Name: Cherry Snowball Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cherry Snowball Cookies Recipe tastes buttery and tender with bright cherry bits and a sweet powdered sugar coat. It suits holiday bakers, cookie exchange hosts, and weeknight sweet tooth moments, and you can finish a batch in about 45 minutes. I learned this recipe from a neighbor years ago and still wear the powdered sugar like it is a badge of honor.

Why This Cherry Snowball Cookies Recipe

Cherry Snowball Cookies Recipe relies on one bowl, simple pantry ingredients, and a quick chill. You mix, scoop, bake, and roll in sugar. The process stays relaxed, and the results look bakery-level without any special skills.

You do not fuss with eggs or complicated steps. The dough holds together like classic shortbread, and the cherries add color and flavor with almost no extra work. I keep the method friendly enough for baking with kids.

Ingredients You Need

Unsalted butter 1 cup, softened but cool to the touch, for best texture
Powdered sugar 1/2 cup for the dough, plus about 1 cup for rolling
Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon, pure for best flavor
Almond extract 1/2 teaspoon, optional but tasty
All-purpose flour 2 cups, spooned and leveled or weighed
Fine sea salt 1/2 teaspoon
Finely ground almonds or pecans 1/2 cup, or use almond flour for a smooth bite; for nut-free, swap in flour
Maraschino cherries 3/4 cup well drained, patted dry, and finely chopped; jarred cherries work great and keep prep fast
Cornstarch 1 tablespoon, optional for extra meltaway texture

Pantry shortcuts and notes:

Use jarred maraschino cherries for easy color and flavor. I pat them very dry to avoid pink streaks.
Almond flour blends in quickly and saves time over grinding nuts.
Kerrygold or another high-fat butter gives rich flavor, though any quality unsalted butter works.

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Rubber spatula
Small cookie scoop about 1 tablespoon
Two rimmed sheet pans
Parchment paper
Wire rack
Fine mesh strainer for dusting sugar

How to Make Cherry Snowball Cookies

Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 to 14 minutes
Total: about 45 minutes

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line two sheet pans with parchment.
Drain the cherries, chop them small, and pat them very dry. I blot twice so the dough stays firm and the color stays bright.
Beat the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar on medium speed until creamy and light, about 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and almond extract.
Whisk the flour, salt, ground nuts or almond flour, and cornstarch in a bowl. Add the dry mix to the butter on low speed and mix until the dough holds together without dry spots.
Fold in the chopped cherries with a spatula. The dough should feel soft but not sticky.
Chill the bowl for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating. If your kitchen runs warm, chill 20 minutes for extra insurance.
Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon portions, roll into smooth balls with cool hands, and set them 1 inch apart on the pans.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the bottoms turn light golden and the tops stay pale. Rotate the pans at the 8 minute mark if your oven browns unevenly.
Rest the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes. Roll the warm cookies in powdered sugar and move them to a rack.
Cool for 20 minutes, then roll the cookies in powdered sugar again for a full snow look. Try not to inhale the sugar cloud unless you enjoy sweet cologne.

Tips & Common Mistakes

Dry the cherries very well to prevent spread and streaking.
Use cool room temperature butter, not greasy-soft butter. Over-soft butter leads to flat cookies.
Chop cherries into tiny bits for even distribution and tidy rounds.
Weigh or properly measure the flour so the dough does not turn dry.
Keep the tops pale and the bottoms just golden. Overbaking toughens the crumb.
Roll in sugar twice for a thick, even coat.
For nut-free dough, replace the nuts with the same amount of flour and add 1 teaspoon milk if the dough feels dry.
For gluten-free cookies, use a 1:1 baking flour blend and keep the cornstarch.
If the dough cracks while rolling, knead it once or twice in your palms and try again.

Variations I’ve Tried

Pistachio cherry: swap in finely ground pistachios and add 1/4 teaspoon rose water for a bakery vibe.
Orange cherry: add 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra flour if needed.
Chocolate cherry: fold in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and drizzle cooled cookies with melted dark chocolate.
Coconut cherry: add 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut and 1 tablespoon extra flour.
Gluten-free: use a quality 1:1 flour blend and keep the cornstarch for tenderness.

How to Serve Cherry Snowball Cookies

Pile the cookies on a platter and dust with a little extra powdered sugar for sparkle. I serve them with coffee, hot cocoa, or black tea to balance the sweetness. They also fit cookie boxes, dessert boards, and office trays without crumbling. Add a few cherry halves to the plate for a hint of color.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Store at room temperature in an airtight tin for up to 5 days. Layer with parchment to protect the sugar coat.
Refrigerate for up to 10 days. Let cookies sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature in the closed container, then re-roll in powdered sugar.
Freeze unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 350 F and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Refresh day-old cookies in a 275 F oven for 3 to 4 minutes, cool for 5 minutes, then dust with sugar again.

Nutrition Information

Approximate per cookie, based on 36 cookies: 110 calories, 13 g carbohydrates, 6 g fat, 1 g protein, 6 g sugar, 55 mg sodium. Values vary by brand and portion size.

Ally Sanders