A classic holiday treat, these Vegan Snowball Cookies are light and buttery, with a delicate nutty flavor.
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These Vegan Snowball Cookies are the perfect treat for the holiday season. Also known as Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, they’re a classic for a reason! They have a delicate and buttery texture reminiscent of shortbread and a toasted, nutty flavor with the perfect amount of sweetness.
During the Christmas season, nothing beats these Snowball Cookies paired with a strong cup of coffee in the mornings. Luckily they come together quickly and easily with just a few simple ingredients, because I can guarantee you won’t be able to get enough of these!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Vegan Snowball Cookies
- Vegan butter. Since the butter flavor is a huge part of these cookies, make sure to use a brand you like and trust! I like to make most of my cookie recipes with the Country Crock Plant Butter.
- Powdered sugar. To sweeten the dough and to roll our cookies in.
- Flour. This recipe uses all-purpose flour but it will also work perfectly with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour.
- Toasted pecans or walnuts. Chopped nuts give these cookies their signature flavor. As a bonus, your house is going to smell incredible when you toast them up!
- Vanilla extract. Adds a little extra flavor that rounds out these cookies.
- Salt. How much you need will depend on how salty your vegan butter is.
- Plant milk. You only need to use a touch of milk to get your cookies to the right consistency.
How to Make Vegan Snowball Cookies
Make the cookie dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together softened vegan butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add flour, toasted nuts, and salt, and stir to combine. If the dough seems a little too dry/crumbly to easily form into a ball, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of plant milk.
Shape and bake the cookies
- Roll the dough in your palms to form small, smooth balls. A cookie scoop helps you easily measure even portions. These cookies don’t spread at all, so you can easily fit them all on one tray.
- Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they look set. They can be very lightly browned on the bottoms but they shouldn’t take on much color otherwise.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 5-10 minutes, or until you’re able to touch them safely.
Roll the cookies in powdered sugar
- Roll each cookie in powdered sugar to coat. Place the cookies on a wire cooling rack. Once they’re fully cooled, roll in powdered sugar once more.
Recipe FAQ
Can you make snowball cookies gluten-free?
Yes, super easily! I’ve made them using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour and they’ve come out perfectly. Since gluten-free flour gives these cookies a slightly drier texture, you’re probably going to need the 1-2 teaspoons of milk. Just something to look out for if you’re going to make this recipe gluten-free.
Can I use almonds instead?
Yes, you can also use almonds — I recommend getting the blanched slivered kind, because they already have the skins removed. Toast the almonds and then give them a good chop before adding to the dough.
Storing These Cookies
Vegan snowball cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you stack the cookies, I recommend placing a piece of parchment between each layer to keep them from sticking together. (Though honestly, I think it’s physically impossible for a batch of these to last entire week without being eaten.)
More Vegan Dessert Recipes
Vegan Snowball Cookies
A classic holiday treat, these Vegan Snowball Cookies are light and buttery, with a delicate nutty flavor.
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Servings: 30 cookies
Equipment
- silpat or parchment
- cookie sheet
- mixing bowls
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter (2 sticks) softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (65g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g) spooned and leveled
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (150g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1-2 teaspoons plant milk ONLY as needed
For Rolling
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Toast the nuts (optional)
- Oven: Spread the nuts out in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 5 minutes. Give the nuts a stir, spread them back out, and keep baking. Give them a stir about every 2 minutes, until they develop a golden brown color and toasted aroma. From start to finish they usually take 8-12 minutes to toast, but keep an eye on them as they can quickly go from perfectly toasted to burnt. Transfer to a plate or bowl right away so they don't keep browning.1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
- Stovetop: Add the nuts to a cold pan and place over medium heat. As the skillet heats up, stir or toss the nuts often to keep them cooking evenly. Toast for about 3-7 minutes, until they develop a golden brown color and toasted aroma. Transfer to a plate or bowl right away so they don't keep browning.
Make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
- Cream butter. In a mixing bowl, cream together softened vegan butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract until smooth.1 cup vegan butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add flour, nuts, and salt, and stir to combine. If the dough seems a little too dry/crumbly to easily form into a ball, stir in 1-2 teaspoons of plant milk. (This isn't always necessary, depending on which brand of butter you are using and how you measure your flour.)2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 1-2 teaspoons plant milk
- Shape the cookies. Snowball cookies are slightly crumbly, so they're easier to eat when they're small. I like to use exactly one level tablespoon of dough per each cookie. Roll the dough in your palms to form smooth balls, then arrange on your cookie sheet. These cookies don't spread at all, so there is no need to leave a lot of space between them.
- Bake. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until they look set (dry on the surface). They can be very lightly browned on the bottoms but they shouldn't take on much color otherwise.
- Roll in powdered sugar. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes till you're able to handle them. Add powdered sugar into a small bowl and roll each cookie in the sugar to coat. Place the cookies on a wire cooling rack. Roll them in powdered sugar one more time after they are fully cooled.1/2 cup powdered sugar
Storage
- Store Snowball Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you stack the cookies, I recommend placing a piece of parchment between each layer to keep them from sticking together.
Notes
- Vegan Butter: Country Crock Plant Butter sticks are my favorite to use in this recipe! (Both the avocado oil and olive oil sticks work great. Make sure to use the sticks and not the tub.)
- Gluten Free: I’ve personally tested this recipe with the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour and it works great! The texture is sightly dryer than cookies made with all-purpose flour, so you may need to add one or two extra teaspoons of milk.
- Almond flour: If you like, you can substitute in 3/4 cup almond flour for the chopped nuts. You can lightly toast the almond flour in the oven or in a skillet to bring out the flavor.
- Measuring flour: Make sure not to pack the flour into your measuring cups or it will result in dry and dense cookies. Instead, fluff the flour up, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it with the back of a butter knife.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.
