This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure policy.
This Snowball Cookie Recipe has chocolate chips! Whatever they’re called, they’re one of my favorite Christmas cookies. Did you know you can add chocolate chips to snowball cookies?
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies have no nuts so they’re allergy friendly – and hello, CHOCOLATE. These are one of my MOST POPULAR cookie recipes!
Do you have a food that, whenever you see or think about it, it makes you think of a family member? I have several:
Whenever I eat Pillsbury Sugar Cookies, I think of my Nana. She passed them off as her own until I was an adult.
Whenever I see orange soda or Cheetos, I think of my Dad. On weekends he would take me to look at the boats or watch the planes take off at the teeny airport, and we’d always stop at the corner store for bright orange Cheetos and soda.
And then there are Russian Tea Cake cookies (aka Snowballs). Whenever I see these, I think of my mom. Her’s is the original recipe that spawned all my Snowball Cookie Recipes – including this one with chocolate chips.
Make snowball cookies without nuts!
This is one of the questions I get so often: making snowball cookies no nuts. There are so many people allergic to nuts nowadays that sometimes it’s just safer to make cookies without.
The classic Russian Tea Cake recipe has chopped pecans or walnuts but instead of using nuts in this cookies I added mini chocolate chips. They’re the perfect substitute for nuts!
Making Snowball Cookies with Chocolate Chips was probably one of the best things I ever did!
The idea for this actually came from a Facebook reader. I posted the plain version of these cookies and someone commented, “Oh! I make those with chocolate chips!”
The irony that I never thought to add chocolate chips to these Russian Tea Cakes on my own makes me laugh.
What is a snowball cookie?
These little bite-sized cookies are a buttery shortbread-like cookie. They only have a few ingredients so they mix up easy and make a ton. Once they’re rolled in powdered sugar they look like little snowballs!
The typical ingredients in these Christmas Cookies are:
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Flour
- Salt
- Vanilla
(If you’ve ever wondered “Can I use powdered sugar in cookies?” the answer would be yes. These have powdered sugar IN the cookie and they’re rolled in them.)
Traditionally they also have chopped nuts inside but these have mini chocolate chips!
Snowball cookies are also called Russian Tea Cakes, Wedding Cookies, and Butter Balls. So many names for the same amazing cookie!
Why do my cookies stay in a ball?
These cookies are little balls of heaven – and they stay that way even when they’re baked because they have no eggs and no leavening. Without baking soda or baking powder or egg, they don’t spread, even with all that butter!
We use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop for these and it makes about 4 dozen bite-sized cookies – you can crowd your pans because they won’t spread out in the oven.
How to make this snowball cookie recipe
This is an EASY cookie recipe but there are a few things that people always ask. Here are some of the most popular FAQ I get about Russian Tea Cake recipes:
My dough is crumbly, what did I do wrong?
- You added too much flour. Did you pack it? Don’t pack your flour.
- You added too much powdered sugar. Did you pack it? Don’t pack your powdered sugar.
- Keep mixing. It takes awhile for the dough to become a dough, especially if you’re using a hand mixer. It WILL come together eventually in a nice thick cohesive cookie dough.
My cookies spread, what did I do wrong?
Did you use REAL butter? If you used imitation butter it won’t perform as well. Also, was your butter melted or really, really soft? That can affect spread sometimes. Otherwise, these cookies should only puff, if they change shape at all.
My powdered sugar dissolved, what happened?
In this case, you probably rolled them while they were too hot. Just re-roll them once they’re cool. I often do this for effect – and make them SUPER powdery.
How long can you freeze snowball cookies?
In general, I freeze all my cookies for up to a month. The only thing with these is that you might have to re-roll them in powdered sugar after thawing. Learn how to freeze desserts.
If you like these, check out my other Russian Tea Cake variations:
- Stuffed Snowballs
- Chocolate Snowball Cookies
- Funfetti Wedding Cookies
- Lemon Snowball Cookies
- Christmas Snowball Cookies
- Gingerbread Snowball Cookies
- All of my Russian Tea Cake Recipes
Make these alongside:
- The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cutout Sugar Cookies
- The best Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (57g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ¼ cups (279g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170g) mini chocolate chips
- Additional powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Stir in the chocolate chips. If dough is too soft, chill it until you can work it easily with your hands.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes until bottoms are just slightly brown. Remove from oven and cool. Fill a small bowl with powdered sugar (about 1 cup) and roll each cookie in the sugar until coated.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Add flavoring if you want – replace the vanilla extract with any other extract!
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- The mixture takes a long time to mix together. Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if you have one. A hand mixer works but it will take a long time to come together – you’ll think the dough isn’t going to mix but up the speed on the mixer and it will after a few minutes.
Recipe Nutrition
If you’re looking for a classic snowball cookie with chocolate chips – this is it! My mom’s favorite snowball recipe – no nuts! It’s the perfect Christmas cookie recipe.
Last Updated on August 10, 2022
I’ve been making these for 68 years. I started making them just st Christmas but over the years, started to make them whenever I wanted to make something easy & good. I usually put pecans in, but if I’m out, I’ll use chips,coconut,any other nut orI even put in dried cherries,cranberries or blueberries- all were just as good.
I want to try them all!
I make these with chopped cashews! Yum!
I have been making these snowball cookies for 30 years.The only different is I use regular size chocolate chips.They are absolutely delicious.Can’t wait to make them for Xmas.mmmm
I made these exactly like the recipe called for and they melted completely…..
There is a chance your butter was too soft when you started? That’s the only thing I can think of other than not using enough flour. Were they too soft to roll? If they were too soft to roll (or too sticky) then one of those things is probably the culprit.
While combing ingredients my mixture was to crumbly and not put together, I then realized that I started off with room temperature butter which was too soft. After I put it into the refrigerator to chill. Is it possible that they will still turn out okay if I bake them?
It could also be because I did not use my hand held mixer, I am worried. The fact that I enjoy baking and the holiday season is upon us. s.o.s.
Are they still too crumbly after chilling? If so, there is a chance you added too much flour. How do you measure it? Do you scoop or spoon it into the cup? If you’re scooping it, you’re probably adding too much. Also, I use a stand mixer. Doing it by hand or with a hand mixer will make it take much longer than using a stand mixer. If it was just too soft butter, then chilling should work just fine!
I just made these this morning for our holiday gathering at work. They were so fast and easy to make. I used my small cookie scoop to portion them and a powdered sugar shaker to dust them instead of rolling them. It was a breeze and almost no mess!! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you like them!! Enjoy!
i tried making this 2x and both times they ca,me out flat and completely crumbled! What am I doing wrong? I never had a problem baking cookies before! ? lol
Are you using real butter and measuring your flour correctly? Chances are you’re packing your flour, which can make them crumbly. The flatness, I’m not sure, except that possibly your dough was warmer than mine going in the oven. The warmer the dough, the flatter the cookies. This can be caused because the butter is really soft when you start (or not using real butter) and can be solved by a quick chill before baking. But definitely try not to pack your flour – spoon it into the cup, don’t scoop to ensure success.
Hello Dorothy. I just made these and they are very dry. Not sure if they are supposed to be or not. But I wonder if it is because I used 2 cups regular all-purpose flour and ran out and used 1/4 cup of Whole Wheat Unbleached flour. Would that make that much difference?? Thank you
I think what whole wheat flour can definitely make a difference. I’m not sure how much that little but could make, but it might be the culprit. The other issue could be how you measure your flour. Do you scoop it or spoon it in to the cup? If you’re scooping, make sure not to pack the flour. Too much flour will make the cookies dry and crumbly. I recommend spooning it instead to make sure you don’t use too much.
Hello, I found you recipe  and followed all instruction even have it chilling for like 20 mins and when I try and roll them they just fall apart. what went wrong? Can I add anything to help them stay together?
Thanks
There is a chance you added too much flour. How do you measure it? Do you scoop or spoon it into the cup? If you’re scooping it, you’re probably adding too much. You can try adding a little more butter or a tablespoon of milk, but it’ll change the texture of the cookie slightly.
These were perfect for my “snow day” with my preschooler today (no snow where we live, so we’re pretending). Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! 🙂
These are delicious.
Featured In
Rate This Recipe