Whether you call them Vegan Snowball Cookies or vegan wedding cookies, there is no doubt these cookies are soft, buttery, & delicious. With just 7 ingredients & no chill time required, they make the best Holiday cookies!
Snowball cookies tend to have many names. I've heard them called Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding Cookies, Kourambiedes, Polish snowballs, meltaway cookies, and even butterballs.
Regardless of where they originate from (and the correct name to give them!), these vegan snowballs make the perfect addition to any Christmas cookie box!
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Powdered sugar: I recommend using powdered sugar that uses tapioca flour in the ingredients vs. cornstarch for the best results.
- Almond extract: I used Watkins almond extract and highly recommend it for this recipe. Feel free to substitute with more vanilla if you do not like the flavor of almond.
- Pecans: While completely optional, they add a great flavor and nice crunch to these cookies!
- Vegan butter: I prefer using vegan stick butter (not butter from a tub) for this recipe. I find that butter in a tub has a bit more moisture and causes cookies to spread too much. Country Crock or Earth Balance are my two favorites to bake vegan cookies with.
How to make vegan snowball cookies
Make the cookie dough
Start by creaming together the vegan butter and powdered sugar. It will start off crumbly, and end up super smooth and resemble a thick buttercream frosting once creamed.
Pro tip: Don't forget to sift your powdered sugar so there are no lumps in the dough!
Then, mix in the almond extract and vanilla bean paste. I prefer to use a little of each, but you can swap them 1:1 with each other as you prefer!
As a final step, add the flour, chopped pecans, and salt. Mix into a thick & smooth cookie dough.
Scoop & bake
To make the cookies, scoop out 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough. Then, roll the dough between your palms until it is perfectly round. This dough should make 14 cookies.
Add the snowball cookie dough balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for 12-13 minutes until the bottoms have begun to brown and the cookies are cooked through.
Then, let the cookies rest on the warm baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before rolling in more powdered sugar.
Roll cookies in powdered sugar
Take the slightly cooled cookies and roll them one by one in a bowl of powdered sugar. Place them back on the tray or a wire rack to continue cooling completely (about 30 minutes).
Then, roll the cookies in the remaining powdered sugar until coated before serving!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I replace the chopped pecans in these wedding cookies?
Definitely! You can omit them altogether or replace them with another nut such as walnuts or almonds. You can also replace them with chopped peppermint candies to turn them into peppermint meltaway cookies.
Can I make snowball cookies gluten-free?
Yes! While I have not tried it personally, using a 1:1 gluten-free flour should work in this recipe. Unfortunately, flour alternatives such as almond flour or coconut flour will NOT work in this recipe.
How do I store snowball cookies?
Leftover cookies can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. I don't recommend storing these pecan meltaway cookies in the fridge as it tends to dry them out.
I can't wait for you to try these easy Vegan Snowball Cookies! With only 7 ingredients & no chill time, they make the perfect eggless & dairy-free cookie for the Holidays. Enjoy!
More vegan Christmas cookies you will love:
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Vegan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie ingredients:
- ½ cup vegan butter room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Sugar for rolling:
- 6-8 Tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the room-temperature vegan butter and ½ cup of powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream together until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Next, add the almond extract and vanilla to the bowl and cream with the butter and sugar for another 30 seconds.
- Add the flour, pecans, and salt to the mixing bowl and mix into a thick, yet smooth, cookie dough.
- Scoop out the cookie dough, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and roll each cookie dough ball between your palms until it is a round ball. Add the cookie dough balls to the parchment-lined baking tray making sure they are at least 2-inches apart.
- Add the cookies to the oven and bake for 12-13 minutes until golden brown on the bottom edges. Then, let the cookies rest and cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before rolling in sugar.
- Add the remaining 6-8 Tablespoons of powdered sugar to a small bowl. Then, gently roll each cookie in the bowl of powdered sugar until coated.
- Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes). Then, roll the cookies in the bowl of powdered sugar one final time to coat. This is when the sugar will really stick and give that classic snowball cookie look.
- Serve & enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for more recipe tips & substitution ideas.
- Leftover cookies can be stored in a closed container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- I don't recommend storing these cookies in the fridge as it tends to dry them out.
- Recipe adapted from Sallys Baking Addiction snowball cookies.
KD says
I’m going to make these for Christmas cookies this year!
Should I still use the almond extract if I’m going to do the peppermint mix-in instead of nuts?
Megan says
If you want to! You could also substitute it for peppermint extract.
Sarah Lynn says
I’ve made hundreds of cookie recipes and at least 10 from this site alone- this has been my NUMBER ONE FAVORITE! I used maple extract instead of almond for a fall twist, and they were exquisite! I can’t wait to try the suggested peppermint for Christmas time.
Megan says
So glad you liked them! And love the idea of maple extract for Fall 🙂