Christmas baking is one of the best things about the holiday season! But there are just too many recipes and too little time. That's why these EASY Gingerbread Almond Snowball Cookies are the perfect cookie to make this time of year! They are a little twist on the classic almond snowball cookie.
Popular during the holiday season, these Snowball Cookies are simple, light, buttery, and cakey spherical-shaped cookies with an almond flavor, covered in powdered sugar and colorful sanding sugar. They are quick to prepare (in 30 minutes!), making them the ultimate snowball Christmas cookie and the perfect edible gift or addition to any holiday baking tray! My family loves these and they're bound to become one of your favorite Christmas cookies!
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And if you're looking for more Christmas Recipes to gift, my Holiday Biscotti and my Chocolate Gingerbread Bark also make great edible gifts!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
For these gingerbread almond snowballs, you'll need these simple ingredients:
- Unsalted butter. I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in my baking.
- Ground almond. You can buy ground almonds (they are lighter than when you grind them yourself) or grind up your own in a food processor, but just make sure they are very finely ground (that's what I did the last time I made these).
- Ground ginger and ground cinnamon. This combination of spices creates a mild gingerbread flavor!
- Powdered sugar/icing sugar and red and green sparkling sugar. Rolling these cookies in powdered sugar/ confectioners sugar/icing sugar is what makes these classic cookies snowballs. I add a little festive green and red sparkle to the mix!
📖 Variations & Substitutions
I used to make my snowball cookies with ground pecans, but I decided to try ground almonds instead. Since almond is so mild tasting, I added some gingerbread flavor to spice things up, as gingerbread lends such a festive flair for the holiday season.
And WOW. I was blown away by how delicious these cookies are! I mean, they are sooo good, to begin with, but gingerbread made them GREAT!
- Spices - You can add some ground cloves, nutmeg, and/or allspice to the mix if you prefer a stronger gingerbread flavor.
- Butter - You can use salted butter, but eliminate the salt in the recipe.
- Almonds- You can use ground pecan instead and make pecan snowball cookies.
You can also make these gingerbread snowman cookies! 🙂
These little snowball Christmas cookies have several names, snowballs being only one of them, because they actually do look like little snowballs. However, they are also known as Pecan Sandies or Pecan Balls (when they are made with pecans), Russian tea cakes, and by their most well-known name, Mexican wedding cookies or cake cookies.
🔪How to Make Almond Snowball Cookies
PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C.
Do NOT grease pan, but you can line it with parchment paper (optional)
- Step 1: In a food processor mix butter, white granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, ground almond, ginger, and cinnamon process until the mixture clings together. * I found this is the best way to make these. *Alternatively, if you don't have a food processor and are using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat butter, then add granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon. Then beat in as much flour as possible with the mixer, stirring in the remaining flour and ground almond with a large spoon.
- Step 2: Shape into balls (about an inch in size). I use a heaping tablespoon of dough then make it round. You can also use a cookie scoop to portion out the size. * If you are having difficulty forming them into balls and they are sticking to your hands, you can wet your hands a little to make it easier.
- Step 3: Place a ½ inch to 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Or you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Step 4: Bake cookies in preheated oven for about 15-18 minutes.
- Step 5: Cookie bottoms will be golden brown. *If you used parchment paper they will be lighter on the bottom.
- Step 6: Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes
- Step 7: Mix powdered sugar with red and green sparkling sugar. *Alternatively, you can roll the cookies in powdered sugar first, then sprinkle on sparkling sugar. I did that in the main photos, but I wanted them more sparkly and mixing the sparkling sugar and powdered sugar together helped achieve that.
- Step 8: Roll each snowball in the mixture while they are still warm and return them to the cooling rack.
- Step 9: (Optional) You can spray a little oil on the cookies to help the powdered sugar mixture stick. I use the same kind of oil spray I use in my air fryer.
- Step 10: I recommend rolling them a second time when they are cooled.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Grind the nuts fine. If you are grinding your own almonds, grind them in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, I recommend buying ground almonds - you can buy them in any grocery store. If your nut pieces are too large, the cookies won't stay together.
- Crumbly Dough. The Almond Snowball Dough will seem a little crumbly and cling together in chunks -that is normal.
- Roll Warm Cookies. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are still warm. It helps the icing sugar stick to the cookie.
- Don't make your dough balls too big. If you make your cookies balls too big they won't cook through and will likely crack.
- Don't handle your dough too much. Don't handle your dough more than you need to when forming the snowballs. This could warm the butter too much and lead to spreading and flat cookies. Once you have a round shape, gently roll it between the palms of both hands.
- If your cookies crack. If your cookies have cracks in them, gently push the cookie back together when it comes out of the oven (it's still quite pliable at this stage). Really small cracks will be covered by powdered sugar.
- Accurately Measure ingredients. This recipe is very finicky in terms of the exact ratio of dry to 'wet', with wet being the butter and vanilla. If you don't measure precisely, the cookies will fall apart!
🌡️Storage
- These Christmas snowball cookies can be stored, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- This recipe freezes well for up to 3 months. *However, you are best to decorate/ice the cookies once they are defrosted. If you add the powdered sugar coating before freezing it will just melt off when the cookies are defrosted.
- If you don't want to make all the cookies at once, you can freeze the dough for up to 3 months in a sealed freezer bag. When ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight, then let the dough come to room temperature before rolling the dough balls.
❔Recipe FAQ's
Butter that is too soft or melty is usually the culprit for flat snowball cookies. Very warm or melty butter causes cookies to spread. You want the butter at room temperature but not too soft. Overworking the dough can also cause cookies to flatten when baked, for the same reason - you are warming the butter. Only handle your dough as much as you need to to form the round balls.
These cookies will fall apart if they have too much of a dry to wet ingredient ratio or if there is too many wet ingredients. It's important to measure correctly. Try adding a little more butter or a couple of tsps of milk if they are too crumbly. If they seem too wet or soft, then add a little more flour.
Ratio of wet to dry ingredients may also be the reason for cracking. If they are too dry they will crack. If they are holding together, but have cracks, just push them back together when you take them out of the oven.
You may have too much dry ingredients will also cause cookie dough to be crumbly. Keep in mind, the dough should look a little crumbly and cling together in chunks. Try adding a little more butter or a little milk (a teaspoon at a time).
If you are looking for more unique and delicious holiday baking recipes? Try my Christmas Lime Squares and my Gingerbread Yule Cookies!
MERRY CHRISTMAS BAKING!
🎄More Holiday Cookie Recipes
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📋 Gingerbread Almond Snowball Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- food processor (or mixer)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all - purpose flour
- 1 cup finely ground almonds
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Garnish
- ¼ cup powdered/icing sugar
- red and green sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/176 degrees C. Do NOT grease your cookie sheet. Alternatively, you can line it with parchment paper.
- In a food processor mix butter, white granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, ground almond, ginger and cinnamon, and process until mixture clings together. * I found this is the best way to make these.1 cup unsalted butter, softened, ½ cup white granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups all - purpose flour, 1 cup finely ground almonds, ½ teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Alternatively, if you are using a mixer, beat butter, then add granulated sugar, salt, vanilla, ginger and cinnamon. Then beat in as much flour as possible with the mixer, stirring in remaining flour and ground almond with a large spoon.
- Shape into dough balls (1 inch in size) . * If you are having difficulty forming them into balls, you can wet your hands a little to make it easier. *Roll them gently between the palms of both hands.
- Place a ½ inch to 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven for for about 15-18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
- Transfer to wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.
- Mix powdered sugar with red and green sparkling sugar. Roll each snowball in mixture.¼ cup powdered/icing sugar, red and green sparkling sugar
- Sprinkle on additional green and red sparking sugar as desired.
Notes
- Grind the nuts fine. If you are grinding your own almonds, grind them in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, I recommend buying ground almonds - you can buy them in any grocery store. If your nut pieces are too large, the cookies won't stay together.
- Crumbly Dough. The Almond Snowball Dough will seem a little crumbly and cling together in chunks -that is normal.
- Roll Warm Cookies.Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they are still warm. It helps the icing sugar stick to the cookie.
- Don't make your dough balls too big. If you make your cookies balls too big they won't cook through and will likely crack.
- Don't handle your dough too much. Don't handle your dough more than you need to when forming the snowballs. This could warm the butter too much and lead to spreading and flat cookies. Once you have a round shape, gently roll it between the palms of both hands.
- If your cookies crack. If your cookies have cracks in them, gently push the cookie back together when it comes out of the oven (it's still quite pliable at this stage). Really small cracks will be covered by powdered sugar.
- Accurately Measure ingredients. This recipe is very finicky in terms of the exact ratio of dry to 'wet', with wet being the butter and vanilla. If you don't measure precisely, the cookies will fall apart!
Isabelle @ Crumb
These sound like they'd be a wonderful addition to my holiday cookie-baking plans... I always like to have a few different varieties for my holiday open house party, and the fact that these come together in just 30 minutes is a definite plus. Love me a quick and easy cookie!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Isabelle! They definitely add a little variety to the platter!
Sean@Diversivore
What a great idea. I mean, I love pecans, but almonds just seem like they'd be perfect here, and something about almonds and powdered sugar just works for me. And I LOVE the fact that these come together by tossing everything into the food processor. Perfect for a quick cookie, and even better for baking with the kids! Cheers, and Happy Holidays!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sean. Yes, gotta love a quick cookie during this busy time of year!
Trish Cowper
Love these! I love the gingerbread spices. I can't wait to try them.
Colleen
I usually make Mexican wedding cookies over the holidays, but now I'm going to try your gingerbread version. Great idea, I know they'll be delicious.
Terri Gilson
Hi Colleen,
Thanks! Yes, the gingerbread adds another dimension!
Elaine
Love that I can make these in 30 minutes! I agree, Terri, Christmas baking is one of the highlights of the holidays! Pinned!
Terri Gilson
thanks, Elaine!