Snowball Cookies Go by Three Names and Every Grandma Swears Hers Is Best: 13 Powdered-Sugar Christmas Treats

Snowball cookies are the little powdered-sugar balls that disappear first from every Christmas cookie tray, yet nobody can agree on what to call them. Some families say Russian tea cakes, others swear they are Mexican wedding cookies, and plenty of grandmas simply call them butterballs. The recipe barely changes from kitchen to kitchen: soft butter, flour, a little sugar, finely chopped nuts and a snowy coat of powdered sugar rolled on while the cookies are still warm. One recent Instagram reel that named all three versions passed 17,000 likes, which shows how strongly people feel about the cookie they grew up with. Here are 13 versions to bake this December, from the classic pecan ball to pistachio, peppermint, chocolate and lemon twists, plus the cousins baked around the world..

Classic Pecan Snowball Cookies Like Grandma Made

The classic pecan version is the one most grandmas guard on a recipe card stained with butter. Toasted pecans are chopped almost as fine as flour, so every bite is tender and nutty, and the dough has no egg at all, which is why the cookies melt instead of chew. The secret is the double roll: once in powdered sugar while the cookies are still warm, so the sugar sticks and melts a little, and once again when they are cool, for that thick white snowy coat..

You will need: 1 cup soft unsalted butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus about 1 1/2 cups for rolling, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla until creamy. 2. Mix in the flour and salt, then the chopped pecans, until a soft dough forms. 3. Roll into 1-inch balls and bake on a lined tray at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bottoms are just golden. 4. Cool for 5 minutes, then roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar. 5. When completely cool, roll them in powdered sugar a second time.

Russian Tea Cakes With Walnuts

In many American families these are Russian tea cakes, and walnuts are the nut of choice. The name likely comes from the elegant tea tables of the 1900s, when small, rich cookies were served with afternoon tea, though food historians say the link to Russia is loose. Walnuts give a slightly deeper, more earthy flavor than pecans and a softer crumb. Bake them on a rack-lined tray so the bottoms stay pale, then let them cool on the rack before the final dusting.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for rolling, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. 2. Stir in the flour, salt and walnuts. 3. Shape 1-inch balls and bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes. 4. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar and cool on a wire rack. 5. Dust again with powdered sugar before serving.

Mexican Wedding Cookies Rolled Twice in Sugar

Mexican wedding cookies are the same buttery ball under a name tied to celebrations, where trays of them are passed around at weddings, baptisms and Christmas parties. They are close relatives of Spanish polvorones, the crumbly shortbread brought to Mexico centuries ago, and part of a big family of melt-away shortbreads that also includes Russian tea cakes and Greek kourabiedes. Many Mexican-style recipes use almonds or pecans and a pinch of cinnamon. Rolling them twice, as in this photo, gives a heavy, snowy coat that looks beautiful in a tin.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 2 cups for rolling, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1 cup finely ground almonds or pecans, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. 2. Add the flour, ground nuts, cinnamon and salt and mix to a soft dough. 3. Roll into small balls and bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes. 4. Toss the warm cookies in a bowl of powdered sugar. 5. Cool completely, then toss them in sugar again.

Greek Kourabiedes, the Christmas Cousin

In Greece, the Christmas version is called kourabiedes, and they are often shaped into small mounds or crescents instead of balls. Toasted almonds go into the dough, and some families add a splash of brandy or a few drops of rose water. They are piled high on a platter and buried under so much powdered sugar that it falls on your sweater with every bite, which is part of the fun. They keep for weeks in a tin, so many Greek families bake them early in December.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar plus plenty for dusting, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon brandy or 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter and powdered sugar for 8 minutes until very pale. 2. Beat in the yolk and brandy or vanilla. 3. Add the flour, baking powder and almonds and mix to a soft dough. 4. Shape into small mounds and bake at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes. 5. Cool slightly, then sift a thick layer of powdered sugar over the cookies.

Pistachio Snowball Cookies

Pistachio is the twist that makes people ask for the recipe. Swap the pecans for finely chopped shelled pistachios and the crumb turns a pretty pale green under the white sugar coat. A little almond extract makes the pistachio flavor stand out even more. These look especially festive next to red peppermint cookies on a holiday tray. Use unsalted pistachios, or cut back the salt in the dough if yours are salted.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for rolling, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 cup finely chopped shelled pistachios, a pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract. 2. Mix in the flour, salt and pistachios. 3. Roll into 1-inch balls and bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes. 4. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar. 5. Roll again once cool and sprinkle a few chopped pistachios on top.

Peppermint Snowball Cookies With Crushed Candy Cane

This peppermint version brings a candy cane crunch to the classic. Finely crushed peppermint candy goes into the dough and into the final sugar coat, so you get little pink and red specks in every bite. Leave out the nuts for a nut-free version that kids love. Bake on parchment, because melted candy can stick to a bare tray. Add the crushed candy to the second sugar roll only, after the cookies have cooled, so it stays crunchy and bright.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 1 cup for rolling, 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candy, divided.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, sugar and peppermint extract. 2. Mix in the flour, salt and 1/4 cup of the crushed candy. 3. Roll into balls and bake on parchment at 350F for 11 to 13 minutes. 4. Roll the warm cookies in plain powdered sugar. 5. Once cool, roll again in powdered sugar mixed with the remaining crushed candy.

Chocolate Snowball Cookies for Cocoa Lovers

This chocolate version swaps a little of the flour for cocoa powder, so the inside turns dark and fudgy while the outside stays snowy white. Chopped walnuts or pecans still go into the dough for crunch. When the sugar coat cracks, the dark crumb peeks through, a lot like the look of our crinkle favorites, which make a great partner on the same tray. A pinch of espresso powder makes the chocolate taste even richer without any coffee flavor.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for rolling, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional), 3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. 2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, salt and espresso powder, then mix into the butter with the nuts. 3. Roll into 1-inch balls and bake at 350F for 12 minutes. 4. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar. 5. Cool and roll again for a thick coat.

Lemon Snowball Cookies With Fresh Zest

These lemon balls taste like sunshine in the middle of winter. Fresh lemon zest goes into the dough and a little more is rubbed into the powdered sugar for rolling, so the coat smells bright and citrusy. Almonds pair best with lemon, but you can leave the nuts out for a lighter, extra tender cookie. These are lovely for anyone who finds Christmas sweets too heavy, and they look pretty on a plate with a few lemon slices.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus 1 1/2 cups for rolling, zest of 2 lemons, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup finely ground almonds (optional).

How to make it: 1. Rub half the lemon zest into the rolling sugar and set aside. 2. Beat the butter, 1/2 cup sugar, remaining zest and lemon juice. 3. Mix in the flour, salt and almonds, then shape 1-inch balls. 4. Bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes. 5. Roll warm in the lemon sugar, cool, then roll again.

Coconut Snowball Cookies

The coconut version trades the powdered sugar coat for fine shredded coconut, which looks even more like fresh snow. The dough gets a little coconut too, so the flavor runs all the way through. Roll the balls in coconut before baking, as in this photo, and the tops toast to a light golden color in the oven. A few drops of coconut extract make them taste like a tropical holiday. They are a fun choice for anyone who wants a softer, chewier snowball.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract, 2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut for the dough, 1 1/2 cups fine shredded coconut for rolling.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and coconut extract. 2. Mix in the flour, salt and 1/2 cup coconut. 3. Roll into balls, then roll each ball in fine coconut. 4. Bake at 350F for 13 to 15 minutes until the coconut is lightly golden. 5. Cool on the tray before moving.

North African Ghriba With a Cinnamon Dot

Across North Africa and the Middle East, the same melt-away idea shows up as ghriba. The Algerian version in this photo is a pale dome made with butter or ghee, flour and powdered sugar, so tender it crumbles at a touch. A tiny dot of cinnamon on top is the classic finish. Ghriba skips the sugar coat, but it shares the same short, sandy texture that makes snowball cookies so addictive. It is served with mint tea or coffee, especially on holidays.

You will need: 1 cup ghee or soft butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour, a pinch of salt, ground cinnamon for the tops.

How to make it: 1. Beat the ghee and powdered sugar until very white and fluffy. 2. Add the vanilla and salt, then mix in flour little by little until the dough is soft and holds its shape. 3. Shape into small domes and press a tiny pinch of cinnamon on each. 4. Bake at 320F for 15 to 18 minutes; they should stay pale. 5. Cool completely on the tray, because they are fragile while warm.

Bite-Size Melt-Away Balls for the Coffee Tray

Mini cookies, about the size of a marble, are perfect for a coffee or hot drink tray. In Turkey, tiny powdered-sugar cookies like these are often served beside a cup of warm salep or Turkish coffee, two or three per guest. Smaller cookies bake faster and look elegant in a little dish. Add a pinch of cardamom to the dough to make them taste extra cozy next to a warm drink.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for rolling, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts or almonds, a pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and cardamom. 2. Mix in the flour, nuts and salt. 3. Roll into 3/4-inch balls. 4. Bake at 350F for 9 to 11 minutes. 5. Roll warm in powdered sugar, then again when cool.

Turkish Un Kurabiyesi, the Melt-Away Flour Cookie

Turkish un kurabiyesi means flour cookie, and it is one of the simplest cousins of all: butter, oil or ghee, powdered sugar and flour, with no nuts and no eggs. The dough is so short that the cookies dissolve on the tongue, the same reason families love snowball cookies. In Turkey they are served with a glass of black tea, and many home bakers dust them with powdered sugar right before serving. They are a great choice for anyone baking for a nut-free crowd.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter or ghee, 1/2 cup light vegetable oil, 1 cup powdered sugar plus extra for dusting, 1 teaspoon vanilla, about 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder.

How to make it: 1. Beat the butter, oil and powdered sugar until smooth. 2. Add the vanilla, then mix in the flour and baking powder until the dough no longer sticks. 3. Shape into small balls or domes. 4. Bake at 340F for 15 to 18 minutes; they should stay pale. 5. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Balkan Gurabija Crescents Dusted in Sugar

In Serbia and across the Balkans, gurabija is the local name for this family of short, crumbly cookies, borrowed from the older qurabiya. Some bakers shape them as rounds, others as little crescents like the ones in this photo, often with a walnut or almond in the dough and a dusting of powdered sugar on top. Shaping the same dough into crescents is an easy way to add variety to a cookie tin. The crescents bake a little faster than balls, so check them early.

You will need: 1 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar plus extra for dusting, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup ground walnuts, a pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. 2. Mix in the flour, walnuts and salt. 3. Roll small logs and bend them into crescents. 4. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes until the tips are lightly golden. 5. Dust generously with powdered sugar while still warm.