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The holiday season is finally here and there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a batch of warm cinnamon brown sugar Christmas snowball cookies.
‘Tis the season for everything spiced and sweet.
Also known as Mexican wedding cakes or Russian tea cakes, snowball cookies are exactly how you’d imagine them - they are small, round, and resemble snowballs.
The History of Snowball Cookies
Snowball cookies, also known as Mexican wedding cookies, Mexican wedding cakes, or Russian tea cakes, have their roots in Eastern Europe and Russia. Originally, they were made with butter, sugar, and nuts, creating a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture that would become their trademark. Over time, the recipe made its way to Mexico and the United States, where it gained popularity, especially during the holiday season. They've become a delicious tradition in many households, across borders and generations.
Why You’ll Love This
- This recipe is VEGAN, dairy-free, eggless, and made with only 8 ingredients!
- It's the perfect winter + Christmastime treat to serve alongside cozy hot chocolate.
- The texture is smooth, deliciously light, and soft!
For the perfect Christmas morning treat, I like to pair these cookies with a creamy hot chocolate!
For more wintertime treats, check out our chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Vegan Butter - I recommend a softer vegan butter like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter or Melt Organic butter. Both are great options.
- Brown Sugar - Go for light, medium, or dark brown sugar. All of them work fine.
- Vanilla Extract - You'll just need a dash of the stuff! Imitation vanilla extract works, too.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon is what you'll need here.
- Salt
- Flour
- Walnuts - Be sure to purchase them chopped, or chop them yourself. Either way, they should be finely chopped. Also, feel free to also lightly toast the walnuts for a boost of flavor.
- Powdered Sugar
More Sweet Treats with Cinnamon:
- Air Fryer Cinnamon-Spiced Chickpeas
- Cinnamon-Spiced Milkshakes
- 3-Ingredient Cinnamon Date Paste
- Cream of Rice with Cinnamon Brown Sugar
Texture & Flavor Of Snowball Cookies
The texture of the cookies is soft, yet textured. They are best described as having a texture of shortbread or biscuits. Soft, but with personality.
This is due to the high-fat content, the vegan butter in the case. As they bake, they should keep a relatively round shape and should not spread like traditional cookies.
Why Are My Cookies Crumbly?
It's normal to have snowball cookies to be a bit crumbly to the bite, but they should be firm enough to roll in powdered sugar without breaking apart.
Go Nut-Free If You Want
If you’re not into nuts, or just can’t have them - you can opt out. The cookies will still be delicious.
On the other hand, if you want to keep the nuts but prefer something else other than walnuts, that’s okay too.
Other nuts you consider for your cookies include crushed almonds, pecans, pine nuts, or macadamia nuts. The choice is yours, besides, you’re the one eating them.
Other cookie additions to think about include chocolate chips or sprinkles.
How To Store
Store the snowball cookies in an air-tight container, jar, or reusable silicone bag at room temperature - they’ll keep for a few days.
If you're in the mood for something sweet, healthy, that doesn't require any baking, check out our gluten-free, vegan cookie dough.
Vegan Snowball Cookies with Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan butter soften, room temperature
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (70 grams, packed cup)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour sifted
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, with a silicone spatula, combine butter, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- In 4 batches, fold in sifted flour to the butter mixture. Combine well. Next, fold in the chopped walnuts. Cover the bowl and refrigerate cookie batter for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1 tablespoon worth of cookie batter, roll into a ball (do not flatten), and place it on the baking sheet.
- Bake cinnamon brown sugar snowball cookies for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately roll them in powdered sugar. Then, cool the balls on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
- Roll the snowball cookies into the powdered sugar one more time. Serve.
Nutrition
Ready to walk into the new year with a plant-based plan? Check out our frugal guide to going plant-based.
Did you try out this Cinnamon Brown Sugar Christmas Snowball Cookies recipe?
Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it, or tag a picture @plantbasedandbroke on Instagram and hashtag it #plantbasedandbroke. Show off that creation with us.
Cozy Lentil Potato Stew
Katie
These look scary good. Gonna have to give them a shot!
Aly Michell
They are delicious! Definitely going to be making these again for Christmas. ^_^