Chocolate Snowball Cookies are packed with sweet chocolatey flavors! Loaded with mini chocolate chips, these cookies have a thick powdered sugar coating that makes them look like little snowballs!
They are the perfect Christmas cookies for all you chocolate lovers out there! They burst in your mouth and melt all at the same time.
Snowball cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies to make. They have such a deep chocolate flavor, thanks to the dark cocoa powder and added mini chocolate chips!
While warm spices like cinnamon and ginger are traditionally the go-to flavors for a classic Christmas cookie, I also love to have a healthy dose of chocolate decadence on my cookie platters. After all, variety is the spice of life!
These adorable snowball cookies are also known as Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies. It's quite a traditional recipe, but you can mix it up a bit and make it your own very easily!
They are ready in just under an hour, and they're so easy to make. These delicious cookies are perfect for last-minute baking for your cookie exchange, or for your holiday cookie trays.
Customize them with your favorite chocolate cookie fillings, like chopped nuts or mini candies, or decorate them with melted chocolate!
For more chocolate cookie inspiration, try these Hot Cocoa Cookies, or my Christmas Tree Cookies for the holiday season! My Frosted Chocolate Swig Sugar Cookies are also delicious, as are these Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies. For something a bit different, try these Christmas Magic Bars!
Shopping List
Wet Ingredients. Butter, Vanilla Extract, Egg
Dry Ingredients. All Purpose Flour, Granulated Sugar, Cocoa Powder Dutch Process, Brown Sugar, Powdered Sugar (Confectioners' Sugar), Salt
Filling. Mini Chocolate Chips or Chopped Nuts (Optional)
How to Make Chocolate Snowball Cookies
First, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking sheet and make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, cream Butter with Granulated Sugar for 2-3 minutes.
The mixture will turn a pale yellow color and be light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure you're using all the ingredients.
Add Vanilla Extract and stir to combine.
In a separate medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients of All Purpose Flour, Cocoa Powder and Salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until fully combined.
Using a medium size #50 cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough into balls.
Place the cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving a 2-inch gap between each cookie.
Pro Tip
Chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. This helps the cookies to hold their shape and look like a snowball when baked.
If you wish you can roll the cookies into balls.
Bake the cookies in a preheated 350 F degree oven for 8-10 minutes. I find that these cookies can be difficult to tell when they are done baking. The dark chocolate color prevents you from seeing any golden brown baked color.
As always, I do recommend trying a test batch with one or two cookies to test the baking time on your oven.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to fully cool.
Roll the cooled cookies in a small bowl of Powdered Sugar until heavily coated and serve.
Chocolate snowball cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days before baking, so it's an ideal recipe for prepping in advance.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Cookies are best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.
Cookies can be stored in a sealed container and frozen for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between each cookie to prevent sticking.
Substitutions & Variations
- Dip these cookies into melted chocolate instead of powdered sugar to make Snowball Truffle Cookies.
- Press a rolo or mini peanut butter cup into the center of these cookies while they are warm for added sweetness.
- You can use any kind of nuts or chocolate chips for these cookies. Chopped pecans, crushed walnuts, or sliced almonds will taste great in these cookies.
- Put candy in the cookies instead, like mint chips or mini M&Ms!
Pro Tips
What makes a good cookie? Does it have a soft center and crispy edges, and is it chewy? Each of these makes a great quality cookie. To make perfect cookies every time here are some pro tips.
To find out more, check out my Pro Tips Guide for making the best cookies every time!
Weighing Ingredients.
Baking is a science and adding too much or too little of any of the ingredients will alter the recipe. Weighing and measuring dry ingredients properly makes a world of difference. Investing in a kitchen scale is ideal. When a kitchen scale is not available, make sure to stir and lift ingredients before scooping them into a measuring cup.
| Volume | Ounces | Grams | |
| All Purpose Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Bread Flour | 1 Cup | 4½ Ounces | 120 Grams |
| Granulated Sugar | 1 Cup | 7 Ounces | 200 Grams |
| Brown Sugar | 1 Cup | 7½ Ounces | 213 Grams |
| Confectionary Sugar | 1 Cup | 4 Ounces | 113 Grams |
Cookie Scoop.
Using a cookie scoop keeps each ball of cookie dough the same size, which is essential for baking. I have used a medium cookie scoop in these photos.
Baking Sheets.
You can use an ungreased cookie sheet if you prefer. I like to use Parchment Paper to line baking sheets or a Silicone Mat for easy cleanup.
Baking Time.
Every oven heats a little differently. I recommend doing a test batch of 1-3 cookies to test the baking time for a perfectly baked cookie before baking the remaining dough.
Cookies.
Cookies are perfectly baked when the edges are set and the centers are no longer glossy.
Cooling Rack.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a minute or two before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Kitchen Scale. I use this for accuracy in measuring and it's a lifesaver when it comes to consistent baking
- Wire Rack for cooling cookies. I like to have at least 2 cooling racks
- Mixing Bowls. A Large Mixing Bowl for mixing ingredients and small and medium mixing bowls for other ingredients
- Cookie Sheet. Most recipes will take 2 batches to bake. It's great to have multiple baking sheets available
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mat. Line the Cookie Sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. A small #60 Cookie Scoop or a Medium Cookie Scoop #50 are great choices for uniform drops of cookie dough.
- Storage Container. An Airtight Container to store cookies or a Ziploc Bag works great too.
- Additional supplies. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons along with a silicone spatula are all helpful.
Have you tried this Chocolate Snowball Cookies recipe?
Let me know what you thought of this recipe! Tag @bestcookierecipes on social media so I can see how great your cookies turned out! I would also love to read your comments below. Let me know what you think of these chocolate snowballs. It really does help!
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies with Eggnog Buttercream
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Cranberries
- Bear Paw Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Pie Bars
Chocolate Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter Softened
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar 100g
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder Dutch Process
- 1 ¾ cups All Purpose Flour 210
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- ¾ cup Mini Chocolate Chips Or Chopped Nuts
Instructions
- Pre-heat Oven to 350 Degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone baking sheet
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed, cream Butter with Granulated Sugar for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will turn a pale yellow color and be light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add Vanilla Extract and combine.
- In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients of All Purpose Flour, Cocoa Powder and Salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture until fully combined.
- Using a medium size #50 cookie scoop. Place cookie dough balls on the baking sheet leaving 2 inches apart.
- Chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to fully cool.
- Roll the cooled cookies in powdered sugar until heavily coated and serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: Chocolate snowball cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days before baking, so it's an ideal recipe for prepping in advance.
- Store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Cookies are best if enjoyed within 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Cookies can be stored in a sealed container and frozen for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between each cookie to prevent sticking.
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
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