Adorable, easy and delicious, this Snowball Cookie Recipe is the perfect Christmas treat to make with kids. These festive snowball cookies use sprinkles and white chocolate chips, or mini chocolate chips, instead of nuts. Everyone loves this holiday treat!
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Do you have your holiday baking all planned out yet? These easy snowball cookies make a great addition to any cookie tray. With creamy white chocolate chips baked into a buttery cookie, Snowball Cookies are a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.
These cookies only require a handful of ingredients to make, which makes them an easy option for young bakers, with supervision of course. They are like a buttery shortbread, not soft and chewy, but not hard and crunchy. They have their own unique texture which stands out from other Christmas cookies.
Snowball Cookies Without Nuts
Snowball cookies are often made with nuts. I love a good walnut snowball cookie or a pecan snowball cookie but these days you just never know who might have nut allergies.
When I’m bringing cookies to a party, I love having nut free options so that everyone can enjoy the treats. These snowball cookies are made with white chocolate chips and sprinkles, or mini chocolate chips, instead of nuts.
Use red and green sprinkles to keep things extra jolly!
Biting into these rich, shortbread like butter cookies flecked with sprinkles is sure to put a smile on your face. Bring Snowball Cookies to all of your holiday parties and get-togethers and watch how fast they disappear.
Can I add nuts to snowball cookies?
If you want to turn these into a more traditional snowball cookie, feel free! Just add half a cup of your favorite chopped nuts in with the dry ingredients. Walnuts and pecans both work well.
You can turn these into Peppermint Snowball Cookies by using peppermint flavored sprinkles or stirring crushed peppermint bits in with the sprinkles. Have fun making the snowball cookies your own!
Christmas Cookies
Christmas baking season is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. Every year, I look forward to baking batches of Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies and Hot Chocolate Cookies to share.
This snowball cookie recipe has been a favorite in my family for years. Here’s my daughter making them about ten years ago, they are her all time favorite cookie. She’s currently looking over college acceptances and picking where to spend her next four years. Time flies!
After you make these snowball cookies, you can “warm up” so to speak with some Hot Chocolate Cookies. For decorating fun with kids, don’t forget to bake some Gingerbread Men this year, too. Don’t forget to save some for Santa!
Easy Snowball Cookies
This cookie recipe comes together quickly and easily. It’s a great one for kids to help with. Here is a quick run through the ingredients and recipe steps. Remember, the full printable recipe with measurements and detailed instructions is at the end of the post.
Ingredients At A Glance
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference, but this is not one where I’d sub margarine since the butter flavor is one of the stars of the show.
- Vanilla – Because these cookies have so few ingredients, the quality of ingredients can really impact the result. If possible, pure vanilla extract is best. Please note the recipe calls for a TABLESPOON of vanilla, that is not a typo. Almond extract would also work, though will give a very different flavor.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioners sugar. If you don’t have any on hand, here’s how you can make your own. It’s a carrot cake post, but in it I show you how to make your own powdered sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour – Make sure you measure by spooning your flour into the measuring cup then leveling off. Never measure your flour by scooping it with the measuring cup, you’ll end up with extra flour that can impact the recipe.
- Salt – I typically use a kosher salt.
- White Chocolate Chips And/Or Chocolate Chips – Honestly, ANY chocolate chips will work! These candy chips are super fun, and I am obsessed with these new Yummallo Rainbow Chips. They are PERFECT for snowballs.
- Sprinkles – Optional, but fun and colorful! Sweets & Treats Boutique makes my favorite sprinkles.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat butter and sugar with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla, mix well. Add in salt and flour, a little at a time, mixing until well combined. Dough will be thick.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips and sprinkles.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2” between each cookie.
5. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for at least 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Christmas Snowball Cookies
I used sprinkles in Christmas colors to keep with the holiday theme. Feel free to use any sprinkle colors you like and have fun choosing your colors. Blue sprinkles are lovely in these.
Snowball Chocolate Chip Cookies
For this batch I divided my dough, and added sprinkles to half, but added mini chocolate chips to the other half. A half cup of chocolate chips mixed in works perfectly.
Snowball Cookies No Nuts
This is a snowball cookie recipe with no nuts. If you want a nutty snowball cookie, add a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough along with the dry ingredients.
Decorating Snowball Cookies
No need! These cookies look so pretty on a plate without requiring any frosting or decorating (or mess). You can sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like, but it’s not necessary.
More Great Christmas Cookie Recipes
Don’t miss my favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes! You’ll find over 50 of my tried and true cookie recipes that are perfect for Christmas baking. Here are some of my favorites…
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookies
- Soft Gingerbread Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
- Soft Sugar Cookies
- Snickerdoodles
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Man Cookies
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Snowball Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups softened butter salted or unsalted
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2-1 cup sprinkles in colors of your choice optional
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips optional
- powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Beat butter and sugar with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add in vanilla, mix well. Add in salt and flour, mixing until well combined. Mix in white chocolate chips, and if using add in either sprinkles and/or mini chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
- Using a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2″ between each cookie.
- Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes or until just starting to lightly brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for at least 10 minutes. If desired dust with powdered sugar.
- Store in airtight containers.
debbie says
quick question….. the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Is this a mistake? should it be 1 tsp? thank you
Christi Johnstone says
It calls for 1 tablespoon. They have a delicious vanilla flavor.
Eileen V says
What size scooper is appropriate??? Do u have a link to the one you used? Is it fruit scooper size? Ice cream scooper size?
Christi Johnstone says
I use this cookie scoop, which is approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons.
Donna says
Can I leave the white and chocolate chips out and just use the sprinkles?
Christi Johnstone says
You can basically leave chocolate chips out of ANY cookie.
Paula says
What do you consider a “small” cookie scoop? Do you have a link for the one you use? I have 2 larger scoops and 2 melon ball size. I would think the larger are not what you use, but is the melon ball too small? I am making these now, so I will make a guess and use the melon baller, but a bit larger….wish me luck!!
Melissa says
How many dozens of cookies does one batch of dough make?
Jess says
I’m a tad confused. Do I use white chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips? Or is it one or the other? Thanks!
Christi Johnstone says
One or the other or both!
Cindy A says
Whipping these up now. Using some pearly pink, lavender and blue sprinkles. So wintery! I am super excited…I get to take them to my 91 year old dad this afternoon at the senior community where he lives. They just opened up to very limited visits for those living independently that may need some help with things. I only have two hours with him at his place, every other week, but can’t wait. I haven’t been able to visit him in his apartment since April. This will bring much joy! Thank you!
P.S. My first batch I left in slightly too long so they got a little golden (yellow?). You can bet I chose the powdered sugar topping option for my snowballs. Lol.
Whitney says
These are SO quick and simple, but SO delicious!! Definitely a new favorite that I’ll make all year. Thank you!!
Christi Johnstone says
So glad you like them! Out of all the cookies on this site, this truly is my oldest daughter’s favorite, they are so simple but so good!
Diane Haines says
I have some Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers, but I feel these probably should not be used, is that correct?
Christi Johnstone says
You can use those, the might get a bit melty but can set back up quickly. I’d chop them up a bit.
Krystal says
Do you need to refrigerate dough before baking?
Christi Johnstone says
Nope, just mix it up, scoop and bake.