Snowball Cookies are perfect Christmas cookies. They have a cute festive name, they’re super easy to make, and they’re a total crowd-pleaser, so everyone’s happy when they show up on a cookie plate.
There are a lot of versions of Christmas snowball cookies out there. Most of them involve nuts, some of them pie crust, but this is what a snowball cookie was in my house growing up: crunchy, crumbly, buttery shortbread wrapped around a Hershey’s Kiss and dredged in powdered sugar.
I make them every year when my whole family is together for the holidays, and I always stash a couple at the back of the cupboard just for myself because even set out among total winners like my Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies, Chai Sugar Cookies, and Gingerbread Men, they are always one of the first cookies to disappear.
A Small-batch Snowball Cookie Recipe
Generally, I make a big batch of these for the holidays because the family loves them, and I like to include them in cookie trays for friends and neighbors, but I’m sharing a small batch today that makes about 10 cookies for those quiet December evenings when you’re not feeding a house or a neighborhood full of people.
Ingredient Notes
- Hershey’s Kisses: You can use almost any variety of Hershey’s Kisses to stuff these cookies, but their classic milk chocolate is still my favorite. If you don’t want an entire big bag of Kisses around your house, you can usually find mini bags of them in the candy aisle at the grocery store and most convenience stores.
- Salted butter: I call for salted butter in this recipe, but if all you have is unsalted butter, not a problem. Just add a heaping 1/8 teaspoon of salt to the dough along with the flour.
How to Make Snowball Cookies
- In a medium bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and beat until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scoop spoonfuls of dough and wrap them around unwrapped Kisses.
- Bake until the edges and tips of the cookies are just lightly browned.
- Roll in powdered sugar and enjoy!
FAQ
Can snowball cookies be frozen?
Yes! Snowball cookies freeze well. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Allow them to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating so the frozen chocolate kiss has time to defrost slightly, otherwise, they’re hard to bite into while frozen.
How long do snowball cookies stay fresh?
Snowball cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! This recipe scales up with no preparation changes needed.
To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider. If you’d like to make a full-size recipe for gifting or family, multiply the recipe by 4.
More Christmas Recipes
More Small-batch Cookie Recipes
- Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small-batch Shortbread
- Small-batch M&M Cookies
- Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies
Small-batch Snowball Cookies with Kisses
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 Hershey’s Kisses
- 1/4 cup (56g) salted butter* softened
- 2 tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (67g) all-purpose flour
Topping
- 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Unwrap 10 Kisses and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add flour and beat, starting on low, working up to high until mixture clumps and forms a dough. Scrape bottom and sides so no streaks of flour remain.
- Scoop a half-ounce spoonful of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough between your palms and set a Kiss in the center. Wrap the edges of the dough around so all the chocolate is covered. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough and candies.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges of the dough are lightly browned. Cool on the baking tray until cool enough to handle.
- Pour powdered sugar into a bowl and roll cookies in the sugar until coated. Enjoy!
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
CakePants says
I’ve never had snowball cookies with Hershey’s kisses inside, but these look positively irresistible! Cookies fresh out of the oven with a melty chocolate center…I’m not sure life gets any better than that!
Tracy says
Thank you, Mara!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Hamilton? How awesome is that? Must have been amazing to see…I’ve heard good things 🙂 I make shortbread cookies every year for Christmas and I’ve never thought to actually stuff something inside them. This is just brilliant, Tracy! I’ve dipped them in chocolate, but never inside. Can’t wait to give ’em a try. They look perfect! Happy Thanksgiving to ya 🙂
Tracy says
Thanks, Dawn! And Hamilton was AMAZING. We’ve been waiting two years for it to come to the West Coast so we could see it and it still managed to beat our expectations.
'Becca Ashley says
Oh, these are goooood! I’ve made them twice now–once with the Hershey kisses and once with Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers. The Hershey kisses were a little sweet for my personal taste, so that’s why I decided to give the Ghirardelli melts a try; they’re more like a softer, flatter, semi-sweet chocolate chip, which I thought would be perfect. . .and they are! So perfect that they’re all gone! Hmmm. . .you know what this means–more research. How could 10 cookies disappear so quickly?! I’ll get to the bottom of this, one cookie at a time.
Tracy says
LOL! So glad you enjoyed these and found a way to make them work for you. Love the idea of substituting dark chocolate wafers for a slightly more sophisticated cookie!
Wendy says
These are simple and delicious! I make these every year now for Christmas gifts-everyone loves them!!
Tracy says
Yeeeess!!! They are one of my faves for sharing at Christmas!!
Rochelle says
Tracy! These are unbelievably good! I will definitely double the recipe. Now I have to hide them in the freezer until Christmas. Thanks!
Mackenzie says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! These cookies were quick to make and everyone loved them. I will definitely be making these again in the future 🙂