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–+ servings
Snowball cookies stacked in a coffee cup.

High Altitude Snowball Cookies

Heather Smoke
A classic recipe for buttery snowball cookies, full of nutty pecans and coated in powdered sugar.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 8 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 32 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings3 dozen

Equipment

  • Small Cookie Scoop with Release Lever (1 tablespoon capacity)
  • Baking Sheet + Parchment Paper

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, divided
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract, optional
  • ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ cup pecans, walnuts or almonds, finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.
  • Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, and the salt.
  • Add the flour and the chopped nuts, mix on low until combined but crumbly, then increase speed to medium high and beat just until the dough comes together.
  • Use a small cookie scoop with a release lever to scoop 3 dozen balls of dough, then roll the dough into smooth balls between your hands. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven.
  • Space the cookie dough balls 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, until pale golden brown.
  • Let the cookies cool for several minutes, until cool enough to handle.
  • Measure the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar into a bowl. While the cookies are warm, coat them in the powdered sugar. The sugar will melt into the cookies and become sticky. Let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack, then coat them in the powdered sugar a second time.
  • Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Keyword Cookies, Danish, High Altitude, Mexican, Russian, Snowball, Wedding
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