It’s not Christmas without snowballs! These mini chocolate chip snowball cookies are a classic. Made without nuts or eggs, they’re a great school-safe treat too!
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*Please note* this post was originally published in 2019. I’ve since redone the text and added a video but the recipe remains the same.
Last week was a whirlwind of holiday activity: we returned home and immediately jumped into photo shoots, deadlines, cookie exchanges and preschool Christmas parties. Between travel and the busy season I forgot a few commitments, but I love the chaos of the holidays — once the tree is up I’m all in.
For a recent cookie exchange I brought these chocolate chip snowball cookies. I tested the recipe before our trip and tweaked it after returning; a small change in butter-to-flour ratio made a big difference. One batch spread too much, while the corrected batch held a perfect little mound. I’m constantly learning how tiny changes affect texture.
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
These snowball cookies are quick to make and require just a few simple ingredients. A stand mixer speeds things up, but a hand mixer works fine too. The ingredients are:
- unsalted butter, room temperature
- powdered sugar (divided)
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- pure vanilla extract
- mini chocolate chips
Mini chocolate chips distribute nicely in these small cookies, but you can use regular chips if that’s what you have.
Instructions for Snowball Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat 1 cup room-temperature unsalted butter together with 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Mix on medium just until combined.
- Fold in 1 cup mini chocolate chips and mix briefly on low until distributed.
- Using a small cookie scoop or about 1 tablespoon of dough, roll dough into balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Chill the lined cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to help the cookies keep their rounded shape.
- Bake for 11–12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cookies may look slightly underbaked when removed; they’ll finish setting as they cool.
- Let cookies rest on the warm baking sheet for 5 minutes. While still warm, roll each cookie in the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar to coat and create the “snowball” appearance. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Storing Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
Once completely cooled, store the snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze them in a freezer-safe container layered with parchment paper for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and refresh with a light dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
These cookies are perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, classroom treats, or a cozy afternoon with a cup of cocoa.
Other Cookies From the Blog
If you’re baking for the holidays, here are some other favorites to consider:
- gingerbread fudge
- mint chocolate candy cane cookies
- vanilla bean cookie pops
- chewy ginger molasses cookies
- lemon cream cheese cookies
Whether you’re decorating cookies with kids or assembling cookie boxes for friends, I hope your baking is full of joy and good treats.
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- Author: Katherine | Love In My Oven
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 34 cookies
Description
It’s not Christmas without snowballs! These mini chocolate chip snowball cookies are a classic. Made without nuts or eggs, they’re a great school-safe treat too!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar until soft and fluffy. Add flour, salt and vanilla and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips briefly on low speed.
- Scoop and roll dough into 1-tablespoon balls. Chill the lined cookie sheet for 5 minutes to keep the mounds tall.
- Bake 11–12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then roll each cookie in the remaining powdered sugar. Cool completely on a rack.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze up to two months with parchment between layers.
Notes
*Chilling the sheet before baking helps prevent spreading and preserves the cookie’s rounded shape, but you can bake without chilling if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: sweets
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American