Cashew Snowball Cookies are eggless, buttery, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Packed with cashew nuts and flavored with ground cardamom, they are perfect for Christmas or anytime.
These cashew cookies are my twist on the classic Christmas snowballs!
Also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, this version—infused with buttery cashews and warm cardamom—offers a unique take on tradition.
Instead of the usual walnuts or pecans, I’ve used cashews and swapped vanilla for ground cardamom, adding a fragrant, aromatic touch to these festive kaju biscuits.
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Reasons to Love
- Melt-in-your-mouth texture – Buttery, crumbly, and irresistibly tender
- Deliciously nutty – Packed with crunchy cashews and fragrant cardamom
- Egg-free & easy – Simple shortbread-style dough with no eggs needed
- Perfectly sweet – Lightly sweetened, even with a dusting of powdered sugar
- Festive & versatile – Ideal for tea time or as a holiday treat during Christmas
Ingredients you'll need to make cashew cookies without eggs
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Cashews – I prefer to raw cashew nuts, but make sure to chop them finely, as larger pieces can cause the biscuits to fall apart when bitten.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the salt level, but if you use salted butter, just skip the added salt in the recipe.
- Cardamom – Grinding whole cardamom pods at home results in a much more fragrant spice compared to pre-ground store-bought cardamom. It also gives an Indian twist!
- Flour – Always fluff your flour before measuring to avoid packing too much into the measuring cup, which can lead to dry or dense cashew biscuits.
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar (also called icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar) not only sweetens the dough but also adds a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture due to its cornstarch content, and we’ll also roll the cookies in it after baking for that classic snowball look.
Cashew Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashew nuts
- 1 cup all purpose flour (126 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom or more if you love cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter (115 grams or ½ cup) room temperature
- 1 cup confectioners sugar (120 grams) divided
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the cashews - You can finely chop the cashews with a large knife or pulse them briefly in a food processor. Just be sure not to grind them into a fine powder—some texture is key. If the pieces are too large, the cookies may fall apart when rolling.
- Add the chopped cashew nuts, all purpose flour, ground cardamom and salt into a medium bowl and stir to combine well. Set aside.
- Add butter, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar, into a large bowl and beat with an electric beater for about 3 to 4 minutes or light and fluffy.
- Add the combined dry ingredients and continue mixing, until the dough comes together. The dough is ready to roll if it's firm and not sticky; if it's too soft, chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes first.
- Roll about 1 tablespoon of measure dough into a smooth ball and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about an inch apart.
- Bake cookies until deep golden brown on the bottom edges but barely brown on top, about 15 to 19 minutes. Place baking pan on a wire rack and cool completely.
- Place the remaining confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl and gently roll the cookies a few times to coat them evenly on all sides. Then, arrange them on a plate.Tip: If they're not fully coated, roll them again! You can also sift a little extra sugar over the cookies after rolling for an even more polished finish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make cashew cookies?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
👩🍳 Pro tip: You can finely chop the cashews with a large knife or pulse them briefly in a food processor. Just be sure not to grind them into a fine powder—some texture is key. If the pieces are too large, the cookies may fall apart when rolling.
👩🍳Pro tip: The dough can be ready to roll immediately, or may need some chilling depending on the softness of the butter. If the dough feels sticky, refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. If it’s firm and doesn’t stick to your hands, you can roll it right away.
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Step 9 - Place them in a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees, until golden in color. Cool completely before rolling them in sugar.
👩🍳 Pro tip: If they're not fully coated, roll them again! You can also sift a little extra sugar over the cookies after rolling for an even more polished finish.
Make ahead and Freeze
My favorite part about these cashew cardamom cookies is that they can be made in advance and frozen for up to three months, making them the perfect holiday Christmas cookie. Just be sure to freeze them before coating them in powdered sugar. When you're ready to serve, let them thaw overnight at room temperature, then roll them in powdered sugar and arrange them fresh on the day of serving.
Recipe tips
- To ensure the powdered sugar sticks, roll the cookies a few times. I also like to sift a little extra confectioners' sugar over the finished wedding cookies to give them that perfect snowball effect.
- Confectioner's sugar is the same as powdered sugar found in grocery stores.
- Chop the cashews fine using a knife or a mini food processor.
- Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to easily make uniform cookies.
- Increase the ground cardamom if you love the flavor.
How to arrange snowballs in a cookie tray?
These powdered sugar cookies are delicious and a beloved favorite, but they can create a bit of a mess when arranged on a cookie tray or packed in a container. To solve this, I like to place each snowball in a mini muffin paper liner. Not only do they look charming, but they also make for easy storage and transport. Get festive with green, red, or gold paper liners—perfect for Christmas!
More Easy Christmas Cookie Ideas
Looking for more easy and festive treats? These Christmas cookies are simple to make, full of holiday flavor, and guaranteed to spread cheer—perfect for gifting, sharing, or snacking all season long!
- Gingerbread Cookie Cups are a fun and unique twist on the classic gingerbread cookies!
- Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint are crisp yet soft and are perfect for any cut-out shape!
- Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies are the ultimate holiday cookies - soft, tender, cake-like cookies, with a rich ricotta flavor.
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are buttery, crisp yet tender and simply melts in your mouth.
- Santa's Whiskers Cookies are an easy slice-and bake cookie recipe bejeweled with candied cherries and shredded coconut.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
mcrchicago
these are so easy and delicious! Will definitely make them often. One question, do you leave the green pod on the cardamom when you grind it to powder? or just the seeds inside?
Maria Doss
Hi Mcrchicago, We grind the whole pods (along with the skin). Wishing you a very happy Holidays, Maria
Laura
Hi planning on making these with cardamom and ones with vanilla. What amount of vanilla do I use if not using cardamom? Let me know. Thanks
Maria Doss
Hi Laura, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract will work perfect. Have a wonderful day - Maria