Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are buttery, light, and flaky. They’re stuffed with miniature chocolate chips and coated in powdered sugar.
Looking for different variations of this cookie? Try out these Peppermint Snowball Cookies or the original version — these Mexican Wedding Cookies next!
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.
- Beat together the room-temperature butter (not warm or melted at all) with the powdered sugar.
- Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cornstarch, vanilla extract, salt, and crushed toasted pecans.
- Beat together until smooth.
- Add in the flour and miniature chocolate chips.
- 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.
More delicious cookie recipes:
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with a “secret” ingredient
- Snickerdoodles soft and chewy!
- Thumbprint Cookies raspberry-almond flavored
- Cake Batter Cookies with sprinkles
- Meringue Cookies light and crunchy!
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are buttery, light, and flaky. They're stuffed with miniature chocolate chips and coated in powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup whole pecans
- 1 cup unsalted good-quality butter (See Note 1)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (See Note 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1-3/4 cups white all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
- Powdered sugar for coating the cookies (1 to 1 and 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- TOAST PECANS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in an even layer on the sheet pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until they smell fragrant. Watch carefully-- you don't want to burn them. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool before transferring them to a mini food processor or cutting board. Pulse on the "chop" setting or finely chop. You want very small pieces, but avoid over-pulsing in the food processor or you'll end up with pecan butter.
- WET INGREDIENTS: Either in a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large bowl (and using a hand mixer) combine butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Cream together until smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the vanilla, salt, cornstarch, and chopped pecans. Beat until smooth and combined. Add in the flour and beat slowly until combined and smooth. Add in chocolate chips and mix until combined. It will seem sandy and crumbly at first; keep mixing, and it will come together. Once combined, do not overmix.
- CHILL: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to chill (at least 1 hour).
- BAKE: After being chilled, measure out cookie dough using a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon (each ball should use exactly 1 tablespoon). If the dough gets too warm from being rolled or sitting in a warm kitchen, put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a light-colored sheet pan with a Silpat liner (See Note 3). Bake for 7-11 minutes (mine always take 10 minutes). Remove from the oven, let stand on tray for 3-5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 2-3 minutes.
- POWDERED SUGAR: Add powdered sugar to a bowl (I start with 1 cup, but you may need slightly more). Roll the warm cookie in the powdered sugar and then return to the wire cooling rack. Let cool a few more minutes and then roll in the powdered sugar again. STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Re-roll in additional powdered sugar as needed. Best enjoyed within 1-3 days.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Butter: It's important to use really good quality butter, not margarine. Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt amount. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, not melted or softened. One cup is the equivalent of 16 tablespoons or 2 sticks.
Note 2: Vanilla: I'll also occasionally use vanilla bean paste; 1 teaspoon of paste if using!
Note 3: Silpat: I tested this recipe with no parchment paper, with parchment paper, and with a Silpat liner. The cookie bottoms turned out best every time with the Silpat liner. The darker the trays, the darker the bottoms of the cookies. The best results I found were with a light-colored tray.
Nutrition information includes 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar used for coating the baked cookies. You may not use all of the sugar, and that will affect the final nutrition information.
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Bake at ?
For how long?
Instructions were missing from your recipe. Looked up at other instructions at top but baking heat and time were missing. Please add
So sorry Mary, not sure where the instructions went, but they’re all in now; must have been some kind of glitch with my recipe card!
Can I use gf flour in the chocolate chip snow ball cookies ?
I’m sorry I don’t have a whole lot of experience with GF flour so can’t give you a recommendation or say how it would work. Wish I could be of more help!