Classic Amish Snowball Cookies Recipe — Soft, Coconut-Coated Treats

This snowball cookie recipe comes from an Amish cookbook and has been a favorite for years. These buttery shortbread cookies are loaded with crunchy pecans and finished with a coating of confectioners’ sugar that gives them a festive “snowball” appearance—perfect for holiday cookie platters. You can swap pecans for walnuts or add crushed candy canes for a peppermint twist. Enjoy!

Amish Snowballs Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups crushed pecans
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Confectioners’ sugar, for rolling

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the flour, crushed pecans, salt, and vanilla. Mix just until combined and no streaks of flour remain—the dough should be firm enough to roll.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll the dough into balls about the size of a walnut or golf ball. Place them several inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Chill the formed dough balls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to reduce spreading while baking.
3. Bake the chilled cookies in the preheated oven for 10–15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops begin to crack. Avoid overbaking so the cookies remain tender.
4. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes. While still warm, roll each cookie in confectioners’ sugar to create the first coating. Once completely cool, roll the cookies in confectioners’ sugar again to build a thick, powdery “snow” coating. Serve.

Notes

• The first sugar coating is applied while the cookies are warm so the sugar melts slightly into the surface for the initial layer. The second coating after cooling produces the classic powdery appearance.
• Don’t overbake—cookies should be just lightly golden on the bottom with cracked tops for the best texture.
• If the dough feels sticky, refrigerate the formed balls before baking; if it’s too sticky to roll, add a little more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until manageable.

Storage & Make-Ahead

• These cookies freeze well. Shape the dough into balls, freeze in an airtight container, and bake from chilled or frozen—add a few extra minutes to baking time if baking from frozen.
• Store baked cookies tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze.

Tips for Baking with Kids

Rolling cookies in confectioners’ sugar can be a fun (and messy) activity for children. Make sure the first roll is done when cookies are warm but not hot. Supervise younger kids when handling warm baking sheets.

Keywords

Snow Ball Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Amish Recipe, Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients recap: butter, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, crushed pecans (or walnuts), salt, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar.

Step-by-step highlights

Step 1: Cream butter and sugar until light, then add flour, pecans, salt, and vanilla. Mix until the dough can be rolled.

Step 2: Roll into walnut-sized balls, chill for 30 minutes on parchment-lined sheets, then bake at 350°F for 10–15 minutes until tops crack and bottoms are lightly golden.

Step 3: Cool briefly, roll warm cookies in powdered sugar, then cool completely and roll again for a thicker snowy coating.

More Amish cookie recipes to try

• Amish snickerdoodle cookies
• Amish peanut butter blossoms
• Amish cream cheese shortbread cookies
• Amish soft and chewy molasses cookies
• Amish ranger cookies
• Amish Christmas sugar cookie whoopie pies
• Amish Christmas monster cookies
• Amish strawberry rhubarb cookies

Happy baking! If you try this recipe, enjoy the process and share how they turned out. — Marilyn Stoltzfus Peight