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A classic holiday Pecan Snowball cookie recipe featuring buttery shortbread with toasted pecans, rolled in powdered sugar for a festive finish.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (including chilling)
  • Yield: 30 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (plus extra for rolling)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup raw pecans, toasted and chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
  2. Using a food processor: Blend powdered sugar, butter, and salt until creamy and smooth, scraping sides as needed. Add vanilla and flour; pulse until dough looks like big crumbs/small peas. Add pecans and pulse until dough forms a ball. Scrape dough out into a bowl.
  3. Using a stand mixer: Finely chop nuts. Beat softened butter, powdered sugar, and salt on medium speed until creamy and light (~2 minutes). Mix in vanilla extract; scrape bowl sides. Add flour; mix on low until combined. Fold in chopped nuts with low-speed mixing; scrape bowl sides for any loose flour.
  4. Form dough into 1-1/4 inch balls (~20 grams each) using a cookie scoop or hands.
  5. Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on parchment-lined trays. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or freeze overnight, then transfer to freezer bag for up to 1 month; bake directly from frozen).
  6. Place 12 cookies per sheet on baking tray. Bake 14-16 minutes until tops barely brown and bottoms are golden.
  7. Immediately roll warm cookies in powdered sugar and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Once cooled, roll cookies a second time in powdered sugar for perfect finish.
  9. Allow baking sheets to cool completely between batches to prevent uneven baking or over-browning.

Notes

You can substitute pecans with walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds cup-for-cup., Room-temperature butter should be soft but not melting (65-68°F) for best dough consistency., Double coating cookies in powdered sugar while warm creates a sticky layer that helps sugar adhere beautifully., Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks., Re-roll cookies in powdered sugar a few hours before serving to refresh appearance if stored.

  • Author: mapps6841@gmail.com
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14-16 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 133 kcal per cookie
  • Fat: 8 g per cookie
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g per cookie
  • Protein: 1 g per cookie