Go Back
+ servings
Powdered sugar-coated snowballs cookies in a small bowl.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Vegan Pecan Snowballs Cookies

Buttery snowball cookies with toasted pecans coated in powdered sugar for a classic Christmas cookie perfect for cookie platters or a cookie exchange.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time52 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 18
Author: Deryn Macey

Ingredients

  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp vegan butter softened at room temperature (140 g)
  • cup powdered sugar 43 g + ⅓ cup for coating (43 g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 160 g
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chopped pecans toasted if preferred (48 g)

Instructions

  • Beat Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
    ½ cup + 2 tbsp vegan butter, ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • Add Vanilla: Add the vanilla and beat until fully combined.
    1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Add Flour, Cornstarch & Salt: Slowly beat in the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Start at a low-speed and increase to medium-high speed until you have a uniformly mixed dough.
    1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp cornstarch, ¼ tsp salt
  • Add Pecans: Once the dough is uniformly mixed, briefly beat in the chopped pecans.
    ½ cup chopped pecans
  • Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours). If you're making the dough the day before, wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a sealed container to store.
  • Prepare for Baking:: Preheat the oven to 350˚F (177˚C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  • Bake Cookies: After chilling, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and use a small cookie scoop to create approximately 18 cookies, placing them on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until bottom edges are just lightly browned. I baked mine for 15 minutes.
  • Coat in Powdered Sugar: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. While they're cooling, add the remaining powdered sugar to a small bowl. Coat each cookie in sugar, transferring each to a cooling rack after coated to finish cooling. Once fully cooled, coat a second time in powdered sugar (optional). The first layer of sugar will somewhat melt into the cookies and the second coating will create that pretty snowball effect!

Notes

Storing: Once cooled, place cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. For long-term storage, baked cookies can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Toasted Pecan Snowballs: Preheat the oven to 350 F while you're preparing the ingredients. Toast the pecans on a sheet pan for 5-7 minutes while you're preparing the dough.

Nutrition

Serving: 1snowball | Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Sodium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g