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Make your holiday complete with these festive Vegan Snowball Cookies. They are light, crisp, buttery, and coated in sugary heaven! Plus, they require just 7 simple ingredients and take 25 minutes to make.
Whether you're heading out to a party or celebrating at home, these cookies are a must-make for the holiday season. It's a classic treat that is familiar to many cultures and they will definitely bring on the festive spirit!
They are also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies, Pecan Sandies, Russian Teacakes, Butterballs, or Snowball Cookies. The name may be different and the recipe may slightly vary, but they all have one thing in common... They are irresistible!
So, if you need a new recipe to add to your Vegan Dessert collection, you may want to give these cookies a go. They are easy to make and a real crowd-pleaser! I make them every year and they are always the first to disappear!
They are on the menu again this year along with Vegan Wellington, creamy Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and Vegan Green Bean Casserole. I can't wait!
Ingredients for Vegan Snowball Cookies
(FULL AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)
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- All-Purpose Flour
- Vegan Butter
- Chopped Pecans
- Powdered Sugar
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract (optional)
How to make Vegan Snowball Cookies
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- 1 - Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then beat in the extracts and salt to combine.
- 2 - Slowly pour in the flour on low speed until just combined.
- 3 - Now pour in the nuts and mix to combine.
- 4 - The cookie dough should be slightly moist and crumbly, but will hold its shape when gently pressed together.
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- 5 - Scoop the dough using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon.
- 6 - Roll each scooped piece into a smooth ball and place on the baking sheet.
- 7 - Bake for 14-16 minutes until the bottoms are slightly golden. Remove from heat and let cool. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are slightly warm.
- 8 - Now let them cool completely before rolling them again in powdered sugar or dust the tops with a mesh strainer for a snowy look.
Tips and Tricks
- To measure the flour, scoop it out of your container with a spoon and then into a measuring cup. Don’t pack or tap. Lightly sweep a butter knife across the top to remove the excess flour.
- Keep the size of the cookies as close as possible for even cooking.
- Don't over bake the cookies or they'll be too dry and hard. You want them to be just lightly golden on the bottom and pale on the top.
- For an extra nutty flavor, toast the pecans in a skillet on medium-low for 5-8 minutes. Stir often for even toasting and to prevent burning.
Can I freeze Snowball Cookies?
YES! The cookies freeze well for 2-3 months. Just place the cookies in an airtight container after they have completely cooled. Place wax paper in between each row to prevent freezing together. Roll them in powdered sugar after they have thawed completely.
Can I make them gluten-free?
I haven't tried it yet, but it should work nicely with a 1.1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Can I make them nut-free?
SURE! Just omit the nuts entirely or replace them with a ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips.
Can I make snowball cookies without a mixer?
Yes! Just cream the softened butter, sugar, salt, and extracts with a whisk until it's light and fluffy for about 2-3 minutes. Fold in half the flour with a spatula, then fold in the remaining until combined. Now fold in nuts. Follow the remaining instructions from the recipe.
Here is another way to cream the butter and sugar by using just a fork and spoon .*Note: this tutorial uses dairy butter and they suggest softening it for a few hours. You don't want to soften the vegan butter that long or it will melt. Soften it just enough so you can work with it by hand.
MORE HOLIDAY SWEETS TO ENJOY:
- Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
- Vegan Thumbprint Cookies
- Snowmen Vegan Meringue Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
If you make this Vegan Snowball Cookie recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comment section below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter , slightly softened at room temp for about 10 minutes
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (*optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup pecans , finely chopped (sub walnuts or almonds)
- ½ cup powdered sugar , for rolling (more if needed)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and ¼ cup of powdered sugar on med-high speed. Now beat in the salt, vanilla and almond extract until combined.
- On low speed, slowly add the flour and mix until just combined, scraping down sides as needed. Now add the pecans and mix to combine. The dough will look slightly moist and somewhat crumbly. It should easily form when lightly pressed together though.
- Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop out the dough and roll into balls. Place on the baking sheet and repeat until all the cookie dough is gone.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes until the bottom of the cookies are slightly golden. You don't want to overbake these. Remove from heat and let cool for 5-8 minutes. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are slightly warm. Now let them cool completely before rolling them again in powdered sugar or dust the tops with a mesh strainer for a snowy look.
Notes
1 - Cream the softened butter, sugar, salt and extracts with a whisk until it's light and fluffy for about 2-3 minutes.
2 - Fold in half the flour with a spatula, then fold in remaining until combined. Now fold in nuts. Follow the remaining instructions from the recipe above. FREEZE: place the cookies in an airtight container after they have completely cooled. Place wax paper in between each layer. Freeze for 2-3 months. Roll them in powdered sugar after they have thawed completely. NUT-FREE OPTION - omit the nuts entirely or replace them with a ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips.
M
Can vegan butter be substituted for margarine?
Melissa Huggins
I haven't tried it, but it should work. You won't need to soften it much because I believe it's already fairly soft. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Jaya
My son-in-law takes one each time he comes through the kitchen. I am not going to put them in a box. I expect the cookies will be gone by the evening. I look forward to a plate of powdered sugar 😆
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Jaya! We are so happy to hear that you and your family loved the recipe! Thanks so much for giving it a try 🙂
WInni
Thanks for sharing this vegan snowball cookies recipe with us. I have tried this and it turns out to be one of the best cakes I have ever baked.
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked them! Thank you 🙂
Chocoviv
These look delicious! Great for the holidays!