Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
These Holiday Walnut Pecan Snowballs (Russian Tea Balls) are buttery and will melt in your mouth with some crunch from the walnuts and pecans.
Buttery Snowballs Filled With Pecans And Walnuts Then Rolled In Icing Sugar
Snowballs with no nuts are an option, especially if you have an allergy or just don’t care for nuts.
Just leave the nuts out of the recipe.
These Walnut Pecan Ball Cookies with powdered sugar are made all over the world and many different ways.
I pop one of these snowballs in my mouth and instantly I hear, Mmmm, Mmmm.
I’m like an 8-month-old child trying cookies for the first time.
Baking For Christmas
It’s now December, and with the festive season upon, so is baking Christmas Cookies and this Holiday Walnut Pecan Snowballs recipe is an easy Christmas cookie recipe.
This snowball cookies recipe is a no-fail and no effort at all to make.
A sweet bonus to making snowballs is that you can make them months in advance, so you don’t have to rush bake near the holidays.
They are very budget-friendly, and the kids can help make them.
Previously, in my Grocery Game Challenge- Ho, Ho, Ho Holiday Treats post, I gave you a rundown of what I would make each week in December for Christmas.
The goal is to finish them all, and it’s a lofty goal for us, but we will try.
Traditional Holiday Snowballs Recipe
Mrs.CBB has been making these recipes compliments of her grandmother for many years, as holiday baking is a tradition in her family.
Now, we make all of her family’s traditional Christmas treats together, like Santa and Mrs. Clause.
However, I’m far from having a white beard, a large tummy, elves to do my dirty work, and reindeer to whisk me away.
Using Pecans and Walnuts For Snowballs
We’ve made a few changes to the recipes over the years, but for the most part, they are the same.
Today, what I did with this recipe and Mrs.CBB agreed was to mix the walnuts and pecans.
In previous years we would just add walnuts, and that’s perfectly fine.
You must make sure that the nuts aren’t big chunks so even a blitz in the food processor works.
We put ours in a plastic bag and use a meat mallet to bash them until they are small.
What happens when the nuts are big is that they protrude out of the snowball and it cracks in half.
Stay With Your Snowballs While They Bake
I do caution with these cookies that you watch them like a hawk.
You must check them after 5 mins to see what the bottom looks like.
If the bottom is brown (see pic below), they are done.
Don’t worry if the tops are still white; get them out of the oven and into some icing sugar for the first dusting.
Once you pull them out, they will be too hot.
Wait about 2 minutes, then gently roll them into a tray of confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar).
Some of the icing sugar will melt around the snowballs at this point, and that is normal.
Set the snowballs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper to cool and repeat the process.
The second coating of icing sugar will make these balls magical and perfect for any gathering.
How To Store Snowballs For Christmas
We store our snowballs in the freezer for up to 3 months, sometimes longer if they don’t all get eaten up as we make lots.
Take them out and let them come to room temperature before serving.
These Holiday Walnut Snowballs are buttery with a nutty texture and melt in your mouth.
How To Make Walnut Pecan Snowballs
Ingredients For Holiday Snowballs
Recipe- Yield about 72 Holiday Walnut Pecan Snowballs or 6 Dozen (this recipe can be halved)
The printable version of this recipe is at the bottom of the page.
Tools Needed
- Stand Mixer or Bowl and Hand Mixer (manual)
- 3 Baking Sheets
- Container for icing sugar to roll balls
- Knife to cut the butter
- Parchment paper to line trays
Prep and Bake Time
- 10-15 minutes prep
- 5-8 minutes to bake in a 350-degree oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb of unsalted butter softened and cubed
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1.5 cups crushed walnuts
- 1.5 cups of crushed pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt (not in the picture above)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups of icing or confectioner sugar for rolling
Step-by-Step Instructions To Make Snowballs
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- To the mixer or bowl add softened, cubed butter, and sugar. Mix until fluffy. About 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and salt, then mix for 1 minute.
- Pour in the flour bit by bit while mixing.
- Dump in the nuts and mix to incorporate.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the balls into small to medium balls, a bit bigger than bite size, and place them on the baking sheet. These cookies hardly rise, so you can place them closer together, just not touching. I put about 5 to a line.
- Place them in the oven to bake for 5-8 minutes, and at 5 minutes, check to see if the bottoms are brown like the picture above.
- If so, pull them out, let them stand for 1 minute, then roll in the icing for the first roll.
- They will still be hot, and that’s ok. Just be gentle with them so they don’t break.
- After about one hour, when they cool down completely, give them their second and final roll in the icing sugar, and they are ready to enjoy!
Holiday Snowballs Printable Recipe
First Roll Holiday Snowballs in Icing Sugar while still hot
This easy-to-make buttery, walnut pecan snowball can also be made with pecans or both and then rolled in confectioners sugar (icing sugar). This recipe uses both walnuts and pecans.
Ingredients
- 1 lb of unsalted butter softened and cubed
- 4 cups of unbleached flour
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla
- 1.5 cups crushed walnuts
- 1.5 cups of crushed pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt (not in the picture above)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups of icing or confectioners’ sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- To the mixer or bowl, add softened and cubed butter and sugar. Mix until fluffy—about 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla and salt, then mix for 1 minute.
- Pour in the flour bit by bit while mixing.
- Dump in the nuts and mix to incorporate.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the balls into small to medium balls, a bit bigger than bite size, and place them on the baking sheet. These cookies hardly rise, so you can place them closer together, just not touching. I put about 5 to a line.
- Place them in the oven to bake for 5-8 minutes, and at 5 minutes, check to see if the bottoms are brown like the picture above.
- If so, pull them out, let them stand for 1 minute, then roll in the icing for the first roll.
- They will still be hot, and that’s ok. Just be gentle with them so they don’t break.
- After about one hour, when they cool down completely, give them their second and final roll in the icing sugar, and they are ready to enjoy!
If the recipe is too much you can easily half the recipe.
So, if you are looking for a recipe for walnut or pecan Holiday Snowballs, this is the one, try it out!
Coming up Next Sunday…Mr.CBB’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Discussion: What is your favorite Holiday Treat?
Leave me your comments below, and I’ll be sure to respond.
Thanks for stopping by to try my recipe.
Mr.CBB
There is no flour indicated in the recipe????
Oh crap… thanks!
Thanks again Karen, I added it in.. great fans always keep me on my toes!! Mr.CBB
These look awesome Mr. CBB! I wonder how well they will taste if you just mail them to me? Great recipe that I will have to try out.
It’s super easy to make these.. really and budget friendly!! The nuts are the costliest item but you don’t need much. Mail them, hmmm.. don’t think there will be any left by the time I’m done with them lol.. Cheers mate. Mr.CBB
They sound very yummy but addictive. Hmmm. I had better not start. 🙁
Oh Mary, my mother in law is the same, it’s tough for her. We try not to bring too many home for that reason. She just loves her sweets.
Those look awesome Mr. CBB. Although I must admit that I’m more partial to peanut butter and chocolate myself. I can’t wait for next week’s recipe. Nothing goes together better than chocolate and peanut butter.
I hear ya mate! They are good…. PB balls are my fav!
This is such a help. At the last minute, I’ve decided to host our office Christmas party, so dinner and dessert for about 15 people. These look easy and delicious. Can’t wait to see next week’s recipe.
These look so AMAZING!!!! I am not going to do any fantastic cooking like that yet…..waiting til’ we get closer to the holidays! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thanks Karen! They are super easy to make and everyone seems to tuck in and enjoy them. Cheers my dear! Mr.CBB
Whoops!!……Someone forgot to mention the amount of flour needed for these yummy looking treats. They just may end up mush balls without the correct amount of flour……..
Hi Susan,
I’m not sure why you are not seeing the flour as it is there 4 cups of unbleached flour. You posted this at 6:01pm and my post was posted hours ago. I did forget the flour but it was added not even 5 minutes later and has been there ever since. Have a look again, you made me look a third time and it still says 4 cups of unbleached flour. Hope that helps. Mr.CBB
Ingredients:
1 lb of unsalted butter softened
4 cups of unbleached flour
2 tablespoons pure vanilla
1.5 cups crushed walnuts
1.5 cups of crushed pecans
1/4 teaspoon of salt (not in picture above)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 cups of icing or confectioners sugar for rolling
Preparation: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
These look awesome!!!!! I wonder how long they would last around here??? I have to hide the baking here just so it lasts until Christmas!!!! I usually put the baking in metal cookie tins then into the freezer. If a certain some one here wants to snitch he risks frost bite…..I’ll be making the fruitcake this week I hope. After that the big fave here is pineapple squares, my sister-in-law’s hubby just loves those!!!
Hey Christine,
yes I’m always in snitching cookies, it’s hard when you know they are there. That’s why when they say if one wants to lose weight.. don’t keep it in the house lol…
Hi There, as promised, dropped by to pick up my cookies. How did you know these are my all time Favorites!!! I REALLY MEAN IT!!! Thanks ;-D
Get out, really? lol… they are good. I remember the first time Mrs.CBB made them. I couldn’t stop eating them, nothing has changed lol
I am on it mate,tell you wife she is AMAZING. Cooked them tonight AWESOME. Now will I get to sleep, 8 cookies down, I’m finish, NOT!!! ;-D
The warm milk will help sleep to come, if not I will go Down HAPPY, Good Nite.
Oh they look like Tim Hortons timbits…but better!!! They would not survive very long given my sweet tooth.
ha.. they do a bit don’t they. They are good… so are timbits.. especially sourcream.
Mmmm…My Aunt makes something similar every year around Christmas time. This is one of my favorite parts of the holidays, all the amazing food!
This must be the grandma recipe lol… they melt in your mouth. The key is NOT to overcook them which some people do and they get crunchy. Thanks for dropping in Alexa! Mr.CBB
They look amazing! The amount of cooking you guys do is great, I think I would gain 20 pounds living in your house though – so much great food, I just wouldn’t be able to help myself.
We eat healthy all week and splurge on the weekend. We try to switch it up so we are trying new recipes out in the kitchen so we don’t get bored with eating. Lifes too short to eat the same thing each week. We are very active as well. Cheers Mr.CBB…. and I didn’t mean just in the bedroom lol.
lol, I think my cheeks are a little pink after reading that…
Yummers! Those look delicious:)
Wow these look delicious and easy to make, thanks for this recipe! I’m not much of a baker but I might just try this one.
This is one of those no fail recipes… you can’t go wrong.
Oh, those look so good! We’ve been too busy to really focus on new recipes lately, but I’d love to give this a try! Maybe after the holidays we’ll get more into unhealthy recipes, but for now we’ve been trying to cut down on the sweets.
These are mainly to give away to our mates for Christmas along with a jar of apple jam we made in the summer time. It’s a personal type gift that they look forward to every year rather than a crappy box of chocolates.
Yummy looking as always. Don’t be surprised when a bunch of pf bloggers suddenly show up at your doorstep. 🙂
As long as you all bring the eggnog.. I’m happy to serve you all cookies! Mr.CBB
Have you found other nuts work just as well? My husband does not like walknuts, but I think almonds would work just as well?
Have you tried other nut meats? For someone who cannot eat or does not care for walnuts, I think almonds would also be delicious?
There is no harm in trying but for me I wouldn’t as I don’t think they will breakdown as well as the walnut or pecan. If you do try them with almonds let me know what you think. What about pecans? I mixed them in as well.
Thanks for linking my Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies to your post. I appreciate it. I love this recipe you’ve posted too. I have lots of versions of it handed down from family!
You’re Welcome Teresa! Yes it’s a simple recipe but elegant that anyone could make. Cheers and Happy Holidays and feel free to link up to one of my recipes and hook up with me on Facebook and Twitter don’t be shy come say hi and tell my fans about your site! Mr.CBB