. Salted or unsalted butter can be used without a discernable difference.
Sugar - adds a slight sweetness to the cookie.
Egg - is used as the binding agent.
All Purpose Flour - provides the structure. Make sure to scoop the flour into the measuring cup for a more precise measurement.
Vanilla Extract & Salt - enhances all the flavors.
Brazil Nuts - gives the cookies both flavor and moistness. Look for shelled Brazil nuts as they are one hard nut to crack.
Powdered Sugar - adds extra sweetness and makes the cookies look like little snowballs.
How to make the best snowball nut cookies
These snowball cookies with Brazil nuts are as easy to make as they are fun to eat. Here’s how you do it:
- Place butter and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add egg to creamed mixture and continue beating until combined.
- Pour in vanilla extract and mix.
- Combine flour and salt. Continue beating while adding the dry ingredients to wet ingredients
- Add ground nuts. Make sure the nuts are ground well but not to the point where they're powdery.
- Beat until well incorporated.
- Roll small amounts of cookie dough between hands to form a ball about ⅔" in size. Place cookie balls on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. As you can see the cookies are still almost white, not much darker than when they started. DO NOT OVERBAKE THEM!
- Wait for the cookies to cool slightly then shake the warm cookies in a zip-top bag full of powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.
Don't they look like mini snowballs to you? You can be dainty and take a few bites as you gobble them up or, go for it, and just pop the whole thing in your mouth. Go ahead, I won't tell.
These Christmas Snowball Cookies are so cute and a perfect gift for the holiday season. Gift them in a decorated box, a cookie tin, or a holiday bowl wrapped with tissue paper or cellophane. These classic holiday cookies are perfect for a Christmas cookie tray, holiday parties, showers, weddings, or just for a sweet treat with coffee or cocoa. Enjoy!
Recipe tips for cookie perfection
To get the most out of your snowball cookies, keep these tips in mind:
Finely Ground Nuts – Make sure the Brazil nuts are finely ground to blend smoothly into the dough; a food processor works well for this.
Don’t Overbake – The cookies should remain pale with only a touch of golden brown color to stay soft and tender.
Cool Before Coating – Let the cookies cool just a bit before shaking them in powdered sugar; this way, the sugar sticks without melting.
Roll Twice in Powdered Sugar – For an extra snowy look, roll the cookies in powdered sugar a second time after they’ve cooled completely.
Recipe variations
Customize these snowball cookies with a few easy tweaks:
Nut Swaps – Try swapping Brazil nuts with almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, or walnuts for a different flavor profile.
Lemon Snowballs – Add a burst of citrus by using lemon extract and a bit of lemon zest in the dough.
Mini Chocolate Chips – Stir in mini chocolate chips for a hint of chocolate in every bite.
Peppermint Chips – For a festive twist, add peppermint chips or crushed peppermint candy canes to the dough.
Cinnamon Spice – Add a dash of cinnamon to the dough for a warm, spiced flavor that pairs beautifully with the buttery texture.
How to store and freeze snowball cookies
These cookies store wonderfully and taste great even after being frozen.
Once the cookies have cooled and been coated in powdered sugar, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for about a week.
If you want to keep them longer, these cookies freeze beautifully. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply let them thaw at room temperature. For an extra-fresh look, give them a quick roll in powdered sugar before serving.
More Christmas Cookies
Almond Cloud Cookies - are chewy, light, nutty cookies almost wholly composed of almonds and almond extract.
Pistachio Cherry Meltaways - red and green, buttery soft cookies made with pudding mix and dotted with cherries.
Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies - are swirled cookies that look and taste like the cookie version of candy canes.
Easy No-Bake Cathedral Cookies - rich, fudgy no-bake cookies filled with colored mini marshmallows and nuts.
Find the best Christmas Cookie Recipes right here on 2CM!
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Brazil Nut Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups brazil nuts, finely ground
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy.
- Continue beating while adding egg and vanilla extract.
- Mix flour and salt together and add to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Continue beating while adding brazil nuts.
- Shape into ⅔″ balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 20 minutes. The cookies will still be almost white with just a tinge of gold.
- Cool snowballs slightly then shake in a zip-top bag filled with of powdered sugar. Store in airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos and more information. It was first published on December 22, 2013.
