To form the snowballs, I scoop small portions and roll them gently between my palms. They should be firm enough to hold their shape, but don’t worry if the dough feels a bit dry—it’s supposed to. I line them up on a parchment-covered baking sheet, and one of my favorite things about this recipe is that the cookies barely spread at all, so you can place them fairly close together. As they bake, they transform from pale dough balls into lightly golden, delicate cookies that stay soft and tender inside.
As soon as they come out of the oven, I let them cool for just a few minutes—long enough that they aren’t too fragile to handle, but still warm enough for the powdered sugar to cling perfectly. Rolling warm snowballs in sugar is my favorite part because the coating melts slightly and then sets, creating that perfect snowy appearance. Once they cool completely, I roll them one more time so they look completely dusted, like little winter treasures.
Pro Tips for Best Results
I tested this recipe several different ways, and one of the biggest things I learned is to avoid overmixing the dough once you add the flour. Overmixing develops the gluten too much and makes the cookies tough instead of melt-in-your-mouth tender. Mix just until the dough comes together—trust me, this one step makes a noticeable difference in the final texture.
Another tip I learned the hard way is not to make the cookies too large. I used to roll oversized snowballs thinking bigger was better, but they didn’t bake evenly and stayed doughy in the center. Keeping them to about one tablespoon of dough each produces the perfect texture every time. Uniform size also makes baking more consistent.
Make sure your butter is softened properly. Cold butter won’t mix well and melted butter will ruin the delicate crumbly texture. If I forget to soften butter in advance, I cut it into cubes and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes—it softens much faster that way. It’s a small detail, but it’s one of those things that can make or break a batch.
Finally, roll in powdered sugar twice. I know it seems like a small thing, but the second coating really makes them look professional and gives that signature snowball finish. The first coat melts slightly into the warm cookies, giving them sweetness, and the second coat adds that snowy, festive look everyone loves.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One mistake I made early on was not measuring the flour accurately. These cookies rely on the right ratio of butter-to-flour to achieve their signature texture. Too much flour makes them dry and too crumbly, and too little makes them spread out. Scooping flour directly from the bag packs it down, so instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off for accuracy.
Another mistake is skipping the powdered sugar coating while the cookies are warm. If you wait until they’ve cooled completely, the sugar won’t melt onto the surface and the coating won’t stick nicely. I’ve tried to “redo” the coating on cooled cookies, and it never looks or tastes the same. Warm cookies make all the difference.(See the next page below to continue…)