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Love From The Oven

Delicious Recipes For Easy Meals, Desserts, Cookies, Cakes, Breads, Brownies And More!

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Snowball Cookie Recipe

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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! 

Red mug full of snowball cookies topped with powdered sugar

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. 

Pile of snowball cookies in a green bowl

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! 

Close up of snowball cookies in a red mug

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! 

Red mug filled with snowball cookies

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! 

Little girl scooping out cookie dough onto a baking sheet

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! 

green bowl of chocolate chip snowball cookies with powdered sugar sprinkled on top

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. Almond extract would also work.
  • Powdered Sugar – Also called confectionary 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.

Several snowball cookies in a red mug on a red and white napkin

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
  • Soft Gingerbread Cookies
  • Coconut Macaroons
  • Soft Sugar Cookies
  • Snickerdoodles 
  • Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Cut Out Sugar Cookies
  • Gingerbread Man Cookies

Several photos of snowball cookies

Click to Pin and Save Recipe

Snowball Cookie Recipe

green bowl of chocolate chip snowball cookies with powdered sugar sprinkled on top

Snowball Cookie Recipe

This delicious and easy Snowball Cookie Recipe is perfect for Christmas! A quick butter cookie, a batch of these cookies can be whipped up from start to finish in 30 minutes!
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookie
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 143kcal
Author: Christi Johnstone

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.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Nestle

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @lovefromtheoven or tag #lovefromtheoven!

About author Christi Johnstone of Love From The Oven

Christi is the baker, cook, blogger, food photographer, recipe developer and sprinkle lover behind Love From The Oven. As a busy mom, it's important to Christi that her recipes are family-friendly and picky eater approved. In addition to running Love From The Oven, Christi is the author of The My Little Pony Baking Book and Smart Cookie, and the co-author of Peeps-A-Licious.
Interested in working with Christi? please contact her by email.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our disclosure policy.

Home » Baking & Sweets » Cookies » Snowball Cookie Recipe

Baking & Sweets Christmas Cookies Holiday
December 17, 2020 by LOVE FROM THE OVEN

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  1. Kathleen says

    December 13, 2020 at 9:45 am

    These look great, can’t wait to try them! Do they freeze well?

    Reply
    • Christi Johnstone says

      December 13, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Honestly this is probably not at the top of my list for cookies to freeze. I haven’t tried it and they might be totally fine, but my concern is they could become a bit crumbly. This is hands down the fastest cookie recipe I have, like start to finish you could have them almost done in 30 minutes. If anything I’d suggest a few days in the fridge if you must make them in advance. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  2. Krystal says

    December 14, 2020 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    Do you need to refrigerate dough before baking?

    Reply
    • Christi Johnstone says

      December 14, 2020 at 6:04 pm

      Nope, just mix it up, scoop and bake.

      Reply
  3. Diane Haines says

    December 17, 2020 at 10:31 am

    I have some Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers, but I feel these probably should not be used, is that correct?

    Reply
    • Christi Johnstone says

      December 17, 2020 at 12:15 pm

      You can use those, the might get a bit melty but can set back up quickly. I’d chop them up a bit.

      Reply
  4. Whitney says

    December 19, 2020 at 1:15 pm

    5 stars
    These are SO quick and simple, but SO delicious!! Definitely a new favorite that I’ll make all year. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Christi Johnstone says

      December 20, 2020 at 10:23 am

      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!

      Reply
  5. Cindy A says

    December 21, 2020 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  6. Jess says

    December 24, 2020 at 1:51 pm

    I’m a tad confused. Do I use white chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips? Or is it one or the other? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Christi Johnstone says

      December 25, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      One or the other or both!

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I'm a mom, cookbook author...Read More

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