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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.
So this last week was a WHIRLWIND! We got home on Saturday and we found ourselves thrown right into all that is the busy holiday (and work) season. Photo shoots and deadlines, cookie exchanges, pre-k Christmas parties and a few other commitments that I had forgotten about while sunning myself in Maui!
Ah, ’tis the season! I truly do love the craziness of it, even if it can be overwhelming at times. Once I get my head on straight, and our TREE UP I will be 100% into the Christmas spirit.
One of the cookies I included for the cookie exchange was these chocolate chip snowball cookies. I tested it once before we left for Maui, and they weren’t perfect, so I had to quickly do a couple of other mini batches when we got back to get it just right for Tuesday night! You may have seen the two side-by-side batches on my Insta stories. One batch had too much butter and spread out way more than a snowball should! The other ones stayed in a perfect little mound. I’m learning so much about butter and flour ratios when it comes to cookies! A small change can make a BIG difference!
Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
One of the reasons I chose to do snowballs for the cookie exchange, other than the fact that they’re such a classic holiday cookie, is that you can make them SO QUICKLY! If you have a stand mixer, it’s crazy easy. You only need 6 ingredients for this recipe!
- unsalted butter
- powdered sugar
- flour
- salt
- vanilla
- mini chocolate chips
You can certainly use regular sized chocolate chips for this recipe but I find the mini so much more pleasing to eat!
Instructions for Snowball Cookies
1. Start by mixing the room temperature butter with the powdered sugar until it’s light and fluffy. I usually use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for this, but you could use an electric hand mixer as well.
2. Once the mixture is light and fluffy and thoroughly mixed, add in the flour, salt and vanilla extract, and mix again. Next, add in the mini chocolate chips. You only need to run the mixer for a few seconds to mix in the chocolate chips.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into balls, and place them on the baking sheet, a few inches apart from each other. The dough balls should be about 1 tablespoon each, which is equivalent to a well-rounded small cookie scoop. I use this one for a lot of my cookies! The cookies will spread slightly in the oven. Place the cookie sheet in the fridge for about 5 minutes to chill, before placing them in the oven to bake.
4. The cookies bake for 11-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. They will continue to bake a bit after you remove them from the oven, so it’s ok if they look slightly underbaked when you take them out.
5. Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes before rolling the cookies in more powdered sugar. This is what gives them the “snowball” effect! Once they’re completely cooled, the cookies can be packaged or stored in an airtight container.
Storing Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies, once cooled, should be stored in an airtight container. I usually keep mine at room temperature if they’re going to be consumed within a week. These snowball cookies also freeze very well!
You should keep them in even layers in a freezer safe container, separated by a piece of parchment paper. Thaw the cookies overnight in the fridge, and roll them in a bit of extra powdered sugar to make them look even prettier before serving.
If you’re passing these cookies around as part of a holiday cookie exchange (which you definitely should), they’ll be great for up to a week, as long as the container is tightly closed.
If you’re visiting this page, you’re probably right in the midst of the holiday baking season.
I’d love to hear what you have lined up! Since I was away for a couple of weeks, I feel like I need to make up for lost time. I’m going to be getting my bake ON this weekend. I want to make my DIY gingerbread house with the kids, and sugar cookies are always a must. They’re the perfect craft for Oscar in the afternoon while the other two are sleeping. What kid doesn’t love decorating cookies!?
Anyway, I hope your weekend is filled with sugar, flour and fun.
Other Cookies From the Blog
I’ve got a wicked cookie bar roundup on the blog, but if cookie bars aren’t your thing, here are some other holiday treats:
- gingerbread fudge
- mint chocolate candy cane cookies
- vanilla bean cookie pops
- chewy ginger molasses cookies
- lovely lemon cream cheese cookies
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 34 cookies 1x
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 the oven to 375 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the flour, salt and vanilla extract, and beat on medium until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips and mix on low for about 15 seconds.
- Scoop out the dough and roll into 1 tablespoon sized balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Once all of the balls are lined up on the sheet, place the entire cookie sheet into the fridge for 5 minutes, before removing and placing into the oven to bake, for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.* Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the warm baking sheet before rolling them, one at a time, in the remaining 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and placing them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cookies should be completely cooled before placing them in an airtight container, in an even layer, to store for 1-2 weeks at room temperature, or up to 2 months in the freezer. Separate layers with a piece of parchment paper.
Notes
*You can also bake the cookies without chilling the pan for 5 minutes, but I like to do this to ensure that the mounds are nice and tall, with no chance of spreading.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: sweets
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: american
YUM! Loving the addition of chocolate chips here! These are calling my name! (Rather loudly!!) Pinned!
Chocolate chips add a nice little sweet crunch to the mix! Thanks Annie!!
This season is just crazy busy, but I love it too. Makes me appreciate the slow pace of the holidays even more. Once Christmas Eve hits, I go into automatic relaxation mode! These cookies look perfect for the holidays. I’ve never made this type of snowball cookie. Around here, snowballs are cocoa, coconut, oats, sugar and butter. No bake and rolled in coconut. But I really want to try these this year! Anything chocolate chip and I’m in!
Yeeees me too, Leanne!!! I’m looking forward to Christmas Eve and the week that follows, so I can relax and unwind a bit! Oh, those no-bake snowballs sound pretty awesome. You know how I feel about chocolate and coconut! Yum!
Welcome back! I guess it’s going to be a busy time for you now. Also, I hope you found lots of snow when you returned – what kind of Christmas would be without the snow? But in case it’s not going to be White Christmas, those snowballs are absolutely appropriate (And delicious!) substitution 🙂
It’s been really crazy since getting back from vacation, Ben. I miss the slow pace of Maui! But it’s true, I am secretly glad for the white Christmas. And the snowballs! Both kinds… 😉 Thank you!
Snowball cookies are always a favorite at my house–these look PERFECT! I have to try your recipe!
Thanks Kelsie!! The chocolate chips are definitely the best part!!
I love the addition of chocolate chips in snow ball cookies. I loved watching all your insta stories, Kathy. So glad you had a fabulous vacation with the fam 🙂
Aw thanks Maria!! I had so much fun on vacation, I’m already wishing I was back there enjoying the sun!!
Love these babies and would take the whole batch by myself. I guess everybody is a bit crazy these days and I am not an exception; coming home late and trying to catch up whatever it needs to have decent holidays… anyway, holidays are getting closer and we’ll have fun. As always 🙂
It’s certainly crazy these days. Trying to fit in all the things and get everything ready!! The holidays are close now, and that means we get to relax! Thanks friend!
It looked like you guys had such a great time on your trip! Welcome back! Love these snowball cookies Katherine. Snowballs are always a must on the holiday cookie tray. I love the added chocolate chips! Pinned and excited to give these a try!
We had an amazing time, Mary Ann! I think of it often! We definitely have to have snowballs during our Christmas gatherings too. Thank you my friend! Hope you love them!
Snowball cookies have been on my list of recipes to make this holiday season! And I like your tip of popping the cookie sheet in the fridge for 5-minutes before baking to ensure there isn’t any spreading! Pinning!!
Thanks Kelly!!! It worked like a charm, and then you don’t have snow “puddles” haha!!
These look amazing, Katherine! But how did you resist eating that bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough? I doubt that even a single cookie would make it to the oven in my kitchen…
Hahah! It was so hard to resist. The dough was so delicious!!! I had a hard time for sure. But the end result is just as delicious too!!!
Wowza! Those are so easily poppable….I could literally probably eat 10! They look like they just MELT in your mouth! Yes please!
I know!!!! They are very poppable, it’s hard to stop at one or two. DAngeorus! Haha. Thanks Haylie!