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!

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

What is the difference between Mexican wedding cookies and Italian 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 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.

What is the most popular Italian cookie? ›

Most Popular Italian Cookies
  • Amaretti. These lovely almond-flavoured biscotti were supposedly first made during the Middle Ages. ...
  • Ricciarelli. ...
  • Baci di dama. ...
  • Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti. ...
  • Savoiardi. ...
  • Canestrelli. ...
  • Biscotti al Cocco. ...
  • Pizzelle.
Oct 22, 2020

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!

What do Italians call their cookies? ›

Directly translated, Biscotti (or biscotto) simply means cookie in modern day Italian. However, the word originates from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning “twice-cooked,” referring to the method used to make traditional Biscotti.

What kind of cookies are in an Italian cookie tray? ›

Our Classic Italian assortment is a great way to sample of our traditional sweets. This tray includes Cranberry Almond Biscotti, Amaretto Biscotti with Almonds, Chocolate Almond Macaroons and Pignoli Cookies.

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.

Is it better to use butter or shortening in cookies? ›

Which One Should I Use in Cookies? Basically, cookies made with butter spread more and are flatter and crisper if baked long enough. However, they are more flavorful than cookies made with shortening. Cookies made with shortening bake up taller and are more tender, but aren't as flavorful.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What flour do Italians use for cookies? ›

For cookies, bars, cakes/cupcakes, biscuits, scones, or anything that needs a tender crumb, use Farina di grano tenero, 00. This is your “cake flour.” Nobody wants a chewy cake. For bread, I recommend starting off with Farina di Manitoba, grano tenero, 0; this is similar to standard American bread flour.

What is the most popular Italian cookie in the United States? ›

Biscotti Amaretti is the most famous Italian cookie of all. Made without flour or any added fat this almond macaroon is light, crunchy and intensely almond.

What are the hard Italian cookies called? ›

Since they are very dry, biscotti traditionally are served with a drink, into which they may be dunked. In Italy they are typically served as an after-dinner dessert with a Tuscan fortified wine called Vin Santo. Outside of Italy, they more frequently accompany coffee, including cappuccinos and lattes, or black tea.

What is the origin of snowball cookies? ›

The origin for pecan snowball cookies is unknown. Beloved in many parts of the world, these cookies may have traveled to the U.S. by way of immigrants from Eastern Europe or Mexico. Since the 20th century, they've become part of traditional American offerings for weddings and holidays, including Christmas and Easter.

How long can you store snowball cookies? ›

Snowball cookies will last up to 3 days at room temperature, in a sealed container, or up to 2 weeks if stored in the refrigerator. Add them to your Christmas Dessert Charcuterie Board when ready to enjoy!

Why are Mexican wedding cookies called Mexican 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.

Why are they called Mexican wedding cakes if they are cookies? ›

Some even refer to them as Russian tea cookies. Yet, speculation indicates that in the 1950s, the name changed to Mexican wedding cake or cookies in the U.S. to diverge from any Cold War context due to the strained relations with Russia at the time.

What is Italian wedding candy? ›

True expression of the historical Italian pastries tradition, Confetti Milano flavoured almonds are the original Italian sweets used for Weddings, Bridal Shower, Baptisms, Baby Shower, first Holy Communions, Confirmations.

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