Cozy Snowball Cookies with Powdered Sugar and Pecans
Soft, buttery snowball cookies dusted with powdered sugar and packed with toasted pecans, perfect for a cozy treat or holiday gatherings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar, divided
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 grams) chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and slightly golden. Let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with 1 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and salt to the butter mixture and stir to combine.
- Gradually add the flour to the mixture, stirring gently until just combined. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
- Fold in the toasted pecans evenly using a spatula.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of dough and roll into smooth balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are set but not browned.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer carefully to a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes.
- While still warm, roll each cookie in the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar until fully coated.
- Optionally, sift a little more powdered sugar over the cookies before serving for extra snowy effect.
Notes
Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to avoid tough cookies. Use softened (not melted) butter for best texture. Toast pecans to enhance flavor. Roll cookies in powdered sugar while warm for best coating. If dough is too soft, chill for 15 minutes before shaping. Store cookies in an airtight container with parchment layers to keep them crisp. Cookies freeze well; re-roll in powdered sugar after thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 40
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 14
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: snowball cookies, pecan cookies, powdered sugar cookies, holiday cookies, easy cookies, buttery cookies, nutty cookies