Snowball cookies are about as low-fuss as baking gets. Ground almonds and butter, a short chill, a quick roll and slice. Goes fast. They come out of the oven looking barely done, but give them a moment to cool and roll in icing sugar while still warm. Two coatings is better than one. The second coat sticks and gives you that proper snowy finish. Good for Christmas tins, but honestly worth making any time of year.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
Chill the dough before shaping
Twenty minutes in the fridge firms the dough enough to roll cleanly. Skip it and the butter-heavy mixture gets sticky fast. Your call. Uniform slices matter more than you’d think for even baking.
Pull them early
These bake at a low temperature and should look barely colored when they come out. A few extra minutes dries them out. Pale and soft from the oven is what you’re after. 
Two coats of icing sugar
Roll them once while still warm so the sugar melts slightly into the surface. Let them cool fully, then roll again. The second coat gives you the thick, matte finish they’re known for.
Snowball Cookies
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Makes 24 1x
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Melt-in-your-mouth almond cookies, perfect for a holiday baking project. Fun to make with kids!
Ingredients
- 5 oz (150 g) Plain flour
- 4 oz (120 g) Butter, softened
- 2 oz (50 g) Icing sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 oz (50 g) Ground almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Beat butter, icing sugar, salt, and vanilla extract until softened.
- Fold flour and ground almonds into the butter mixture using a spatula.
- Wrap dough with cling film and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
- Roll chilled dough into a long cylinder about 3 cm in diameter. Slice the roll and weigh the pieces to check they are uniform in size, about 8g each.
- Shape dough pieces into balls and place them in alternating rows on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake cookies at 320°F (160°C) for 20 minutes.
- Remove cookies from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, dust cookies with icing sugar and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- For easier rolling, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, or even up to an hour for firmer cookies.
- If your dough is too sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra flour, one tablespoon at a time.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week; they will keep their texture best within the first 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 100
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 20
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 10
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use almond flour instead of ground almonds?
Yes, almond flour works the same way here. It’s just more finely ground, so the texture will be slightly smoother.
Why bake at such a low temperature?
320F keeps the cookies pale and tender. Higher heat would brown them and create a crisper texture, which isn’t what you want for a melt-in-your-mouth snowball.
Can I freeze the dough ahead of time?
Roll the dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a bag. Bake from frozen, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes to the bake time.
