Here’s a classic Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies recipe—also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes. They’re rich, melt-in-your-mouth, and dusted in powdered sugar ❄️🍪
❄️🍪 Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
⏱ Time
-
Prep: 15 minutes
-
Baking: 12–15 minutes
-
Cooling & coating: 10 minutes
🍪 Yield
-
About 24 cookies
🧾 Ingredients
-
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
-
½ cup powdered sugar (plus extra for coating)
-
1 tsp vanilla extract
-
2 cups all-purpose flour
-
¼ tsp salt
-
¾ cup finely chopped pecans (lightly toasted for best flavor)
👩🍳 Directions (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Preheat & Prep
-
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
-
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Step 2: Cream Butter & Sugar
-
In a bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar until light and creamy (2–3 minutes).
-
Mix in vanilla extract.
Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients
-
Add flour and salt.
-
Mix until a soft dough forms.
-
Fold in chopped pecans gently.
👉 Dough will be soft but not sticky.
Step 4: Shape Cookies
-
Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
-
Place on baking tray, leaving space between cookies.
Step 5: Bake
-
Bake for 12–15 minutes.
-
Cookies should be set but not browned.
Step 6: Sugar Coating
-
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes.
-
Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar.
-
Once fully cooled, roll again for a thick snowy coating.
⭐ Tips for Perfect Snowballs
-
Do not overbake—cookies should stay pale
-
Toast pecans lightly for deeper flavor
-
Double sugar coating = classic snowy look
-
Use powdered sugar, not granulated
🔁 Variations
-
Walnut Snowballs: Replace pecans with walnuts
-
Chocolate Snowballs: Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder
-
Orange Twist: Add ½ tsp orange zest
-
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free flour blend
🧊 Storage
-
Room temperature: up to 5 days in airtight container
-
Freezer: up to 1 month
🥗 Approx Nutrition (Per Cookie)
-
Calories: ~120
-
Fat: 8 g
-
Carbs: 10 g
-
Protein: 1 g