Vegan Snowball Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies Recipe) (2024)

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Christmas vegan snowball cookies a.k.a. Italian wedding cookies made with walnuts and hazelnuts then coated in fluffy powdered sugar just like a snowball. One bowl, only 7 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes start to finish. Technically shortbread rolled in powdered sugar, who can resist?!

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Vegan Snowball Cookies

Also known as Italian wedding cookies or Christmas cookies, Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, the holidays are simply not complete without a big batch of these snowball goodies.

And neither are traditional Italian weddings of course, where you’ll always find a large dessert table loaded with cookies for the guests. Sometimes even the cake itself is made out of actual cookies, imagine that!

With all the vegan butter options available to us nowadays there’s really no excuse not to make these little treats more often, and make them totally dairy-free! You won’t miss a thing, I promise!

Now please excuse me while I do my happy dance!

Why you’ll love them…

Quick & Easy Recipe

Nutty + Crumbly

Egg Free

Blissful Melt in Your Mouth

Fail Proof

Santa’s Favorites

Authentic Italian Recipe.

FAQ

  • Can I freeze wedding cookies? – Yes but only do so before baking, not after. Shape the dough into golfball sizes and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in freezer for a couple of hours or until solid. Transfer to a freezer proof glass container with parchment paper in between each layer of the cookies and cover with a tight lid. Best to bake within two months of freezing.
  • Can I use other types of nuts? – Yes, you can use a mix of your favorite unsalted nuts; pistachios, almonds, pecans, they all work great here as well. You could even add a handful of mini dark chocolate chips into the mix. Go wild!
  • Gluten Free – I haven’t done a test run, however I bet the recipe would work great using a gluten-free flour mix. Report back if you do try them.
  • Storage – Store your cookies at room temperature in a glass container and loosely cover with a lid or tent with aluminum foil for up to 10 days. Best enjoyed within 3 days of baking in my opinion.

Favorite Desserts

  • Vegan Olive Oil Cake
  • Vegan No Bake Cookies
  • Vegan Custard Puff Pastry
  • Raw Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • No Bake Coconut Snowballs
  • The Best Baklava
  • Vegan Pumpkin Bread
  • Dairy Free Shortbread Cookies.

Vegan Snowball Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies Recipe) (7)

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Snowball Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies)

The best vegan snowball cookies / Italian wedding cookies recipe a.k.a. Christmas cookies made with walnuts and hazelnuts then coated in fluffy powdered sugar like a snowball. One bowl, only 7 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes start to finish.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Total Time:30 minutes mins

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 325”F.

  • In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and 3/4 cup of the powder sugar until fluffy.

  • Add the vanilla extract and then little by little add the ground walnuts and hazelnuts. Mix until combined.

  • Start adding in the flour little by little until mixed in.

  • Prepare your largest cookie sheet and using a small spoon form the cookies into rounds, the size of a golfball or smaller. You should have about 45 cookies. (try your best not to make them too big)

  • Arrange all the cookies on the baking sheet without touching each other.Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

  • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool off for a few minutes before rolling them over in powdered sugar.Dust with more powdered sugar on top before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Can I freeze wedding cookies? - Yes but only do so before baking, not after. Shape the dough into golfball sizes and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet in freezer for a couple of hours or until solid. Transfer to a freezer proof glass container with parchment paper in between each layer of the cookies and cover with a tight lid. Best to bake within two months of freezing.
  • Can I use other types of nuts? - Yes, you can use a mix of your favorite unsalted nuts; pistachios, almonds, pecans, they all work great here as well. You could even add a handful of mini dark chocolate chips into the mix. Go wild!
  • Gluten Free - I haven't done a test run, however I bet the recipe would work great using a gluten-free flour mix. Report back if you do try them.
  • Storage - Store your cookies at room temperature in a glass container and loosely cover with a lid or tent with aluminum foil for up to 10 days. Best enjoyed within 3 days of baking in my opinion.

Nutrition

Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1295IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Christmas cookies, Italian Wedding Cookies, snowball cookies

Servings: 10 people

Calories: 484kcal

Author: Florentina

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Vegan Snowball Cookies (Italian Wedding Cookies Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Why did my Italian wedding cookies flatten? ›

The Problem: Your Oven Is Too Hot

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure.

Why do my snowball cookies go flat? ›

Why do my snowball cookies go flat? These snowball cookies should not flatten. If they do it's likely the dough wasn't chilled long enough and the ingredients were too warm to begin with so they spread. It's also possible you accidentally measured the ingredients incorrectly!

Why are Mexican wedding cookies called wedding cookies? ›

It could be a coincidence, but no one knows for sure," Parra explains. Most assume the cookie's name is due to its occasional appearance at some Mexican weddings. It's probably not shocking to you, but because of their complex history and origin, there are numerous other names for Mexican wedding cookies.

How many calories are in Italian wedding cookies? ›

Bombolo Biscotti Italian Wedding Cookies (1 cookie) contains 17g total carbs, 17g net carbs, 6g fat, 2g protein, and 150 calories.

How can I make my cookies fluffier instead of flat? ›

Butter keeps cookies fluffy in two ways. First, creaming cold butter with sugar creates tiny, uniform air pockets that will remain in the dough it bakes up. Second, cold butter naturally takes a longer time to melt in the oven.

What ingredient makes cookies flatten? ›

Using too much butter in your dough can lead to flat and greasy cookies. As previously noted, baking is a science, and it is essential to closely follow recipe measurements to ensure the best results.

Why is my snowball cookie dough crumbly? ›

If you think your cookie dough is off, you may not have enough liquid in the recipe. Consider adding a touch more liquid such as melted butter, egg yolks, or a teaspoon of water. Add a teeny bit and see if that helps. Add more as needed until the dough holds together and is scoop-able.

What is the difference between Italian and Mexican wedding cookies? ›

Italian wedding cookies typically contain almonds or hazelnuts and are flavored with almond extract, vanilla extracts and spices like cinnamon or anise. Mexican wedding cookies, on the other hand, use a combination of ground nuts such as pecans and walnuts, as well as butter, sugar and sometimes chocolate chips.

Why are they called Jesus cookies? ›

She found a delicious recipe for gluten-free “Jesus cookies.” My daughters call those really puffy, soft sugar cookies with lots of icing and sprinkles you find in the grocery store “Jesus cookies” because they seemed to get them during Sunday School A LOT.

Why are they called cowboy cookies? ›

The origins of "cowboy cookies" are unknown although they have been variously attributed to Texas or the Old West. The story that describes them in originating in the Old West claims that they were eaten by cowboys as a high energy snack that could be easily carried.

How much sugar is in a Mexican wedding cookie? ›

The cookies have a floury rather than rich taste. Here's a much better recipe from The New Complete Book of Mexican Cooking: 1 cup flour; 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar; 1 cup unsalted butter; pinch of salt; 1 cup pecans, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

How much sugar is in Italian cookies? ›

contains 120 calories per 25 g serving. This serving contains 4.5 g of fat, 2 g of protein and 18 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 10 g sugar and 1 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate.

How many calories are in Italian cookies with jelly? ›

Carbs in Cookies Con Amore Assorted Jelly Handmade Italian Cookies. Cookies Con Amore Assorted Jelly Handmade Italian Cookies (1 serving) contains 16g total carbs, 16g net carbs, 5g fat, 1g protein, and 120 calories.

Why did my cookies come out completely flat? ›

Too much sugar and not enough flour could lead to flat cookies. If your cookie recipe calls for a high ratio of white sugar, it's likely that your cookies will turn out flat. A great way to prevent this is by using a mix of white and brown sugar instead.

How do you fix flat cookies? ›

To fix this, refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm up the butter. For cookies that don't spread enough and remain flat, try using slightly softened butter instead of fully softened or melted butter. Measure flour accurately: To get the right balance of ingredients, it's important to measure flour accurately.

Why did my melting moments go flat? ›

Why did my melting moments go flat? If your biscuits are spreading too far in the oven, the dough was too warm or possibly too much butter was added. If the dough is very warm or you are baking on a hot day, place the rolled and flattened biscuits on a tray in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up before baking.

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