Cherry Snowball Cookies Made Easy

Soft, buttery cookies rolled in snow-like powdered sugar and studded with bright chewy cherries — that’s what these Cherry Snowball Cookies are all about. They’re basically the cozy winter hug of a cookie, but I make them year-round because fruit-forward baking feels celebratory any time. They’re tender, a little crumbly, and shockingly easy to mess up into deliciousness even if you’re half paying attention.

My husband calls them my “dangerous cookies” because he’ll inhale six before dinner and then look at me like I betrayed him. The kids think the powdered sugar is magic dust and insist on sprinkling extra. Once, I forgot to chill the dough and ended up with flatter, more cookie-like snowballs — still good, but now we have two versions: the classic puffed-up snowball and the sloppy, flattened “oops” cookie that’s somehow more addictive. They’ve become our go-to for last-minute guests, school bake sales, and whenever someone needs a sugar-fueled cheering-up.

Kitchen Talk

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I’ll admit I treated these like a chemistry experiment at first — swapping butter for oil (disaster), skipping the chill time (see above), and trying to pulse cherries into oblivion in my food processor (soggy). The trick I stuck with: keep the cherries in nice little chunks so you get texture, and don’t overwork the dough. Also, powdered sugar will get everywhere; accept it, embrace it, and plan to look like you lost a powdered-sugar fight by the end of the day.

Shopping Tips

– Baking Basics: Use all-purpose flour and a good, fine powdered sugar for that classic snowball coating; avoid coarsely ground varieties.
– Fats & Oils: Real butter gives the best flavor; stick with it unless you need a dairy-free swap, in which case use a solid vegan butter block.
– Fruit: Dried cherries hold up better than fresh in the dough, but chopped glace or maraschino cherries work if you drain them well.
– Nuts & Seeds: If you’re adding walnuts or pecans, toast them lightly for the best crunch and flavor.
– Flavor Boosts: A splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt make a big difference—don’t skip the salt even if the dough tastes sweet.

Prep Ahead Ideas

– Make the dough a day ahead and chill it; it firms up and is easier to scoop into neat balls.
– Roll the chilled dough into balls and freeze them on a sheet tray; pop into a bag and bake straight from frozen with an extra minute or two.
– Store scooped, unbaked balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours if you want fresh-baked cookies after work.

✔Time-Saving Tricks

– Use pre-chopped dried cherries to skip a step.
– If you’re in a hurry, mix by hand with a sturdy spoon instead of dragging out the mixer; it’s fine for small batches.
– Freeze dough balls ahead and bake a few sheets at a time instead of making full batches during one oven marathon.

✔Common Mistakes

– Overmixing the dough makes the cookies dense instead of tender — stop once everything is barely combined.
– Not chilling the dough can mean spread-out, flat cookies; I once tried to salvage a tray by re-chilling the dough balls mid-bake and it helped a little.
– Rolling while the cookies are too hot will just make the sugar clump; let them cool slightly before the powdered sugar coat.

What to Serve It With

– A big mug of coffee or a rich, hot chocolate for dunking.
– A simple green salad if you’re trying to pretend dessert is balanced.
– Vanilla ice cream — crumble a couple over it for instant sundae upgrade.
– Lemon or orange tea to cut the sugar with a bright citrus note.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Keep an eye on oven hot spots; rotate pans halfway if needed.
– If the dough feels wet, chill it rather than adding more flour.
– Forgot to salt? Sprinkle a tiny pinch on the top right after baking — it helps.

✔Storage Tips

Store in an airtight container at room temp for a few days; they firm up slightly and taste great cold. In the fridge, they’ll last longer but lose a touch of the melt-in-your-mouth texture — still excellent with morning coffee, no shame. Freeze baked cookies well-wrapped for up to a month and thaw on the counter or reheat briefly.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Swap cherries for cranberries if you want tarter pockets; golden raisins work in a pinch.
– Add finely chopped toasted nuts for crunch — almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
– For a boozy adult version, soak cherries briefly in rum or brandy and drain well.
– Use brown butter for deep, nutty flavor if you’re feeling fancy; it does change the texture slightly but in a good way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cherry Snowball Cookies Made Easy

Tender, buttery snowball cookies hide a sweet cherry in the center and finish with a snowy sugar coat. Simple to make, irresistibly festive.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes minutes

Servings: 24

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 0.5 cup powdered sugar for the dough
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 0.5 tsp almond extract optional but recommended
• ▢ 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 2.25 cup all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
• ▢ 0.75 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
• ▢ 8 oz maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry cut large cherries in half
• ▢ 1.25 cup powdered sugar, for coating for rolling after baking

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Blot cherries very dry with paper towels. Halve any that are larger than a marble.
• Cream softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy, 1–2 minutes.
• Mix in vanilla, almond extract, and salt until smooth.
• Add flour in two additions, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
• Fold in chopped pecans. If dough feels sticky, chill 10 minutes.
• Scoop about 1 tablespoon dough, flatten in your palm, wrap around a cherry, and roll into a ball.
• Arrange balls 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
• Bake 12–14 minutes, until set and barely colored on the bottoms.
• Cool 5 minutes, then roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Cool completely and roll once more.

Notes

Variation: Swap pecans for finely chopped almonds and add a pinch of cinnamon to the coating sugar. Storage: Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze up to 2 months; re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.

This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Cherry Snowball Cookies Made Easy flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.