There’s something truly magical about pulling a tray of Maple Pecan Snowballs from the oven. To me, they’re like little edible hugs—buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, and filled with the cozy warmth of toasted pecans and real maple syrup. If you’re dreaming of adding a touch of snowy elegance to your table with minimal fuss, this is the cozy comfort food recipe you need, especially during the bustling holiday season.
I consider these my go-to for easy Christmas treats. They come together without any chilling time, so you can go from bowl to baking sheet in just minutes, making them a stress-free star for your holiday baking. When you’re searching for unique Christmas cookies that will stand out on any festive platter, these easy snowball cookies are the answer. They fit perfectly into any collection of Christmas cookies recipes and are a wonderful, simple project to add to your list of Christmas baking ideas.
Honestly, whether you’re deep into planning your holiday baking or just want to whip up something memorable, these Maple Pecan Snowballs deliver. They are irresistible Christmas sweets that capture the spirit of the season, making them a beloved part of any celebration focused on creating joyful holiday treats.
Craving a delicious Maple Pecan Snowballs? 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 Maple Pecan Snowballs
- Deceptively simple: Just a handful of ingredients and no chilling required.
- Cozy nostalgia: Toasty pecans and rich maple create a comforting taste.
- Incredible texture: Wonderfully tender and crumbly, melting in your mouth.
- Visually stunning: Powdered sugar coating makes them look like elegant snow-dusted gems.
Ingredients & Tools
- 1 cup (125 g) pecans, toasted and cooled
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar, for rolling
Tools: A food processor, a baking sheet, parchment paper, a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, and a cooling rack.
Notes: Using room-temperature butter is non-negotiable for a light, airy dough. Use real maple syrup for deep, complex flavor.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 180 kcal |
| Protein: | 2 g |
| Fat: | 11 g |
| Carbs: | 19 g |
| Fiber: | 1 g |
Serves: 24 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Toast your pecans. This is the single most important step for maximizing flavor. Toasting unlocks the nuts’ natural oils, giving them a deeper, richer taste that permeates the entire cookie. Don’t skip it!
- What does “room temperature butter” really mean? It should be soft enough that you can easily press a finger into it, but not so warm that it’s greasy or melted. This usually takes about 30-60 minutes out of the fridge, depending on your kitchen’s warmth.
- Don’t overwork the dough. Once you add the flour, mix just until the dough comes together. Over-mixing develops gluten, which can make your snowballs tough instead of delightfully tender and crumbly.
- Invest in an oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can be wildly inaccurate. Baking these at the right temperature is crucial for achieving that perfect pale golden bottom without over-browning the tops.
How to Make Maple Pecan Snowballs
Step 1: First, let’s tackle the pecans. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 6-8 minutes, until they’re fragrant. You’ll know they’re done when you can smell that warm, nutty aroma. Let them cool completely—this is vital, as adding warm nuts to the dough can melt the butter. Once cool, pop them into your food processor and pulse until they’re finely ground, but stop before they turn into pecan butter. You want a sandy texture with no large chunks.
Step 2: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large bowl and an electric hand mixer), cream together the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar. Beat it on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and almost white. This step incorporates air, which is part of what gives the cookies their light texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is well combined.
Step 3: Now, pour in the pure maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low speed just until everything is incorporated. The mixture might look a little curdled or separated at this point—that’s perfectly normal, don’t panic! The flour will bring it all back together in the next step.
Step 4: With the mixer on low, gradually add the all-purpose flour and the finely ground toasted pecans. Mix just until the dough starts to clump together and no dry streaks of flour remain. You’ll notice the dough is quite soft, but it should hold together when you press it between your fingers. If it seems too crumbly, you can add a teaspoon of maple syrup to help bind it.
Step 5: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Roll the dough between your palms into smooth, compact balls. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet—they don’t spread much, but they do need a little room for air to circulate.
Step 6: Bake for 14-16 minutes. The cookies are done when the bottoms are a very light golden brown and the tops are still pale and look set. They should feel firm to the touch but not hard. Be careful not to overbake them, as they continue to cook on the hot baking sheet for a minute or two after coming out of the oven.
Step 7: This is the most important part! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for exactly 5 minutes. They need to be warm enough for the powdered sugar to stick, but cool enough that they won’t melt it into a glaze. While they’re cooling, place your 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
Step 8: After 5 minutes, gently roll each warm cookie in the powdered sugar until it’s completely coated. Place them on a cooling rack. You’ll notice the first coat of sugar might look a bit wet or spotty as the cookie’s residual warmth slightly melts it. Let them cool completely on the rack.
Step 9: Once the cookies are completely cool, give them a second roll in the powdered sugar. This final coat is what gives them that classic, pristine “snowy” look. The sugar will adhere to the now-dry surface, creating a beautiful, thick, white coating. And there you have it—perfect Maple Pecan Snowballs!
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Not recommended; refrigeration can introduce moisture and make them stale faster.
- Freezer: Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw and re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.
- Reviving: If cookies soften, a brief warm-up in a low oven (250°F for 5 minutes) can crisp them; cool and re-dust with powdered sugar.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A sharp cheese board — The saltiness of a good aged cheddar or a creamy blue cheese provides a fantastic contrast to the sweet, nutty cookies, cleansing the palate between bites.
- Spiced apple cider — The warm spices of cinnamon and clove in the cider echo the cozy, autumnal notes in the maple and pecan, creating a wonderfully harmonious flavor experience.
- Creamy vanilla ice cream — For an over-the-top dessert, sandwich a small scoop of ice cream between two snowballs. The cold, creamy ice cream against the crumbly, room-temperature cookie is pure textural heaven.
Drinks
- Dark roast coffee — The bitterness of a strong cup of coffee is the perfect counterpoint to the sweetness of the cookies, making each bite and sip feel balanced and sophisticated.
- Earl Grey tea — The bergamot in the tea adds a lovely citrusy, floral note that cuts through the richness of the butter and pecans in a really delightful way.
- A glass of cold milk — It’s a classic for a reason. The simplicity of milk is the ultimate companion to these rich, melt-in-your-mouth cookies, creating a moment of pure, simple joy.
Something Sweet
- Dark chocolate truffles — The intense, slightly bitter cocoa flavor provides a sophisticated contrast that keeps your dessert platter from being one-note, appealing to both sweet and bitter preferences.
- Lemon bars — The bright, zesty punch of a lemon bar is a fantastic palate-cleanser after the rich, buttery snowballs, making for a dynamic and well-rounded dessert spread.
- Peppermint bark — The cool, refreshing flavor of peppermint adds a festive, wintry vibe that pairs beautifully with the “snowball” theme and the warm maple notes.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Using warm pecans. If you add nuts that are still warm from toasting, they’ll melt the butter in your dough, resulting in a greasy, flat cookie that spreads too much. Patience is key here—let them cool completely.
- Mistake: Skipping the second sugar roll. The first coat of powdered sugar often gets absorbed or looks a bit messy. The second roll, on completely cooled cookies, is what gives them that iconic, snowy, bakery-quality finish.
- Mistake: Over-baking. These cookies should not brown on top. They are done when the bottoms are just lightly golden. Over-baking will make them dry and crumbly instead of tender and melt-in-your-mouth.
- Mistake: Packing the flour. When measuring your flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much flour, leading to a dry, dense dough that’s difficult to roll.
Expert Tips
- Tip: For an even more intense maple flavor, use maple sugar instead of granulated sugar. It’s a bit of a splurge, but it amplifies that warm, caramel-like taste throughout the entire cookie.
- Tip: If your dough is too soft to roll after mixing, pop the whole bowl in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. This will firm up the butter just enough to make handling the dough a breeze.
- Tip: Use a small cookie scoop for perfectly uniform snowballs. Not only does it make the process faster, but it ensures all your cookies bake at the same rate for a perfectly even batch.
- Tip: Make them ahead! The baked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Just thaw them and give them a fresh, final roll in powdered sugar before serving to restore that just-made look.
FAQs
Can I use a different type of nut?
Absolutely! Walnuts are a fantastic substitute for pecans and will give you a slightly more robust, earthy flavor. You could also try hazelnuts for a more sophisticated, European twist. Just make sure to toast whatever nut you choose, and grind it to the same fine consistency for the best texture in your snowballs.
Why did my cookies spread and lose their round shape?
This usually happens for one of two reasons. First, your butter was likely too warm when you creamed it, causing the dough to be too soft. Second, your oven might not have been hot enough. An oven thermometer is your best friend here to ensure accurate temperature. Chilling the dough for 15 minutes before baking can also help prevent spreading.
Can I make these cookies gluten-free?
You can! I’ve had great success using a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. The texture comes out nearly identical to the traditional version. Just be sure your blend contains xanthan gum, which helps bind the dough and replicate the structure that gluten normally provides.
How do I store these so they stay fresh?
Store your completely cooled snowballs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Place a sheet of parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. Do not refrigerate them, as the fridge can introduce moisture and make them stale faster.
The powdered sugar coating gets messy when I eat it. Any tips?
Oh, the classic snowball shower! It’s part of the charm, but if you want to minimize the mess, you can try a little hack: roll the cookies once in powdered sugar while warm, and then a second time in a mixture of half powdered sugar and half superfine (caster) sugar once cool. The superfine sugar crystals are less “dusty” and tend to stay put a bit better.
Maple Pecan Snowballs: Easy No-Chill Holiday Cookies
Maple Pecan Snowballs are the ultimate easy snowball cookies for your holiday baking. These buttery, maple-kissed treats are a festive and freezer-friendly addition to any cookie platter.
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
-
1 cup pecans (toasted and cooled)
-
1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
-
1/2 cup granulated sugar
-
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (for rolling)
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