Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

Ingredients in these cookies

Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are so simple to make and require few ingredients.

• Butter: Make sure to use real butter, not margarine. Since the base for these cookies is butter, you’ll want to use the best-quality butter possible.
• Powdered sugar: Half of the powdered sugar is added to the cookie dough and then the cookies are rolled in the remaining powdered sugar.
• Salt: This helps to balance the sweetness of the cookies.
• Vanilla: Again, quality vanilla makes a huge difference. The vanilla adds so much flavor to these cookies.
• Flour: Make sure to spoon and level the flour so you don’t pack in too much!
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch contributes to the melt-in-your-mouth quality these cookies have. It’s my secret ingredient!
• Pecans: We toast the pecans to add loads of flavor to these cookies. Then, to ensure small and even pieces, I pulse them in a mini food prep food processor.
• Mini chocolate chips: Regular-sized chocolate chips are too big for these cookies; make sure to get the miniature ones.

How to make Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

The descriptions below correlate with the pictures in the collage above.

1. Beat together the room-temperature butter (not warm or melted at all) with the powdered sugar.
2. Mix until smooth and creamy.
3. Add the cornstarch, vanilla extract, salt, and crushed toasted pecans.
4. Beat together until smooth.
5. Add in the flour and miniature chocolate chips.
6. Mix until smooth. It might seem sandy or crumbly at first, but keep mixing until a thick dough forms.

Tips for the best Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

• Don’t melt or soften the butter; this will cause cookies that spread.
• Don’t skip the chilling. The butter needs to be 100% cold and firm before going in the oven; otherwise, these cookies will burn and spread! They also taste best after being chilled and allowing a chance for the flavors to deepen and meld together.
• Use a mini food processor to pulse the pecans to evenly disperse pecan bits throughout the cookie. Watch carefully when pulsing, the pecans can go from perfect small pieces to pecan butter!
• Use a Silpat liner for these cookies; otherwise, they’ll spread too much or get overly browned bottoms. Silpat liners were superior to parchment paper in testing. Do not grease the sheet pan!
• Double dip your cookies in powdered sugar. Once the cookies have slightly cooled (but are still warm), cover them in one coat of powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool a bit longer and then dip them again for another coat. This double-dipping ensures thoroughly powder-coated cookies which not only look more beautiful but also taste the best!

Freezing Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

These cookies freeze really well; either as unbaked dough or baked cookies. I recommend freezing the unbaked dough (as opposed to the baked cookies).

• UNBAKED dough: Shape the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet in a single layer, then transfer to airtight freezer bags for longer storage. Defrost overnight in the fridge and bake as directed in the recipe. (You may need to add another minute or two to the baking time.)
• BAKED cookies: To freeze the baked cookies, roll them in powdered sugar while slightly warm, cool completely, and freeze on a baking sheet. Once the cookies are frozen solid, transfer them to airtight freezer bags; label and date. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours and then roll them in powdered sugar a second time.