Walnut Snowball Cookies are buttery little cookies filled with finely chopped English walnuts and rolled in powdered sugar for their familiar snowy finish. A little sour cream and real vanilla give my version a lovely richness.
About This Recipe
Growing up, I remember the delightful walnut-filled cookies my aunts made on my dad’s side of the family. We called them Kieflies. They were small, tender cookies, and I always looked forward to them.
Years ago, I entered a cookie contest with my own variation of that family recipe and won! You can find that recipe in my [Pecan Crescent Cookies] post. One ingredient that makes those crescents special is sour cream. I liked what it brought to the dough so much that I decided to use it in these Walnut Snowballs, too.
Then & Now: A Family Favorite
Snowball cookies have been enjoyed in many forms, from walnut-filled rounds to pecan cookies shaped like crescents. Rather than repeat their history here, I share more about their origins and an early newspaper recipe in my [Pecan Snowball Cookies] article.
What interests me most about this version is its connection to my own family. The cookies my aunts made inspired my contest-winning crescents, and those crescents eventually inspired these snowballs. Recipes have a lovely way of finding their way from one generation into the next.
Ingredients for Walnut Snowball Cookies
Ingredient Notes
English Walnuts: Chop the walnuts finely so each cookie has plenty of nutty flavor without large pieces interrupting the tender texture. A sharp knife works nicely for this.
Sour Cream: Just a little sour cream adds a touch of moistness to the dough. It is also a nod to my prize-winning Cherry-Pecan Crescent Cookies.
Salted Butter: Let the butter soften before mixing. I often can't wait to bake so I put it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time on the Defrost setting. Softened butter combines more evenly with the sugars than butter straight from the refrigerator. I like to use salted butter in cookies when at all possible to avoid tasting any granules of salt in the finished cookie.
Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: I bought a whole bottle of vanilla bean extract from Sam's Club so I've been using that up in recipes lately but you can use regular vanilla extract too.
Powdered Sugar: Pay close attention to the two measurements in this recipe. Powdered sugar is used in both the dough and the coating. I like to have a little extra on hand in case they need more dusting after cooling.
How to Make Walnut Snowball Cookies
1. Mix The Cookie Dough
Stir the softened butter, part of the powdered sugar, and sour cream. Add the flour and finely chopped walnuts in two additions, then stir in the vanilla until combined.
2. Shape and Chill
Using a 1-Tablespoon scoop, form the dough into smooth balls. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Bake and Coat with Powdered Sugar
Bake at 350°F for 16–20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, roll in powdered sugar and transfer to a wire rack. Sift final coating once cooled.
Recipe Success Tips
Walnuts are one of those nuts that have a tendency to go rancid quickly. Be sure to buy a good quality brand and look for the freshest date on the package.
Chop the walnuts finely. Small pieces are easier to work into the dough and give every bite a pleasant nutty flavor.
Keep the cookies close in size. Uniform dough balls bake more evenly and make a prettier platter.
Do not skip the chilling time. An hour in the refrigerator helps the dough hold its shape.
Coat while still slightly warm. The powdered sugar will cling to the surface. If some of it disappears as the cookies cool, dust them again before serving.
Serving and Storage
These snowballs are especially pretty tucked into a cookie tin. Their powdered sugar coating makes them look festive without any complicated decorating.
Serving: Arrange them on a vintage platter for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or afternoon visits. A fresh sifting of powdered sugar just before serving gives them a beautiful finish.
Room Temperature: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place parchment paper between layers to protect the powdered sugar coating.
Freezing: Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and give them a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
Make Ahead: The shaped, unbaked dough balls can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. Keep them covered so they do not dry out.
Lanie's 🔅Recipe Reflections
Whenever I bake with walnuts, I think about my aunts and those Kieflies from childhood. It is funny how one familiar flavor can bring back the feeling of being in a family kitchen.
I love that the sour cream from my prize-winning crescents has found its way into another cookie recipe.
That is what I enjoy most about old family recipes. We can make them our own and still carry a little piece of the past into the present.
Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Join my free email list to receive the Newsletter and follow along on YouTube!
Snowball Cookies with Walnuts Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter, at room temperature (1 ½ sticks)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, DIVIDED, used separately (½ cup for dough, 1 cup for coating)
- 3 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened butter, ½ cup of the powdered sugar, and sour cream. Mix until all ingredients are well blended.
- Add half of the flour and half of the chopped walnuts. Mix well.
- Add the remaining flour and walnuts, along with the vanilla. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a 1-Tablespoon scoop to form balls of dough. Roll between your palms until smooth. If you see any cracks, gently pinch them together. Place the dough balls on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes. The tops should be pale but set.
- As soon as the cookies are cool enough to handle, roll them in powdered sugar and place them on a cooling rack. Once cooled, sift another layer of powdered sugar over the cookies. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Leave a Reply