Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

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This Snowball Cookie Recipe has chocolate chips! Whatever they’re called, they’re one of my favorite Christmas cookies. Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies have no nuts so they’re allergy friendly – and hello, CHOCOLATE. They melt-in your mouth and are one of my MOST POPULAR holiday cookies!

A bowl filled with powdered sugar-coated cookie dough balls, some with chocolate chips visible. One dough ball is halved, revealing a soft, chocolate chip-studded interior. The bowl has a colorful rim.

Do you have a food that, whenever you see or think about it, it makes you think of a family member? I have several: Whenever I eat Pillsbury Sugar Cookies, I think of my Nana. She passed them off as her own until I was an adult.

And then there are Russian Tea Cake cookies (aka Snowball Cookies). Whenever I see these, I think of my mom. Her’s is the original recipe that spawned all my Snowball Cookie Recipes – including this one with chocolate chips.

This Snowball Cookie Recipe is easy to make – just 6 ingredients!
You can make them ahead – they stay fresh for several days.
They’re freezable too – freeze them for several months!
Without nuts these are an allergy friendly – and tasty – option! Who doesn’t love adding chocolate to, well, anything?!

These little bite-sized cookies are a buttery shortbread-like cookie. They only have a few ingredients so they mix up easy and make a ton. They don’t rise or spread; they have no baking soda or baking powder or even eggs! Once they’re rolled in powdered sugar they look like little snowballs! Traditionally these are made with chopped pecans or walnuts, but I love making variations. Snowball cookies are also called Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Butter Balls. So many names for the same amazing cookie!

ingredients in snowball cookies with chocolate chips

6 Ingredients Needed

Butter: You can use unsalted butter or salted butter, just make note of it and adjust salt accordingly.
Powdered Sugar: Make a tender cookie. I make shortbread cookies with confectioners’ sugar as well, because I love the texture it lends.
All-Purpose Flour: It’s very important to measure it correctly – spoon and level it, do not scoop or pack it.
Salt: If using salted butter, reduce salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
Vanilla: Only buy pure vanilla extract!
Mini Chocolate Chips: Mini chips are the best to use for snowballs because they’re small cookies – that way you get chocolate in every bite. You can also use mini m&ms (like I do for my Christmas Snowball Cookies).

process shot of chocolate chip snowball cookies.

Cream butter and powdered sugar until smooth. I prefer using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for these cookies – it takes a lot to get the dough mixed. But a hand mixer works too.
Add the salt, vanilla, and flour and mix. It’ll become crumbly.
Keep mixing – it’ll seem like it’s not coming together – this will take longer if you’re using a hand mixer – just keep mixing.
Once the dough comes together, add chocolate chips. Scoop 1 tablespoon sized balls with a cookie scoop onto a baking sheet and bake until no longer glossy and light golden on the bottoms.
Cool until you can handle them and then roll in additional powdered sugar.

stacked snowballs covered in powdered sugar with chocolate chips baked in.

Expert Tips

JUST KEEP MIXING – this dough WILL come together. Remember, it’ll take a lot longer if using a hand mixer, which is why I prefer a stand mixer.
We use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop for these and it makes about 4 dozen bite-sized cookies – you can crowd your pans because they won’t spread out in the oven.
My mom uses a 1/2 or 3/4 tablespoon cookie scoop for tiny bite sized cookies – it’ll make many more if use use that size.

Why do my cookies stay in a ball?

These cookies are little balls of heaven – and they stay that way even when they’re baked because they have no eggs and no leavening. Without baking soda or baking powder or egg, they don’t spread, even with all that butter!

My dough is crumbly, what did I do wrong?

Keep mixing. It takes awhile for the dough to become a dough, especially if you’re using a hand mixer. It WILL come together eventually in a nice thick cohesive cookie dough. And make sure you don’t pack your flour or powdered sugar!

My cookies spread, what did I do wrong?

Did you use REAL butter? If you used imitation butter it won’t perform as well. Also, was your butter melted or really, really soft? That can affect spread sometimes. Otherwise, these cookies should only puff, if they change shape at all.

My powdered sugar dissolved, what happened?

In this case, you probably rolled them while they were too hot. Just re-roll them once they’re cool. I often do this for effect – and make them SUPER powdery.

Can I add nuts instead of chocolate chips?

You can add an equal amount of chopped pecans or walnuts to make a more traditional snowball cookie recipe. You can even use almonds, cashews, or pistachios!