There’s something magical about a kitchen that smells like toasted malt and butter, isn’t there? To me, that’s the heart of holiday baking—creating those moments of pure comfort. These malted milk snowball cookies are exactly that: a warm, nostalgic hug you can eat. They’re a cozy twist on classic Christmas cookie recipes, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes them some of the most irresistible Christmas sweets I know.
I love sharing these as unique Christmas cookies because that toasty malt flavor feels both wonderfully familiar and excitingly new. They’re a perfect Christmas baking idea come to life, resulting in tender holiday treats that require no fussy chilling. Honestly, they are the ultimate easy Christmas treats—simple enough for a spontaneous afternoon of baking, yet special enough to shine on any holiday tray.
More than anything, this recipe is a little edible memory. It’s a comfort food recipe that always makes my kitchen feel like home, and I hope it does the same for yours.
Craving a delicious Malted Milk Snowball Cookies? You've come to the right spot! From Christmas Cookie favorites to amazing Chicken Breast Recipes recipes, there's something here for everyone.
Why You’ll Love This Malted Milk Snowball Cookies
- Nostalgic & New: Malted milk powder brings a warm, toasty depth that feels both familiar and exciting.
- Melting Texture: Finely ground nuts create a sandy, melt-away quality that’s pure bliss.
- Incredibly Simple: No chilling, intricate shaping, or decorating skills are needed.
- Charming Look: Powdered-sugar-dusted balls have a rustic, snowy charm perfect for gifting.
Ingredients & Tools
- 225 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 100 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, plus much more for rolling
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 65 g (½ cup) malted milk powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 120 g (1 cup) very finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Tools: A stand mixer or hand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper, a small bowl for the rolling sugar.
Notes: Use good-quality European-style butter for extra richness. Toast nuts to unlock their oils for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 180 kcal |
| Protein: | 2 g |
| Fat: | 12 g |
| Carbs: | 17 g |
| Fiber: | 1 g |
Serves: 24 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12-14 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Butter Temperature is Key. Your butter should be cool to the touch but soft enough that you can press a finger into it and leave an indent. If it’s too warm, the cookies will spread; if it’s too cold, the dough will be crumbly and hard to roll.
- Don’t Skip the Nuts—But Do Toast Them. Toasting your pecans or walnuts before chopping is a non-negotiable step for maximum flavor. Just pop them on a baking sheet in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6-8 minutes until fragrant. It makes a world of difference.
- Chop Those Nuts Finely. You want a fine, almost sandy texture for the nuts, not big chunks. This ensures an even distribution and that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture. A food processor works great for this, but a sharp knife and a little patience will do the trick.
- What is Malted Milk Powder? It’s a powder made from malted barley, wheat flour, and milk. It has a uniquely sweet, toasty flavor. The classic brand is Carnation, and you’ll usually find it in the baking aisle near the hot chocolate and drink mixes.
How to Make Malted Milk Snowball Cookies
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This is also the perfect time to toast your nuts if you haven’t already. Let them cool completely before you chop them finely—you don’t want to melt the butter in the dough with warm nuts.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the cool room-temperature butter on medium speed until it’s smooth and creamy. This should only take about a minute. You’re not trying to incorporate air, just to soften it up nicely.
Step 3: Add the 100 grams (1 cup) of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract to the butter. Beat on low speed first to incorporate the sugar and avoid a cloud of it, then increase to medium and mix for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. You’ll notice the color pale slightly.
Step 4: Now, sprinkle in the malted milk powder and the salt. Mix on low until they are fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is evenly mixed. That malted milk aroma will start to come through now—it’s wonderful.
Step 5: With the mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add the all-purpose flour. Mix just until the flour disappears and a soft dough forms. The trick is to stop the moment you no longer see dry streaks of flour. Overmixing at this stage can lead to tough cookies.
Step 6: Finally, switch to a spatula and fold in the finely chopped, toasted nuts. Make sure they are distributed evenly throughout the dough. The dough will be soft but not sticky, and it should hold together easily when you press it.
Step 7: Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Roll it firmly between your palms into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets—they don’t spread much, but they do need a little room for air circulation.
Step 8: Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms are just lightly golden and the tops are still pale. They will feel soft to the touch, but they will firm up as they cool. You don’t want any browning on top, as that can make them crunchy.
Step 9: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for exactly 5 minutes. They are too fragile to handle straight from the oven. Meanwhile, place a generous amount of additional powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
Step 10: While the cookies are still warm (but not hot), gently roll them in the powdered sugar to coat them completely. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cool, give them a second roll in the powdered sugar for that classic, snowy, thick white coating.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies (without final sugar coat) or unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months.
- Reviving: Refresh baked cookies in a 300°F oven for 3–5 minutes; apply final sugar coat after cooling.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A Simple Cheese Board — The rich, buttery cookies are a fantastic palate cleanser and sweet counterpoint to sharp cheeses like aged cheddar or a creamy blue.
- A Bowl of Spiced Pear Soup — If you’re feeling fancy, the warm spices and delicate fruit flavor of a chilled pear soup create an elegant and surprising pairing.
Drinks
- A Strong Cup of Coffee — The bitterness of black coffee cuts beautifully through the sweetness of the cookie, making for a perfect afternoon pick-me-up.
- A Cold Glass of Milk — It’s a classic for a reason! The malted milk flavor in the cookie is echoed wonderfully by a tall, cold glass of whole milk.
Something Sweet
- Dark Chocolate-Dipped Orange Slices — The bright, citrusy zing of orange and the bitterness of dark chocolate provide a lovely contrast to the sweet, malty cookies without being overwhelming.
- A Small Scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream — Sandwich a slightly warm cookie around a tiny scoop of ice cream for an incredible, textural melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Using Melted or Oven-Hot Butter. This is the number one reason snowball cookies spread and lose their shape. You want a cool, pliable butter that can hold air when creamed with the sugar, creating structure.
- Over-baking the Cookies. I’ve messed this up before too… you want them to be just set. If you wait for them to turn golden on top, you’ve gone too far. They continue to cook on the hot baking sheet, so that 5-minute rest is crucial.
- Rolling in Sugar Only Once. The first coat of sugar on the warm cookie mostly melts in and creates a sticky base. The second coat, applied after cooling, is what gives you that beautiful, pristine, snowy finish.
- Not Chopping the Nuts Finely Enough. Large nut pieces can prevent the dough from holding together properly, leading to crumbly cookies that fall apart when you try to roll them in sugar.
Expert Tips
- Tip: For a super-fine, professional nut texture, pulse your toasted and cooled nuts in a food processor with one or two tablespoons of the measured flour from the recipe. This prevents the nuts from turning into nut butter and gives you a perfectly even, sandy crumb.
- Tip: If your dough feels too soft or greasy after mixing, don’t add more flour. Just pop the whole bowl into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. This will firm up the butter just enough to make rolling a breeze.
- Tip: Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon capacity) to portion your dough. Not only does this ensure all your cookies are the same size and bake evenly, but it also makes the rolling process much faster and less messy.
- Tip: When doing the final sugar coating, use a fresh, clean batch of powdered sugar. The sugar from the first roll will have little crumbs and butter spots in it, which can make the second coat look less than perfect.
FAQs
Can I make these cookies without nuts?
You absolutely can! The nuts add flavor and texture, but if you have an allergy or simply don’t like them, you can omit them. The cookies will be a bit more delicate and have a pure, buttery-malt flavor. You might find the dough is slightly softer, so a brief 15-minute chill before rolling can be helpful.
Why did my cookies spread and turn flat?
This almost always comes down to butter temperature. If your butter was too warm or melted, the cookies will spread. Another culprit could be over-creaming the butter and sugar, which incorporates too much air that then collapses in the oven. Remember, you’re just going for a smooth, combined mixture, not a light and fluffy one like for a cake.
Can I freeze the dough or the baked cookies?
Both! The unbaked dough balls freeze beautifully. Just place them on a parchment-lined sheet, freeze solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time. Fully baked and cooled cookies also freeze well; just wait to do the final powdered sugar coating after they’ve thawed.
My powdered sugar coating melted and looks wet. What happened?
This happens if you roll the cookies in sugar while they are still too hot. The residual heat melts the sugar, creating a wet, glazed look instead of a powdery one. Let them cool on the baking sheet for that full 5 minutes—they should be warm, not hot, to the touch for the first coating.
What can I use if I can’t find malted milk powder?
While you’ll lose the unique malty flavor, you can substitute it with an equal amount of non-fat dry milk powder. The texture will be similar, but the flavor will be a more standard, classic snowball cookie. For a hint of complexity, you could add a teaspoon of brown sugar to the creamed butter mixture.
Malted Milk Snowball Cookies: An Easy Holiday Baking Treat
Malted Milk Snowball Cookies are an easy snowball cookie recipe with a toasty, nostalgic flavor. These unique Christmas cookies are a melt-in-your-mouth holiday treat perfect for your baking list.
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
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225 g unsalted butter (at cool room temperature)
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100 g powdered sugar (plus much more for rolling)
-
1 tsp vanilla extract
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65 g malted milk powder
-
0.25 tsp fine sea salt
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250 g all-purpose flour
-
120 g very finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.01
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the cool room-temperature butter on medium speed until it’s smooth and creamy.02
-
Add the 100 grams (1 cup) of powdered sugar and the vanilla extract to the butter. Beat on low speed first to incorporate the sugar and avoid a cloud of it, then increase to medium and mix for another 1-2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.03
-
Sprinkle in the malted milk powder and the salt. Mix on low until they are fully combined.04
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With the mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add the all-purpose flour. Mix just until the flour disappears and a soft dough forms.05
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Switch to a spatula and fold in the finely chopped, toasted nuts.06
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Scoop up about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Roll it firmly between your palms into a smooth, round ball. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.07
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Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms are just lightly golden and the tops are still pale.08
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Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for exactly 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place a generous amount of additional powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.09
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While the cookies are still warm (but not hot), gently roll them in the powdered sugar to coat them completely. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Once fully cool, give them a second roll in the powdered sugar for that classic, snowy, thick white coating.10
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