These chocolate chip snowball cookies are made with no eggs and just 6 ingredients! Simple, sweet, and utterly addictive, these buttery cookies melt in your mouth! Be sure to coat yours with a generous dusting of powdered sugar while they’re still warm for that classic “snowball” look.
Snowball cookies are my youngest sister’s favorite cookies. This recipe came from a cardboard-paged Tollhouse cookie cookbook that’s probably older than she is, and is her favorite to bake. My family has been making this recipe for so long that I don’t know how I haven’t shared it with you sooner!
While Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are great every time of the year, they are a must-serve on the holiday cookie platter, right there beside peanut butter blossoms, Snickerdoodles, and chocolate chip cookies.
The original recipe calls for finely chopped nuts, which we have always omitted because they would overwhelm these otherwise super soft cookies. The texture is perfect as is, the cookie melts in your mouth alongside melty mini chocolate chips… pure heaven in snowball cookie form.
I receive a lot of requests for egg-free baked goods, and honestly just about all of my recipes use eggs. However, these chocolate chip snowball cookies are incidentally egg-free! Which makes eating the dough by the spoonful 100% acceptable (err, not really… see my edible cookie dough post for information on the alleged dangers of eating raw flour).
These cookies have a vanilla shortbread flavor and I’m not kidding about them melting in your mouth (in true snowball fashion). The outsides become just ever-so crisp in the oven and the insides are soft with mini melty chocolate chips.
Don’t remove them from the baking sheet until they’ve cooled because they’re delicate while still warm and can just fall apart in your hands.
Enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened (340g)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (105g)
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour (375g)
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
- Additional powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper*.
- Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a large bowl and an electric mixer) and beat until creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat again (start on low speed and then increase to high) until the mixture is creamy and well-combined.
- Gradually add all-purpose flour until ingredients are well incorporated (be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl!).
- Add mini chocolate chips and use a spatula or your mixer on low speed to stir them into your cookie dough (dough will be stiff).
- Scoop cookie dough by approximately 1 Tablespoon and roll between your hands to form a smooth ball. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and place cookie dough balls at least 1" apart.
- Bake on 375F (190C) for 10-12 minutes or until bottom edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle/sift powdered sugar overtop cookies while they are still warm.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Megan
Quick question, about to bake these, I was wondering how long these will stay fresh in an air tight container? Or how to store?
Sam
Hi Megan! They should stay fresh for about a week in an air tight container at room temperature. 🙂
Barbra
These are very very yummy! My man said “so these are the bougie cookies from cookie tins!” he’s a big fan! I like the no nuts factor – definitely a must try for the holiday season
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
😂 So happy they’re a hit for you both, Barbra! Enjoy!
Sue
Can you freeze the cookies when they are cooked?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Sue
Even with the icing sugar on ?
Sam
I would add that afterwards. 🙂
Katie
Amazing recipe!!! These cookies were easy to make and very delicious! 😋
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
So glad you enjoyed them, Katie! 😊
Verda
I got a thin booklet in a magazine with this recipe so long ago but my boys look forward to these cookies every Christmas since they were little and now that they’re older they wait for their box in the mail🥰
Cindy
I am eager to try these but I don’t have unsalted butter in the house. Could I use salted butter and omit the added salt?
Sam
Hi Cindy! That will work just fine. 🙂
Barbra-Anne
I’m going to try this today and was wondering a few things – can I chill dough before ? But not needed – also can I freeze dough / pre balled even for baking at a later date since the batch makes 50 cookies ( I did see they freeze well baked but you would add the dusting of sugar before hand. Thank you in advance for any guidance Sam! I am so excited to try this one !
Sam
Hi Barbra-Anne! You could chill them before baking if you don’t need to bake them right away. The dough will be good for a few days in the refrigerator. You can freeze the unbaked dough. I would add the sugar after thawing, it will most likely just all come off in the freezer. 🙂
Avada
Awesome cookies. My husband loved them.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for letting us know how they turned out for you, Avada! We’re so happy your husband liked them too 😊
Bruce
These are this year’s first Christmas cookie, and the first tray just cooled enough for me to try one. Amazing, of course. Very strong chocolate flavor in a wonderfully delicate cookie. The dough is very soft, but surprisingly not sticky, so your hands stay nearly clean when you roll them. Don’t skip the rolling step, so they don’t have overcooked craggy bits around the bottom.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you liked them, Bruce! Let us know if you try any of our other cookie recipes this holiday season 😊
Mark Mitchum
Hey Sam … My name is Mark. I love watching you put together your cookie recipes however I don’t understand what you are saying because … I am DEAF. BORN deaf totally. My first language is American Sign Language – ( ASL ). Can I ask a big favor ? Could you use automatic captioning? My wife uses this on her “ tic tok “ really helps a lot
Thanks Sam 😃🤟🏻
Sam
Hi Mark! There are subtitles on all of my videos. You may have to turn them on by clicking on the little “cc” icon. For the video on this recipe in particular, if you hover your mouse over the video you will see it pop up and you can enable them there. 🙂
Beth Brodie
I made these using 2 cups
of ground pecans instead of
Choc chips for my husband.
They turned out perfect.
Kristie
Do you know how to convert this recipe for high altitude baking? I’d like to add to my Christmas baking.
Thank you!
Sam
Hi Kristie! I don’t have any recommendations for high altitude baking unfortunately. 🙁 Hopefully someone else can chime in with some suggestions.
Deb Zemek
There is no adjustment necessary for high altitude, at least up to 4500 feet which is where I am. They come out just great. The only thing I recommend is watching the baking time so you don’t overbake but I just keep checking them and when I see a little brown at the bottom I take them out and let them cool on the baking sheet.
Kourtney
Can this be made w/ margarine (Country Crock) instead of butter? My daughter has a dairy allergy.
Sam
Hi Kourtney! I haven’t tried it but I think it should work here. 🙂
Lorraine
Hi would I be able to freeze the dough?
Sam
Hi Lorraine! I have never frozen, but I don’t see why not. I would scoop the dough before freezing to make it easier, personally. I hope that helps!
Norma
Finishing baking them…my kids love them. They are so soft and wonderful taste. My little girl loves to bake with me and all week waiting to make them 🙂
Poppy
Hi, these are heavenly and one of the best cookie recipes. Does it work with blueberries in it too?
Sam
Hmmm the blueberries would add a lot of moisture so I’m not sure how they would turn out. If you do try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Kim Gottlieb
I would use dried blueberries so you don’t have the moisture from fresh.
Cathy
Can you use a kitchen aid mixer.?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂