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Cherry Snowball Cookies

Cherry Snowball Cookies

These Cherry Snowball Cookies are a festive holiday treat with a tender, buttery shortbread texture. Inside each cookie is a delightful surprise of a bright maraschino cherry and rich mini chocolate chips, all enriched with the flavor of ground pecans. Dusted in a thick coating of powdered sugar to resemble a snowball, they are a perfect melt-in-your-mouth dessert for Christmas parties and cookie exchanges.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 150
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups Butter, at room temperature
  • 0.75 cup Powdered Sugar for the dough, plus an additional 1.5 cups for coating
  • 0.5 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1.5 tsp Almond Extract
  • 1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 0.5 tsp Cherry Extract (optional)
  • 0.5 cup Maraschino Cherries, drained very well and finely chopped
  • 1 cup Pecans, finely ground to a flour-like consistency
  • 4.5 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 0.75 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Equipment

  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Food processor
  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Spatula
  • Wire rack

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Prep Your Station: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  2. Prepare the Mix-Ins: Drain the maraschino cherries thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Chop them into small, roughly quarter-inch pieces. In a food processor, pulse the pecans until they have a fine, flour-like consistency.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter with the powdered sugar and granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
  4. Add Flavor: Add the almond, vanilla, and cherry extracts, along with the salt. Beat for another 30 seconds to incorporate everything evenly.
  5. Combine Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and ground pecans in three separate additions, mixing until just barely combined after each one. Be careful not to overmix.
  6. Fold in the Goodies: Gently fold in the chopped maraschino cherries and mini chocolate chips with a spatula until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
  7. Shape the Cookies: Roll the dough into one-inch balls. Arrange the dough balls about 2 inches apart on your prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake to Perfection: Bake for 12–15 minutes. A good way to tell they're done is when the bottoms are lightly golden. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time for even cooking. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them.
  9. Coat in Sugar: While the cookies are still warm, gently roll each one in the remaining 1.5 cups of powdered sugar. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, roll them in the powdered sugar a second time for that classic, thick snowball coating.

Notes

Ensure maraschino cherries are drained and patted very dry to prevent the dough from becoming sticky and spreading. For the best snowball coating, roll the cookies in powdered sugar once while they are warm, and then a second time after they have cooled completely. If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling to help the cookies maintain their shape.