With a dusting of powdered sugar and a satisfyingly crumbly texture, chocolate chip snowball cookies are a timeless treasure that reminds us of the joy of the holidays.
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Snowball cookies without nuts, also known as Russian tea cakes, are a delightful treat that embodies the essence of the holidays. Bite sized cookies like these are perfect for sharing!
Their charm lies in their simplicity. Snowball cookies are easy to make, yet they hold a special place in our hearts.
Snowy white cookies with chocolate chips, rolled in powdered sugar, carry a sense of tradition that makes them perfect for a cookie exchange or any day when you crave a sweet pick-me-up.
They are classic homemade treats that fit perfectly on a holiday cookie tray next to snickerdoodles, Hershey kiss cookies, cut out cookies, and Christmas candy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
While I love changing recipe ingredients, substituting ingredients in cookies can get tricky. I recommend only changing the add-ins in this recipe to keep the texture and flavor of the cookie.
- Butter: Soften the unsalted butter by leaving it on the counter or using the soften butter option on your microwave. Do not melt the butter.
- Powdered sugar: Sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the batter to avoid any clumps.
- Vanilla: To add flavor to the cookie. You can add half the amount of almond extract if you love an almond flavor!
- Flour: Use 2 cups of all-purpose flour in this snowball cookie recipe.
- Salt: Just a pinch of salt is all you need! It helps bring out the flavor of the cookie dough.
- Chocolate Chips: Use mini chocolate chips to not overwhelm the cookie. You can also use nuts, such as chopped pecans in its place for a more traditional snowball cookie.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until creamy and fluffy.
STEP TWO: Incorporate the flour and salt and stir until the dough forms. Gently fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
STEP THREE: Cover the cookie dough and place it in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes, or leave it overnight if you have more time.
STEP FOUR: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
STEP FIVE: When you’re ready to bake, shape the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls and position them about 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until the bottoms turn lightly golden while the tops remain pale.
STEP SIX: Let snowball cookies without nuts cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While they are still warm, gently roll them in powdered sugar, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
STEP SEVEN: Once the cookies have cooled, roll them in powdered sugar once more for an extra coating.
Tips to Make the Best Snowball Cookies
- Consistently Sized Dough Balls: A 1 tablespoon cookie scoop will ensure that all of your cookies are a consistent size, and help each chocolate snowball cookie turn out perfectly round.
- Use Softened Butter: Softened butter blends more easily, resulting in a smoother cookie dough that’s perfect for this snowball cookie recipe.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: I’ve found that these white cookies with chocolate chips turn out best with mini chips instead of regular ones.
- Try a Silicone Baking Mat: Invest in a quality silicone baking mat to ensure your cookies don’t stick and achieve uniform golden bottoms. Easy cleanup is a bonus!
- Powdered Sugar Coating: For the initial coating, gently roll the ball cookies with powdered sugar while they’re still warm — this allows it to stick better. Then, allow them to cool before coating a second time.
More Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Peppermint Kiss Cookie
- 35 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Peppermint White Chocolate Cookies
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
- Butterscotch Chip Cookie
Variations to this Snowball Cookie Recipe
- Add a Hint of Cinnamon: A pinch of ground cinnamon in the dough adds a subtle warmth to the flavor profile.
- Crushed Candy Canes: For the holiday twist, roll your chocolate chip snowball cookies in a crushed candy cane powdered sugar mixture after baking.
- M&M Bliss: Swap out chocolate chips with Mini M&Ms for a burst of color and flavor.
- Top with Melted Chocolate: Drizzle snowballs cookies with chocolate for an extra sweet treat.
- Nutty Sensation: For added crunch and richness, include chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts in the dough.
- Coconut Bliss: Enhance the flavor and texture of this classic snowball cookie by incorporating shredded coconut into the cookie dough.
How to Store Snowball Cookies
Allow your Russian tea cakes to cool completely. Then, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Snowball Cookies?
Certainly! You can freeze snowball cookie dough both before and after baking.
TO FREEZE BEFORE BAKING:
- Shape the dough into balls and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Flash-freeze the dough for 1-2 hours, or until firm.
- Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag and store in the freezer. They can be kept for up to 9 months.
- When ready to bake, simply add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
TO FREEZE THEM AFTER BAKING:
- After baking, allow the cookies to cool.
- Flash-freeze the baked cookies by placing them on a baking sheet.
- Once they are frozen, transfer the cookies to a freezer-safe container with a secure lid.
What to Serve with Snowball Cookies
These classic Mexican wedding cookies make a perfect addition to the dessert table, especially next to chocolate covered pecans and peanut butter cookies.
More Classic Christmas Cookies
Easy Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter with powdered sugar and vanilla until well mixed and fluffy.
- Add in the flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for approximately 45 minutes, or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- When ready to bake, roll 1 tablespoon of dough into balls and place them 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until bottoms are lightly golden but the tops are still pale.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. While they are still warm, roll them in powdered sugar carefully. Put them on wire racks so they can cool completely.
- Once cookies are cool, roll them in the powdered sugar for a second time.
I will be adding this to my holiday cookie tray for sure.
these were delicious, thanks!!
One of my favorite Christmas cookies. I will give your recipe a try. Yum!
1/3 cup? Bag? Powdered sugar. Doesn’t say. I did cup. Quantity seems off. Cookies are tasty. But not sure if this was right. I did a triple batch and the yield was 83 cookies.
Hi Anna, yes 1/3 cup! I updated that into the recipe. Snowball cookies are traditionally small, so they make 48 small cookies or you can make them a little larger and they will yield less. I hope that helps!
Why specifically a “hand mixer” as opposed to “stand mixer”?
You can definitely use a stand mixer instead!
We made these today and the dough was really dry… I will reduce the flour slightly next time. Taste was good, but the measurements seemed a tad off.
Hi Erin! Please make sure you are measuring your flour with a spoon into a measuring cup, or you may be adding too much flour causing the dough to be dry.