Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies

A mound of gf snowball cookies on a plate with the front snowball cookie cut in half to see the inside.

Make these easy gluten-free snowball cookies with just a few simple ingredients. This foolproof recipe delivers buttery, melt-in-your-mouth treats, complete with a little crunch from finely chopped pecans. Perfect for your Christmas dessert table, cookie swap, or a gift for friends, family or neighbors! These cookies are delicious served with a hot cup of coffee or hot cocoa.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 12

Chilling Time: 30

Total Time: 52

Servings: cookies

Calories: 109kcal

Author: Megan

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum (280g, I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour)
▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch (32g)
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ 1 cup unsalted butter (softened (226g))
▢ 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar (divided (200g))
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 3/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans (80g)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3 cups of the powdered sugar until light and fluffy, for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in vanilla extract until combined.
Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed butter mixture, beating until well blended and no more streaks of flour remain. The dough will be crumbly at this point.
Stir in the chopped pecans until evenly distributed. The dough should have come together a bit more and be easily scooped into dough balls.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Use a small tablespoon-sized cookie scoop to portion out the dough into even amounts. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1-2 inched apart. You will need to bake in batches. Keep the remaining dough chilled until ready to use.
Bake the cookies at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottom. The tops will not brown much.
Once slightly cooled for about 5 minutes, but still warm, roll the cookies in the remaining powdered sugar. Let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Once cooled, roll them again in powdered sugar for a snowy look.

Notes

If you have celiac disease or are on a gluten-free diet for any reason, be sure to double check your ingredients to ensure they are gluten-free, as manufacturing practices and ingredient lists can change over time.
I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, in the blue bag, which already contains xanthan gum. You do not need to add xanthan gum to this recipe because of that. I also cannot guarantee that other gluten-free flour blends will work in this recipe, as they are all so different.
When measuring gluten-free flour, use a food scale to weigh it for the most accurate results. If you must measure it using a measuring cup, spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Avoid scooping directly with the cup to prevent packing and using too much flour, which can result in dry cookies.
Ensure the butter is softened but not melted. Softened butter creams better with sugar, giving the cookies the right texture. If it's too hard or melted, the texture of the cookies will be affected.
Oven temperatures can vary, so start checking the cookies around the 10-minute mark. They should be set but not overly browned.
If pecans aren’t available or you prefer another nut, almonds or walnuts are great substitutes. I’ve also tested this recipe with mini chocolate chips, which are delicious in this recipe.

Nutrition

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