These gluten free snowball cookies, also known as Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cookies, are super tender butter cookies, made with chopped nuts and always covered in powdered sugar.
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What makes this recipe for gluten free snowball cookies so special?
Snowball cookies are somewhat fragile, compared to a classic chocolate chip cookie, for example. They tend to crumble, since they're really a type of shortbread cookie, and are meant to be delicate.
This recipe is special because it makes cookies that are properly fragile, and really do melt in your mouth with that beautiful buttery taste. But they're never dry, even with all that powdery sugar everywhere.
They're not neat and tidy cookies, but that's part of their charm. Imagine 3 of them perched on top of the pile in a holiday cookie box filled with all sorts of other colors and styles of cookies.
A dream holiday cookie box for me would have a handful of these gluten free Russian tea cakes/snowball cookies, just 2 gluten free gingerbread men (or women!), some of our other best gluten free cookies, but at least one gorgeous gluten free rainbow cookie. So beautiful right next to the snowballs!
Tips for getting these gluten free snowball cookies recipe right
Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about these amazing buttery delight gluten free snowball cookies! Much like the whipped shortbread cookies that we made the other week, these incredibly simple cookies are a mixture of butter, flour/starch, and sugar, but this time we're adding finely chopped nuts to the mix.
They still melt in your mouth, though, since the nuts should be very finely chopped. I chop mine in a miniature food processor or a blender.
Be sure not to continue grinding until you have a flour, as you want the nuts to provide a bit of texture and not to completely disappear into the batter.
What sort of nuts work best in this recipe for gluten free snowball cookies
When I use mostly raw pecans to make these snowball cookies (a.k.a. Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes), I grind the nuts a little more coarsely since pecans are such a soft nut. When I use almonds, I grind them more finely.
You don't want the cookies to have any noisy crunch, which would all but ruin the overall silky smooth texture. So it's really best to use nuts that are tender, even when raw.
Substitutions for gluten free snowball cookies ingredients
As always, unless I specifically state otherwise, I haven’t tested these cookies with any substitutions. These are just my best-educated guesses:
Gluten free dairy free snowball cookies
I haven’t tried it, but I bet these cookies would work just fine with butter-flavored Spectrum non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening in place of the butter.
Gluten free corn free snowball cookies
I recommend trying potato starch as a substitute for cornstarch in the recipe. Since most confectioners’ sugar is made using cornstarch, you’ll also have to source a corn-free version of that ingredient.
A fellow reader has mentioned in the past that Trader Joe's has a corn-free confectioners' sugar, but I haven't investigated that personally. It's worth a look, though!
If you use a gluten free flour blend that is already high in starch, like Cup4Cup, replace the cornstarch gram for gram with more Cup4Cup.
What about making these gluten free snowball cookies without nuts?
If you can't have/won't have/don't want to have nuts, instead of these snowball cookies, I recommend my meltaway cookies. Or my whipped shortbread cookies.
They're both very similar in taste and texture, but naturally nut-free! The nuts provide a depth of flavor to these cookies, but the other cookies of course have their own merits. You really can't lose.
How to make gluten free snowball cookies, step by step
Gluten Free Snowball Cookies | they melt in your mouth!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups 210 g all purpose gluten free flour (I like Better Batter here)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your flour blend already contains it
- 10 tablespoons 90 g cornstarch
- 1 cup 115 g confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon 90 g finely chopped raw pecans and/or almonds
- 16 tablespoons 224 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Lukewarm water by the teaspoonful as necessary
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (77 g) and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the finely chopped nuts and whisk again to combine.
- Add the butter and vanilla, and mix until well-combined. I find that pressing down on the butter with the back of a spoon helps to distribute it throughout the dough.
- The cookie dough will look somewhat sandy, and will clump in places. Add water by the teaspoonful, mixing after each addition, and mix to combine until the dough holds together when scoop or squeezed.
- Scoop the dough by the heaping tablespoon (an overfull #70 ice cream scoop is ideal here, but two spoons work well, too) onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inches between pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough into a round gently between the palms of your hands. Don’t pack the dough; just shape it.
- Place the remaining 1/3 cup (38 g) confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and place the balls of dough, one at a time, in the sugar. Toss to coat completely in the sugar and return to the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes or until the cookie dough is firm.
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookies are set in the center and firm to the touch (they will be fragile, but shouldn’t be wet), about 12 minutes.
- Sometime between 10 and 12 minutes, the cookies will take on a slightly crackled appearance on top. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow to cool completely before rolling in more confectioners’ sugar (optional) and serving.
- These cookies can be stored for at least 3 days in a sealed glass container at room temperature. For longer storage, seal tightly in a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer.
- For best results, don’t toss in extra confectioners’ sugar before freezing. Defrost completely at room temperature before tossing in sugar a final time.
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Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Lois says
Made double recipe of your one bowl choc. cake last week for a birthday cake. Help! It didn’t turn out. Rose really high in oven , then slowly sank. I weigh my ingred.
Thanks for any help.
Nicole Hunn says
Lois, when a cake rises rapidly and then falls, it usually due to a too-hot oven. Most ovens run hot, which is why I always recommend using an oven thermometer. That, and if you didn’t use one of my recommended flour blends or made any other substitutions, you’re essentially creating a new recipe that wasn’t properly balanced. Good luck!
Barbara says
What a delightful recipe, tho i will have to tweak it a bit…can’t have the sugar. But, your daughter is absolutely beautiful! She looks just like her mom…. Thank her for being the taste-tester…..she was obviously pleased!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you, Barbara! If you can’t have sugar, I would recommend Swerve alternative sweetener since they even have a confectioners’ sugar variety. I bet it would work great. And thank you so much for the kind words about my daughter. I will be sure to thank her. My children are all 3 my guinea pigs!
Ruthie says
These look good, every year I make Kourabiedes — greek celebration cookies, with either finely minced walnuts or almonds… if i get a chance I may try these this year. Though I still sometimes can’t resist some food with gluten in it (my husband doesn’t follow being GF), I realize more and more that I PAY FOR IT. So I’m anxious to try these, I made a GF apple coffee cake that is really great, dear husband doesn’t even know it’s GF. Thanks for your recipes!
Nicole Hunn says
Don’t cheat, Ruthie! Just make things that are GF like this that are good enough for everyone. Take care of yourself!
Melissa says
I just made these and instead of using vanilla extract, I had almond extract and the cookies came out great. I did forget to put them in the freezer before baking. Can’t wait to make them again for Christmas for my family. Thank you Nichol for sharing.
Nicole Hunn says
I love love almond extract, Melissa. I’m always looking for ways to use it. Great idea!
Dena Logan says
Why not toast and cool the nuts before baking?? I would think it kuldip enhance the flavor.
Nicole Hunn says
Feel free to do that, Dena! They’re chopped very fine so I didn’t consider it necessary, but there’s no harm in doing that if you’d like.
Teril says
I operate a restaurant so I don’t always read every word, but as I’ve said before your recipes are ALWAYS absolutely great. For some reason this morning I read the whole thing. Some things did NOT occur to me before but it has never bothered me and of course it makes perfect sense!
We make these every day here and I’m super excited to use this recipe for my DH and my GF customers. Thanks!!
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks, Teril! I’m glad you have so much success with my recipes. :)
No1uno says
Wow, I may or may not read the blog on a recipe I want but I now know what I won’t be doing. I won’t be pining this recipe or buying any of your cookbooks for sure. That was an unbelievably snark bit of self-affirmation.
Nicole Hunn says
I see you’ve gone out of your way to make sure that no one knows who you are, No1uno, leaving an email address of none@none.com. That’s a shame.
Carol says
I used a similar recipe (pre gluten free days) to make a crust for strawberry pie that had fresh uncooked strawberries. It was so GOOD!
Do you think it would be ok for use with pecan pie too?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I don’t understand your comment in the context of this recipe. Did you perhaps mean to leave it on a different recipe, Carol? This cookie recipe definitely wouldn’t work as a crust.
Penny O says
Where is yr Pinterest button?
Nicole Hunn says
Penny, there are sharing buttons at the top and bottom of every post. Just click where it says “SHARE” on the ribbon and it’ll bring up all the buttons, including Pinterest. Here’s a pin for these cookies, if that helps: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/11329436546711908/
Mare says
Never will I ever go to Allrecipes for gluten free! No thank you! I am happy to come here and also buy your books (I do have them all). As far as I am concerned, and my family too, you are the Gluten Free Guru! I absolutely love these cookies and cannot wait to make them! Thank you for all you do for us! Your daughter is adorable!
Nicole Hunn says
Aw, Mare, you’re the best!
Michelle Stringham says
Hi Nicole,
I’ve been making these for years. My mom used to make them (of course not gluten free) when I was a kid. My made up recipe is not the same as yours. They end up a bit dry. I will be trying your recipe this year.
And by the way – I love our conversations. I don’t skip to the end because you always have useful and often times funny things to pass on. Like I’ve said before, it’s like sitting in your kitchen having coffee while you pass on your wonderful knowledge.
Thank you! :-)
~ MIchelle
Nicole Hunn says
You have indeed said that before, Michelle, and it’s always super gratifying since that is absolutely the spirit in which it’s offered. Thank you for your kindness, and for reading along! :)
Doris Panagis says
Hi Nicole;
Thank you, I love these, as well as a Greek Cookie called Kourembietes – butter cookies, that have no nuts, but some put them in there just like these. I had a friend in Greece, studying to be a Pastry Chef help me with a GF option. I haven’t tried it yet, I’ll share once I do.
Question, I have 2 bags of Nut.com Tapioca Flour/Starch that I need to use up before they expire (I bought (4-5 of them at once….thinking I’d use them faster) , do you have any uses for it other than using it IN the flour blends??? Appreciate any help!
Nicole Hunn says
Definitely, Doris. You should try my Paleo bagels, Paleo pizza, soft tapioca wraps… Just use the search function. There’s plenty here!
Mindi says
No Xanthan gum in the video’s list of ingredients. Is there a reason why it’s listed on your recipe and is there a need for it?
Nicole Hunn says
It’s part of the flour blend in the video, Mindi. And yes, it’s necessary. I just realized that I hadn’t included a note in the recipe to eliminated the xanthan gum as an ingredient if your gluten free flour blend already contains it. I’ve typed that so many hundreds of times over the years; I can’t believe I left it out!
Tracy says
Thank you for sharing this recipe, my husband’s family is Greek and this is similar to Kourabiethes. I look forward to making these for Christmas. Also, thanks for the lesson above, I’m a skimmer and don’t always take the time to do more than look at a recipe but, I’ll be more careful to do so in the future. We are all spoiled with how much information is on the internet these days but, don’t take the time to be thankful to those that put it there.
Nicole Hunn says
That’s really kind of you to say, Tracy. I just figured I might as well explain the idea behind it all, since if you’re not a blogger, too, it most likely wouldn’t even occur to you. ?
El says
“But for now, if you’re looking for just the recipe and that’s all, you should go to Allrecipes. I’ve checked out their gluten free recipes, and frankly, they’re really lacking unless you’re looking for naturally gluten free content. But it’s there for you, if that suits your needs better.”
BETTER YET…..just buy Nicole’s books….no ads and BEST of the best GF recipes!
Nicole Hunn says
Haha thanks, El!!
Michele says
I agree! Your books are awesome! Kindle edition makes it easy to reference when I’m in the kitchen. Thanks!
Lisa BergerLisa says
Hi. I am using Cup 4 Cup flour and was wondering if I still needed to add the Xanthan gum. Also, I didn’t quite understand the cornstarch instructions.
Thanks,
Lisa
Nicole Hunn says
Cup4Cup has xanthan gum already in it, Lisa, so no you don’t need to add more. You just replace the cornstarch in the recipe with an equal amount of additional Cup4Cup, as that blend is already very, very high in cornstarch.