Description
These Cream Cheese Snowball Cookies are tender, buttery, and nutty treats perfect for any occasion. Made with cream cheese, butter, pecans, and rolled in powdered sugar, these cookies delight with their melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavor. Baking them at a lower temperature ensures they stay soft and not dry out, yielding perfect snowball-shaped cookies dusted generously with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (190 g)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons (separated)
- 1 1/3 cups pecan pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For Rolling
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the cookies at a low temperature for even cooking.
- Process Pecans: In a food processor, pulse the pecan pieces together with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar until they are broken down into very small pieces, slightly sweetening the nuts.
- Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: In a medium bowl, use a standing or hand mixer to beat together the softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and softened butter until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour and sea salt to the wet mixture, beating until everything is fully combined. Then, gently fold in the processed pecans by mixing on low speed or stirring with a spatula.
- Shape Cookies: Roll the dough into approximately 1-inch balls or use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough. Arrange the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop will yield about 21 cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 17 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms begin to turn lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies tender.
- Coat with Powdered Sugar: Allow the cookies to cool for several minutes on the baking sheet. Before they are completely cooled, roll them in powdered sugar to coat. Once fully cooled, roll them again one or two more times in powdered sugar for a signature snowball look.
- Store: Store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness and softness for several days.
Notes
- Baking these cookies at a lower temperature helps keep them from drying out by ensuring even cooking.
- To enhance the pecan flavor, lightly toast the pecans on the stove top or in the oven before processing them.
- Be careful not to overbake the cookies, as they can become dry. Because there are no eggs, slightly underbaking them is preferable over overbaking.
- Use a food processor to break down the pecans with sugar for the best texture and flavor integration.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
