Russian Tea Cakes (Snowballs)
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies filled with nuts and double-rolled in powdered sugar. A classic cookie at Christmas time!
THESE EASY COOKIES ARE A CHRISTMAS STAPLE
I’ve loved these cookies for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t get true unlimited access to them until I started dating my husband. His family takes Christmas cookie baking very seriously: an early-December-to-Christmas-week operation that fills their house (and all the neighbors’) with trays of homemade cookies. It’s a whole thing… In the best way, of course.
This recipe for Russian tea cakes comes straight from my mother-in-law, a true cookie pro and the matriarch behind so many of our family-favorite bakes (she is the one from whom I learned about banana bread, zucchini bread, and cornbread). And trust me: these little snowballs have earned their place in countless holiday traditions for a reason.
These SNOWBALL COOKIES are dangerousLY DELICIOUS
Snowballs are one of those cookies that leave you wanting– no, needing— more. And this is coming from someone whose heart firmly belongs to a chewy oatmeal raisin cookie (chewy only, always). I can eat one or two of those and feel perfectly content, happily savoring their oaty, raisiny goodness.
Snowballs? Fahgedaboutit. I need five. Minimum.
There’s something about that cloud of powdered sugar that starts melting the second it hits your tongue, followed by the tender, crumbly center that somehow manages to melt again. They’re double–melt-in-your-mouth trouble, quite possibly the most dangerous kind of cookie, if you ask me.
This recipe for Russian tea cookies is Christmas cookie perfection. They come together easily, they’re adorably bite-sized, undeniably delicious, and dusted in enough powdered sugar to look like little snowdrifts.
And bonus: if you’re not big on sharing, these cookies double as a built-in security system. Anyone sneaking one from your stash will give themselves away instantly with that telltale powdered-sugar smile.
Buuuuut, I hope you do share them. Passing along a batch of these little snowballs is the kind of gesture that makes people feel loved! Because these cookies are way too good not to share.
Russian Tea Cake Ingredients
This Russian tea cakes recipe is so simple. Here is a visual of the ingredients you will need. Be sure you’re scrolling to the recipe card below for the exact measurements and how to prepare your ingredients.
Don’t like nuts? You can totally leave them out and the recipe will turn out just fine.
I prefer pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts in my snowballs, but you can certainly use your favorite nut. Cashews and almonds work nicely, too.
HOW TO MAKE RUSSIAN TEA CAKES
STEP #1: beat the butter, ¼ cup of the powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth.
STEP #2: add the flour and salt and beat again on medium until completely combined, then add the chopped nuts. Once the dough is together, cover the bowl and chill it for at least 1 hour.
STEP #3: once your oven is preheated, place balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until set. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Let them cool until you are able to handle them.
STEP #4: roll warm cookies in remaining ½ cup of powdered sugar, and return to the wire rack and allow to cool completely. Once the cookies are completely cool, roll them in powdered sugar again.
Russian Tea Cakes Recipe SUCCESS Tips
Use any nuts you prefer. I like to use pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts because they have a lot of moisture, but almonds also work well.
Make sure the nuts are chopped up super small.
Be sure you’re measuring your flour by weight, otherwise your tea cakes can become too dry.
Use a cookie scoop to make uniform sizes of cookies. I like to use a #50 for mine, which is a little more than 1 Tablespoon of dough.
WHY ARE MY RUSSIAN TEA CAKES FALLING APART?
Your dough it likely too dry if it is falling apart. Since there is no liquid listed in the ingredients, you’ll want to make sure you weigh your flour exactly so as not to bring extra dryness to the dough. If you need to, add a few drops of water or milk to help it stick together.
Russian Tea Cakes Recipe (Snowballs)
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup + ½ cup (90g) powdered sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (135g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (36g) finely chopped nuts I recommend walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, ¼ cup (30g) of the powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup + ½ cup (90g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour and salt and beat again on medium until completely combined. Add chopped nuts and stir with a spatula until evenly dispersed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (135g) all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅓ cup (36g) finely chopped nuts
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Roll dough into approximately 1" balls using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until set. You do not want cookies to brown at all. Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow the cookies to cool until you are able to handle them.
- Roll warm cookies in remaining ½ cup (60g) of powdered sugar. Return cookies to wire rack and allow to cool completely. When completely cool, roll in powdered sugar again. Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks. Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. MACADAMIA NUTS in snowballs? Girlfriend, you just BLEW MY MIND. Our tried and true family recipe uses walnuts, but growing up my mom would often experiment with using pecans or almonds – we’ve never tried macadamias, but they sound like THE ULTIMATE. Oh darn – going to have to make another batch to taste test 😉
Hahaha, DARN! I like them with macadamias because of that “squishy” texture– you know what I mean? Gives them a whole new taste!! Oh golly gosh, I just love snowballs.
awwww you are too sweet my dear DIL! Mike and I love your extra special tribute even though YOU are the REAL DEAL 🙂 xo
XOXO! Love you, Ma! Thanks for sharing your recipe with me!!
I always enjoy Russian tea cakes from my Daughter-in-law who bakes tons of different cookies for the holidays.
I used to bake when my children were small but I’ve Gotten away from baking because somebody has to eat all of that.
Just out of the oven.
Thanks for the recipe
Thanks for your sweet comment, Marcia! Enjoy the cookies!
Looks amazing! I think I’m going to try these!
They are so easy, Naomi! Definitely not a challenging recipe 🙂
These are some of my favorite cookies! Also. I LOVE the fact that you’re doing a 12 days of Christmas cookies mini series. So much fun. I would love to do something like this one year. The thought of all the cookies is making my starry eyed 🙂
Haha, thanks so much, Chrystina! It was fun making all of them! I mayyyy be cookie’d out here real soon 😉
Yes!! These are butterballs. love them!
http://purrfectlyinspired.com
Oh ok, yeah, I figured that’s what you were talking about! I actually got to sample Sally’s when we had dinner last week– SO GOOD! She only uses a different kind of nut in hers, but the simplicity of the cookie itself makes the nut flavor really stand out! It was so different from mine!
Any buttery, icing sugar coated, nut-studded baked good is going to be popular in our family for sure! And I already know that my Dad would be walking around with a powdered sugar covered beard because he wouldn’t be able to stop once he started. I need to make these for him to say thank you for our beautiful Christmas display! And I love that Matt’s family is so into Christmas cookie making – you two really are a perfect match!
Haha, we so are, Amy! These cookies are a serious favorite. They are just TOO good to be true, really. Yay for Christmas cookie baking time! It’s just so fun!!
Hi, Lynn, Your mom’s friend Dennee here. Loved your post so much that I tried first to print, then to download the pdf recipe. Neither worked. So I cut and pasted! WIll think of you when I make these!
Best, Dennee
Please let me know how you like them!
Are you supposed to put them in the oven when they are cold, or do you let them get to room temp first?
Chill the dough, pull it out, start rolling, bake.
I am about to try the macadamia nuts! (sounds yum!)
PS Everyone – Filberts (hazelnuts) make the absolute best, best, BEST Russian Tea Cakes!
Especially if you double the amount of nuts – grind 1/2 the nuts till fine and mix with the dry ingredients….then add the chopped nuts to the finished product, as per usual
I grew up next to a huge, abandoned filbert orchard, and so my mom experimented with these (now expensive) free hazelnuts in every possible recipe – the Russian Teacakes were to die for!
Hi there!
I wanted to bake these for my wedding. Do you know if they freeze well? If so do you know for how long??
Thanks!
I’ve actually never frozen them, but I feel like they should be fine! If you try it, let me know!
I had to add oil to this or it wouldn’t bond up I tried it the way it says did that and they fell apart
Hey, Carolyn– I’m sorry that happened to you. I’ve made these cookies more times than I can count and they always work great for me. In fact, I have two other snowball recipes on the blog (a funfetti one and a chocolate chip one) that have also gotten great reviews.
I am so glad I found your recipe. I found Mom’s recipe box back form the 50’s and made her russian tea cookies Saturday. Preheated Oven to 350 and cooking time lists 18-20 minutes and DO NOT OVERBAKE, 3/4 cup of butter, 1 beaten egg, sugar, salt and Vanilla and 2 cups of flour. add 3/4 cups of finely chopped Pecans and stir in batter. Sift Powder sugar and carefully drop baked cookies in p. sugar. They are very good but new batch will not see Pecans. I cannot taste one of them. I am buyinbg Walnuts today. I will also lessen the cooking time to 15 minutes at 350. They will be much softer. Yes, I have eaten 4 already and hubby has eaten 5. Lil Piggies here. Happy Holiday Cooking.
Delicious, happy memory!
These snowballs are irresistibles, tender and softer, just for the holidays!
Thanks so much, Alicia!
Worked perfectly- so tasty! thanks for the recipe.
Thank YOU, Shelby!
Followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly! My family loved it and said they were the best snowball cookies they’ve ever tried. Will definitely be my new go-to for the holidays.
Thank you, Carol! That makes my heart so happy 🙂
These are Mexican wedding cookies, exactly same recipe
Yep! Different names for the same thing 🙂
So simple to make with easy to follow instructions!! I love how the ingredients are listed in grams aswell as I am from the UK so I don’t need to look it up! I made this with pecan nuts and they tasted delicious!! I hope my family will enjoy them as much as we do! Thanks for sharing your recipe Lynne!
Thanks so much, Gigi! I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂