These Chocolate Snowball Cookies are tender, buttery, and melt in your mouth, made with cocoa powder and almond flour for a rich yet delicate texture. Lightly sweetened and easy to make, they’re perfect for holiday baking, cookie boxes, or freezing ahead.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe uses a short list of pantry-friendly ingredients, which is part of why I make these chocolate snowball cookies every year.
- Unsalted butter, softened (for that melt-in-your-mouth texture)
- Powdered sugar (keeps the cookies tender and not gritty)
- Almond powder / almond flour (adds richness and a delicate crumb)
- Cake flour (lower protein = softer cookie)
- Cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process both work)
- Salt (just a pinch to balance the sweetness)
Notes & substitutions:
- You can swap almond powder with finely ground almonds, but avoid coarse nut meals.
- If you only have all-purpose flour, the cookies will still work, just slightly less tender.
- Use good-quality cocoa powder—this is where most of the chocolate flavor comes from.
How to Make Chocolate Snowball Cookies
These cookies come together quickly and don’t require chilling overnight, making them great for last-minute baking.
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar until smooth
- Mix in the dry ingredients until crumbly
- Bring the dough together by hand
- Chill briefly, portion, roll, and bake
The dough will look sandy at first—this is normal. Once you press it together with your hands, it forms a soft, workable dough that bakes up tender and delicate.
VIDEO: Watch How to Make It
Lisa’s Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix. Once the dry ingredients are added, mix just until crumbly. Overmixing can make the cookies dense.
- Weigh your dough. Dividing the dough evenly ensures consistent baking. Each cookie should be the same size.
- Bake until just set. These cookies should stay pale and soft. Overbaking will dry them out.
- Powdered sugar coating is optional. I like them plain, but you can roll them in powdered sugar once cooled for a classic snowball cookie look.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze the baked cookies for up to 2 months.
- You can also freeze the dough balls and bake straight from frozen—just add 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
These chocolate snowball cookies are one of those recipes that actually taste better after a day, once the flavors settle.
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or mini chocolate chips work well. Keep additions small so they don’t interfere with the delicate texture.
Snowball cookie dough is supposed to look crumbly before you press it together. If it still won’t come together, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
You can try a gluten-free cake flour blend, but results will vary depending on the brand.
More Snowball Cookie Recipes
- Matcha Snowball Cookies
- Stollen Snowball Cookies
- Classic Snowball Cookies
- Brown Butter Snowball Cookies
Enjoy! If you make this Chocolate Snowball Cookies recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and rating below, and if you share it on social media, tag me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen. I can’t wait to see your creations!
Print
Chocolate Snowball Cookies
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 cookies
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Chocolate Snowball Cookies are tender, buttery, and melt in your mouth, made with cocoa powder and almond flour for a rich yet delicate texture. Lightly sweetened and easy to make, they’re perfect for holiday baking, cookie boxes, or freezing ahead.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp (50 g) butter
- 3 tbsp (20 g) powdered sugar
- 3.5 tbsp (25 g) almond flour
- 2 tbsp (10 g) cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (60 g) cake flour
- pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions
- Add the softened butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
- Add the almond powder, cake flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix on low speed just until the mixture looks crumbly and sandy—it won’t come together yet.
- Use your hands to gently press and knead the mixture in the bowl until it forms a cohesive dough.
- Wrap the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Divide the chilled dough into 12 equal pieces (about 14 g each) and roll into smooth balls.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (170°C/338°F convection)
- Bake for 15 minutes or until set but still pale. Cool slightly, then dust generously with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
These cookies can be made with a hand mixer using the same method. If mixing by hand, start by using a spatula to smooth out the butter, then mix in the sugar until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and use the side of the spatula to mix with a cutting motion, scooping from the bottom of the bowl occasionally. Once everything looks evenly distributed, press the dough firmly with the spatula to make sure there are no remaining pockets of flour. Pinch the dough together, then proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European, Japanese-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 69
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 4 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.4 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
Looks like my rating didn’t stick. 10 out of 10!
My family loved these cookies! Matcha flavour was enough and sooooo buttery but light it’s hard to stop at just one!