Vegan Snowball Cookies are festive little holiday cookies that are buttery, full of pecans and rolled in powdered sugar! Made in 1 bowl with 5 ingredients.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosureย here.
Also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes, these little vegan snowball cookies are one of my all time favorites, especially around the holidays.
They are basically a buttery, rich shortbread cookie ball that is coated in powdered sugar. I mean, what could be better?
Tips & Substitutionsย
- Don’t make the cookies too big. A tablespoon size scoop is just right here.
- Don’t over or under cook the cookies. They are done when they look set and are lightly golden brown on the bottom.
- Gluten free? I haven’t tested it myself, but I bet they would work using a gluten free flour mix. Don’t try to sub almond or coconut flour, it just won’t work.
- Nut free? Feel free to leave out the nuts. You can also swap walnuts for the pecans if desired.
Want more vegan Christmas cookies?
- Vegan Ginger Cookies
- The Best Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Classic Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Coconut Macaroons
Vegan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- With a hand mixer, cream together the vegan butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla, then add the flour and pecans and beat on low speed until combined.ย
- Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and roll into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the cookies are set and the bottoms are slightly brown.
- Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes. Place the 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a bowl. Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar, then place on a cooling rack, or back on the baking sheet.
- Once completely cooled, roll once more in powdered sugar. Store in a covered container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For the vegan butter, I used Earth Balance brand. I'm sure another brand will work as well, such as Miyoko's or Melt.
- To freeze, bake the cookies but do not roll in powdered sugar. Freeze, then when ready to serve, thaw the cookies and roll in powdered sugar.
- Gluten free: Try using an all purpose gluten free mix. I haven't tried this myself, but it would likely work. Do not sub almond or coconut flour, it will not work.
- Nut free: If you have an allergy, you could make the cookies without any nuts at all. Walnuts work as well as pecans for a change.
Solid recipe. I have made these cookies every year for the last couple years without fail. I have also substituted the weight of the pecans with almond flour and chopped pistachios in two separate batches to try out different nut flavors and they turned out amazing. Will continue to make these every year, they never fail to impress vegans and non-vegans alike.
Nora, These cookies are one of the best cookie recipes I have ever tried. My whole family ate an entire batch and I was saving for Christmas! Will be making some more today. Thank you for such a great recipe. Love all of your recipes. Happy Holidays!
Your recipe for these cookies is AMAZING! I would never call myself a baker and when I make these everyone is so impressed. Every single one of your recipes has been a complete success and we have made dozens of them! Thank you for all of the work and care you put into them!