Pecan Snowballs

Light, tender and full of toasted pecans, these Pecan Snowballs are the perfect little bite. A classic cookie for the holidays, seen on many cookie trays. No one can resist this irresistible little shortbread cookie. With just a few ingredients, these cookies can be made in under 1 hour. Be sure to add these to your holiday baking list. No cookie tray is complete without pecan snowballs.

This classic cookie is one of my favorite Christmas cookies. I love the toasted pecans throughout the shortbread, and the fact they look like little snowballs. Fitting for a Christmas cookie tray. Even if we hardly ever get a white Christmas here in East Texas. They still make me think of Christmas.

This week I have decided that I want to bake all of my favorite holiday cookies to share with y'all. My goal is to have each one uploaded to this website before Christmas to ensure that everyone can bake and make their own cookie trays this year. Some of my favorite things to bake are cookies, they are so fun to make and very versatile. I want to share all of my favorites with you! What better way to kick off holiday cookie baking than with pecan snowballs!

Here are a few of my favorite cookies to bake, each perfect for holiday cookie trays:

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Molasses Cookies

Shortbread Cookies

How to Make Pecan Snowballs

I like to toast the pecans for this recipe. This isn't a typical step, but I find it enhances the overall flavor of the cookies. Toasting the pecans before adding them to them cookie dough brings out their flavor more.

How to toast pecans

Spread the pecans out evenly on a baking sheet and place in a 350° F oven for 6-8 minutes. Or until you can smell the pecans. Remove from the oven and immediately transfer to a cutting board. This will allow the pecans to cool down and stop cooking quicker.

Make the cookie dough

This is a really simple cookie dough that comes together in minutes. The most important step to this recipe is making sure the butter is at room temperature before beginning.

• Cream together butter, sugar and salt. Cream until the butter is light and fluffy, this should take a few minutes.
• Mix in the flour, pecans and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated. This will take a few seconds. The mixture will start off crumbly, keep mixing and it will come together.
• Scoop the cookie dough out with a 1.5-ounce portion scoop, or by heaping tablespoon, and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes. Do not over bake.

Roll in powdered sugar

Once the cookies have cooled just enough to handle, roll each cookie in the powdered sugar and place on a cooling rack. Rolling them while they are still hot allows some of the powdered sugar to melt to the cookie. Crating an icing like layer.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, roll them a second time in the powdered sugar. This will give them a more covered look. See the difference below. The second coating really makes a difference.

Variations

• Use different nuts. Any nut can be used in this recipe. I love snowball cookies with almonds in them. Pistachio snowballs are a favorite as well.
• Drizzle uncovered cookies with melted chocolate or even dip them.
• Add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough.
• Zest from various citrus fruits can be added to the cookie dough
• Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to the cookie dough to make chocolate snowballs.

Here are a few products that I like to use in my kitchen.