It doesn’t get more festive than these buttery pecan snowball cookies! They’re so delicious — full of buttery, nutty flavor and rolled in powdered sugar to make them nice and sweet. They’re perfect for adding to holiday tins because you can store them at room temperature.

Have you ever had snowball cookies? You may know them as snowdrop cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, butter balls, or Russian Tea Cakes. They’re absolutely yummy no matter what you call them.

For a different take on this classic Christmas cookie, try my Christmas Snowball Cookies, Candy Cane Snowball Cookies, and Double Chocolate Snowball Cookies for your cookie exchange.

These buttery, sugary cookies just melt in your mouth, but the pecans give them a nice crunchy factor and nutty flavor.

This recipe calls for 7 super simple ingredients — you probably have everything you need to whip up a batch right now!

The best part? They look like actual little snowballs, so they’re absolutely perfect for the holiday season. Plus, you can make them ahead and freeze them so all the baking doesn’t pile up on you at once.

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Unsalted Butter — Soften the butter to room temperature before making the cookie dough. It’s important to use real butter here (not margarine) to get that authentic butterball cookie flavor and texture.
Confectioners’ Sugar — Also called powdered sugar, you’ll use this to make the cookie dough and to roll the cookies in once they’re done baking.
Vanilla and Almond Extracts — The extract helps add flavor to the cookies. I used a combination of vanilla and almond extracts, but you can use one or the other, if you prefer.
Flour — Use all-purpose flour and measure it precisely by sweeping the top of the cup with a flat edge.
Salt — All baked goods need a little salt to balance the flavors.
Pecans — Finely chopped pecans add crunch and nutty flavor to snowball cookies. Buy them finely chopped or pulse them a few times in the food processor to get the job done.