These almond snowball cookies just melt in your mouth. They are perfect Christmas cookies and look like darling little snowballs. They remind me of these Russian Tea Cakes but these snowball cookies have more of a melting consistency. Get it? Melting? Hee hee.
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The almond paired with orange zest is a delicious and highly irresistible combination. Here’s the story behind these: I bought tons of almond meal/flour for the endless macaron testing that I did and had some leftover so I decided to try it in these snowball cookies. And WOW!!!
These are melt-in-your-mouth good and the best snowball cookies I’ve ever had!
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PIN Snowball Cookies HERE to Save for Christmas
Can Snowball Cookies be Frozen?
This snowball cookie recipe freezes really well so they are a make-ahead cookie #SCORE!! Make them fully including powdered sugar and just dust with fresh powdered sugar once they are thawed and sitting on your cookie platter. They’ll taste just as good as the day you made them!
Ingredients for Snowball Cookies:
- We used store-bought almond meal/flour. The package should say either “Extra Fine Almond Meal” Or “Almond Flour”. You can make your own almond flour using blanched almonds.
- Use unsalted butter for this recipe.
- Do not skip the oranze zest. A little goes a long way in both flavor and aroma.
- For the cookies to form correctly, dry ingredients must be measured correctly.
How to make Snowball Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line 1 extra large (I LOVE that I can fit them all on this 3/4 size cookie sheet) or use 2 regular cookie sheets with parchment paper.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer (highly recommend this mixer) fitted with the whisk attachment, cream together 2 sticks butter, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla, until smooth.
2. Switch to the paddle attachment and gradually mix in 2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Once well incorporated, add 1 cup almond meal and 1/2 Tbsp orange zest and mix until well incorporated.
The dough stuck slightly to the spatula but not at all to my hands. If very sticky, add 1-2 Tbsp more flour (I didn’t need to).
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (this small ice cream scoop made it so easy and exact!) and place them on prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. You should get 38-40 cookies.
Don’t make them too large or they won’t bake through properly. Bake 11-13 min, or until bottoms are golden and edges are barely golden (I bake 11 min for softer cookies). Remove from baking sheet and let cool 5 minutes.
4. Fill a bowl with powdered sugar and roll the cookies in it while they are still warm (not hot, or they make the powdered sugar gummy). Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
It’s best on a wire rack so the powder sugar doesn’t become moist but they will still be ok if they cool on the parchment paper.
5. Once cookies are at room temperature, roll in powdered sugar again or dust the tops with a mini sieve (here’s the one in my picture) to give them that snowy look.
Watch How to Make Snowball Cookies:
We love these tea cookies year round (not just for the holidays), but they sure are a treat and look beautiful on a Christmas cookie platter!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Russian Tea Cakes – crumbly, buttery perfection
- Shell Cookies – laced with meringue and walnuts
- Baklava – the ultimate holiday treat!
- Jeweled Biscotti – perfect for holiday gifting
- Angel Wing Cookies – Polish Chrusciki
Almond Snowball Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter, (16 Tbsp) softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar , plus 1 1/2 cups more for rolling cookies
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *measured correctly
- 1/2 tsp fine salt, I used fine sea salt
- 1 cup almond flour, or fine almond meal
- 1/2 Tbsp orange zest, from 1 medium orange
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 3/4 size cookie sheet or 2 regular cookie sheets with parchment paper.
How to Make Snowball Cookies:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, cream together 1/2 lb butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla, until smooth.
- Switch to paddle attachment and gradually mix in 2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Once incorporated, add 1 cup almond meal and 1/2 Tbsp orange zest and mix until well blended. The dough will stick slightly to the spatula but not to finger tips. If very sticky, add 1-2 Tbsp more flour.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls (a small ice cream scoop makes it easy and exact). Place them on prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. You should get 38-40 cookies. Don't make them too large or they won't bake through properly. Bake 11-13 min, or until bottoms are golden and edges are barely golden (I bake 11 min for softer cookies). Remove from baking sheet and cool 5 min.
- Fill a bowl with powdered sugar and roll the cookies in it while they are still warm (not hot). Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are at room temp, roll in powdered sugar again or dust the tops with a mini sieve for a snowy look.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I hope you are having a Merry Christmas season. Is your tree up? Are you done shopping? Did you order Christmas cards? So many questions!! 🙂
Hi Natasha! I made these last week and they were a HUGE hit! Thanks so much for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Looks yummy but would you mind including mixing info/suggestions to some of us who could never afford the fancy modern mixers with paddles? This, and the amazing Banana Bread, call for whisk and paddle attachments. I am 71 and not looking for new mixer, thank you. PS – my family LOVE all your recipes. Has given new life to our weekly meals.
Hi Barbara, thank you so much for that suggestion! Most of our recipes have tool recommendations or comments with other tools you can use. This recipe specifically we used a hand mixer + wisk. I hope you find that helpful.
These tasted good. The measurements were off though. I ended up with 28 1 inch balls. Ended up making another batch the next day for my party.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Dee!
Dee, I have made about 8 batches. I bought the scooper that Natasha suggested and I always yield 42-44 cookies.
Can I make these 2 days in advance and keep them in an airtight container on the counter (at room temperature)?
Hi Christina, I have kept them stored at room temperature in Tupperware for up to a week so I think a tin would be perfect. They taste just as good on day seven as they did on day one
Can you freeze these cookies?
Hi Tanya, I’m not able to provide specifics but I think that could work. If adding the powdered sugar before freezing, I would freeze between layers of plastic wrap in a freezer safe container.
I have been freezing these cookies for several years. I put wax paper between layers. Thaw them with the lid still on the container (to prevent any condensation) and then redust with powdered sugar before serving.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Thank you!! I will be making them Saturday
These are my favourite cookies now. So nice and buttery and i’ve frozen them and they taste just as fresh as when they were baked.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jazmin! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Natasha,
I will try this recipe tonight, hope they come out as good as yours.
Note: that’s a paddle attachment I see in your pictures, not a whisk 😉
HI Julia, you’re totally right. It doesn’t make a difference in the outcome, a whisk initially just helps it come together easier. In my video I used an electric hand mixer and it worked great also. Sorry my picture doesn’t match what I wrote. It was an “update” to the text when I filmed the video.
Easy and such a good recipe I made with my twin girls and they turn out delicious, I love your recipes they always turn out so good. I am not best baking in world but your recipe make me fill good cooking person
That’ so great Inna! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hi Natasha. I will be making these for the first time ever. Your recipe stated 1/2 Tb orange zest but in the video I heard you say the zest of a medium orange. Which is correct? Thanks in advance. PS- I greatly appreciate your video!
Hi Angela, the zest of a medium orange should be about 1/2 Tb. The half a tablespoon reference is mentioned since oranges do vary by size in different regions. 🙂
Natasha, I made your cookies and everyone who ate them liked the orange zest flavor. In my opinion, your snowball recipe is the best I’ve had thus far, and I will continue using your recipe.
In addition, I followed the advice of another woman regarding an easier way to apply the powdered sugar. I added the first coat after they completely cooled by placing them in a ziplock bag with powdered sugar. Then I stored them in the freezer until I was ready to serve them which for me was 4 days later. I took them out and added the second coat. Her way not only saved me time but was much easier and less messier.
Thanks again for sharing your recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Angela. Thank you for sharing that with us!
There are so yummy! The orange zest really stands out after they bake. I used a 1 inch cookie scoop but I only got about 30 cookies. Baked them for 11 and a half minutes. They are perfect.
That’s so great! Thank you for that awesome review, Olga!! 🙂
I’m going to make these tomorrow. I like nuts in cookies like these. Do you foresee any problems with adding some chopped, toasted almonds?
Hi Lyn, that should work, just keep in mind almonds can be kind of hard and crunchy – if you don’t mind that texture, I think it should work fine.
Would it be possible to use substitute almond flour for the all-purpose flour to make it gluten-free?
Hi Angela, I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for sure but I think it should work. I don’t have much experience with gluten-free flours so I can’t recommend a specific brand, but I would suggest using a gluten-free flour that is intended for baking.
Natasha,do you think i can add walnuts to the dough? I like the idea of almond flour,but i love walnuts in any dessert:-).
I think that walnuts would work great!
Definitely going to try these? Have you ever made the dough in advance and kept in the fridge or freezer before baking off?
Hi Christina, Yes, Yyu can refrigerate the dough before making them if needed. 🙂
I’m making these tonight as part of my Christmas Cookie gifts to friend and family. My question is, how many cookies are considered a serving? I’m guessing 1, but I’d like to be certain when I include the nutritional information. Many thanks!
Hi Nancy, the nutrition label is per cookie.
There’s a bit of a mess up with the butter measurements. 1/2 pound of butter is 1 cup but 16oz is 2 cups. Please clarify! Thank you!
Hi Julia. Our recipe calls for “1/2 lb unsalted butter (16 Tbsp) softened at room temperature” we have 16 TBSP posted which is equal to one cup not 16oz. 🙂 I hope this helps.
I think you are confusing with fluid ounces. The butter is not liquid, hence the measurements are for weight, not volume.
What would you recommend to someone that doesn’t have a stand mixer of the type used here? Is there another way to mix the dough that would suffice? Stand mixers take so much room . . .
The Paddle attachment helps but if you don’t have that a wooden spoon will help with that, just make take longer.
I’ve following you and your recipes for a longer time and even tried lots of them.
With your recipe here I’m not sure if it’s possible baking them in advance without freezing Normally I use cookie tins for storing all my cookies and that works fine.Can I do store the snowballs in such tins too?
Hey there Dorit! I have kept them stored at room temperature in Tupperware for up to a week so I think a tin would be perfect. They taste just as good on day seven as they did on day one. 🙂
I have done both freezing and room temp storage. Both work well. Freezing for up to a month and thawing…at room temp after baking, as long as they were kept in an airtight container, they lasted 2 weeks. Occasionally I had to dust them with more powdered sugar, but that’s true of most cookies that have that.
Hi Natasha. Is it OK if I ask why you’re re-posting recipes? Just curious!
Hi Denae, it is solely for discoverability – occasionally we bring old recipes to the homepage in addition to our regular new content for people to discover them, or if it is seasonally appropriate.
I think this is good idea and very helpful! Saves me a lot of time on search :))
I’m happy I could help!
This is my first year with you. I am very grateful that you are reposting these great recipes, otherwise, I would never have had the opportunity to try them. Thank you as I have greatly enjoyed your entree recipes. Merry Christmas
I hope you get to try more and more of our recipes! Merry Christmas!
Yes! The same happens to me!! Thanks for reposting this recipe, so I could make these wonderful and yummiest snowballs! I love your recipes Natasha!!
Just made these and they turned out perfectly! Thank you for including the weight measurements. I love using my scale! 😊
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
“Go to” yearly cookie for 40 years. Collect Xmas tin from thrift stores after holidays and save to fill with “ tea cakes” snowballs or what your name is for these delights.
My trash man now brings the can to garage door 😍 because he gets a tin filled yearly. The Best
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Ellen 🙂