Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are tender, melt-in-your-mouth gems studded with miniature chocolate chips and topped with powdered sugar.
I'm going to make a bold statement and say these chocolate chip snowballs are my new favorite Christmas cookie. I love all Christmas cookies and I've created lots of delicious new recipes this year that I'm excited to share. But, these are special. The melt-in-your-mouth texture keeps drawing me back for more. And they're really just a two-bite cookie, so having 3 or 4 ... or 5 at a time is totally acceptable in my opinion.
What is a snowball cookie?
A traditional snowball cookie starts with a buttery dough filled with finely chopped pecans. They are rolled in powdered sugar as soon as they come out of the oven and then again, once cool. This ensures an extra powdery sugar coating on each cookie.
My chocolate chip version uses miniature chocolate chips in place of the pecans. And, everything is better with chocolate! These cookies also have cornstarch in place of some of the flour. The cornstarch gives the cookies a very tender and delicate texture. These cookies practically melt in your mouth, which makes these cookies so addictive. I can't eat just one!
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Tips for making chocolate chip snowball cookies
- Chill the dough - chilling this dough helps the cookies keep their ball shape when baked. TIP: During the holidays (especially), I like to make several cookie doughs one day and refrigerate overnight. Then the next day, bake the cookies. It's an efficient way to bake several batches of cookies.
- Sift the powdered sugar - the cornstarch in these cookies makes them very delicate, especially when they just come out of the oven. So, instead of rolling the cookies in powdered sugar, I recommend using a small strainer to sift powdered sugar over the cookies. Once, when they are hot right out of the oven and again once they've cooled. I like to sift a very generous layer of powdered sugar on these cookies.
- Don't overbake - bake the cookies until just set. Overbaking will dry out the cookie and they will not have the melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes these cookies so delicious.
- Make a double batch - These cookies disappear quickly and you will be happy you have extras on hand!
Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are a new family favorite in my house and I'm sure they will be in yours too! I hope you try this recipe.
More Christmas sweets
📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Chip Snowballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup miniature chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar (for coating)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Using a small 2 teaspoon cookie scoop, portion the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll the dough into balls. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat 350℉. Then, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until just set. Dust with a layer of powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool slightly for 2 minutes.
- Gently transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. When mostly cool, dust with powdered sugar again. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
Tina
Cookies were very good but mine didn't stay round they flattened out a bit. I refrigerated then for about an hour then baked them but they didn't stay round. They are also very fragile they were crumbling apart when I tried to roll them in the powdered sugar.
Abbey McDermott
Hi Tina,
I'm sorry the texture didn't turn out as you expected. If the cookies spread too much after chilling, it's possible too much butter was used. Since the cornstarch gives these cookies a delicate texture, I recommend in the post to sift the powdered sugar over the cookies - not roll them - to help prevent them from crumbling. Thank you for trying this recipe!