Cashew Snowball Cookies are irresistibly buttery and nutty, with a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Packed with chopped cashews and flavored with ground cardamom, these cashew cookies add an exquisite addition to any Christmas cookie tray. Plus, they're egg-free!
This cashew snowball cookies recipe is my own twist on the classic snowballs. Also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, these treats put a unique spin on the beloved traditional version.
While the classic holiday recipe typically calls for walnuts or toasted pecans (like in my pecan snowball cookies), I’ve swapped in cashews for a buttery richness and added ground cardamom instead of vanilla for a distinctive, aromatic twist.
👩🍳 These cashew 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.
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Why you'll love it?
- Melt in your mouth texture
- Buttery with crunchy cashews
- Ground cardamom adds a unique twist
- Eggless cookie recipe
- Mildly sweet though it covered in powdered sugar
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Cashews - Use either raw or toasted cashews, but be sure to chop them finely. It’s crucial that the cashews are small enough, as larger pieces can cause the cookies to crumble when you bite into them.
- Butter - I prefer using unsalted butter and adding my own salt, but you can easily swap in salted butter and skip the extra salt in the recipe.
- Cardamom - As with all cardamom recipes, I prefer to grind my own cardamom at home. It’s far more fragrant and aromatic than store-bought cardamom powder.
- Flour - Fluff your flour before measuring to prevent packing too much into your cup.
- Powdered sugar - Also known as icing sugar or confectioners' sugar, this ingredient is essential in making snowball cookies. It sweetens the dough while contributing to the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, thanks to the cornstarch it contains. We’ll also roll the cooled cookies in powdered sugar to give them that signature snowball appearance!
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.
How to store?
Store cashew snowball cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. I like to place each cookie in a mini cupcake liner—not only do they look charming, but they also make for easy storage and packaging, and they’re especially pretty when arranged on a Christmas cookie tray.
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.
More cashew recipes
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. 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 soft, refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. If it’s firm and doesn’t stick to your hands, you can roll it right away.
- 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.
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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