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Stack of nut butterball cookies on a brown rectangular wooden plate resting on a dish towel

Nut Butterballs

Whether you call them Mexican Wedding Cookies, Snowball Cookies or Nut Butterballs, one thing is for sure they are delicious. A buttery shortbread-type cookie filled with your favorite chopped nuts and covered in a sweet powdered sugar coating!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword holiday cookies, mexican wedding cookies, Nut Butterballs, pecan snowballs
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 36
Calories 270 kcal
Author Yvonne

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. unsalted butter melted
  • 4 c. flour
  • 6 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 c. walnuts, pecans or almonds ground
  • Pinch of salt
  • 21/2-3 c. Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

  2. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, ground nuts and salt.

  3. Add melted butter mix with an electric mixer until stiff dough is formed. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place onto prepared cookie sheets. 

  4. Bake for 15 minutes.

  5. Immediately roll one at a time (being very gentle as they are delicate when warm) in powdered sugar while still warm and then once more after cooled.

  6. Transfer to cookie sheet.

Recipe Notes

  • A quick and easy way to chop nuts in a hurry is to use your blender. It’s a lot easier than pulling out your food processor (and easier to clean too).
    • Be careful though, you’ll just want to pulse on and off for about 15-20 seconds. If you blend too fast, you’ll end up with nut butter!
  • The dough will not become terribly “stiff” so you’re OK to move forward shaping into balls once the butter is incorporated with the flour.
    Handle the warm cookies carefully when you’re doing the first covering of powdered sugar because they are very delicate until they harden once cooled.
  • Wait until they’ve completely cooled for the second coating of powdered sugar to be sure that it will coat the cookie entirely (and not melt from the warmth).
  • I highly recommend using C&H Powdered Sugar and not skimping on an off brand. The off brand, while cheaper, has an obvious lesser-quality taste. Often chalky. It’s not too much more for the brand name I’d definitely avoid cutting corners here.
  • The dough for this recipe can be made ahead by a day if you’re short on time to do all your baking in the same day. When you’re ready to use simply take from the fridge 30 minutes before you’re ready to shape into balls.
  • I recommend using a cookie scoop for uniform cookies, this is my favorite one that you can find on Amazon.
  • Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks
Nutrition Facts
Nut Butterballs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 270 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 93mg4%
Potassium 128mg4%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 315IU6%
Calcium 21mg2%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.