These sugar-coated butter snowball cookies use just a handful of ingredients and perfectly pair with tea or coffee. They will literally melt in your mouth!
There are so many butter cookie recipes out there! I have at least 10 different ones that I really love, and it’s so hard to pick a favorite. However, I’ve found that my guests particularly give these cookies special attention. Every time I serve them, everyone snacks without stopping until they’re all gone. They are dangerously addictive with their melt-in-your-mouth texture and powdered sugar coating. When eaten with coffee or tea, they compliment it perfectly, making them a great snack or holiday gift.
These eggless cookies are basically buttery, crumbly shortbread. They’re very easy to make as the recipe consists of just a few ingredients. The only 2 things that you must keep in mind are to use room temperature butter, and (as many of my cookie recipes suggest) to chill the dough for at least an hour to let it firm up and to prevent the cookies from spreading while baking.
Instead of using just flour, a part of it is replaced with cornstarch, which is what gives these cookies their delightful melt-in-your-mouth quality. Using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar also contributes to the tenderness.
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Speaking of sugar, not a lot of it is added to the dough. This means that, on their own, these cookies only have a mild sweetness. This is because they’re coated with powdered sugar after baking, which makes them sweet enough.
The size of these cookies makes them perfect for eating with tea or coffee. Besides, the smaller they are, the more you can have! The dough is rolled into balls around 1 inch (2.5cm) in diameter. To measure them all evenly, I use a 1-tablespoon ice cream scoop. You can make them bigger if you like, but be sure to increase the baking time accordingly. Bake until the edges are just starting to brown. Don’t worry much if the cookies spread out while baking – they will still taste delicious.
After baking, I like to roll them in powdered sugar twice so they’ll be well covered. The first time when the cookies are still warm, and the second time after they have cooled completely. You can roll them just once if you prefer, but I like just a little more sweetness.
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Butter Snowball Cookies
These eggless cookies are basically buttery, crumbly shortbread. They're very easy to make as the recipe consists of just a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (200 grams/7 ounces) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 grams/2.1 ounces) cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks/227 grams) butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (40 grams/1.4 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 grams/2.1 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted, for rolling
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
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In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat for about 2 minutes until smooth. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Do not over mix.
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If the dough is soft, chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 1-2 hours until firm so that cookies will spread as little as possible while baking.
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Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 pans with parchment paper.
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If cookie dough is hard to handle after refrigerating, leave on the counter for a few minutes to soften.
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Using an ice cream scoop or level tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough, 1 inch/2.5cm in diameter, onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies just begin to brown at the edges. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then, while they are still warm, gently roll them in powdered sugar, careful not to cause them to crumble. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, roll them one more time in powdered sugar if desired.
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Cookies will keep well for a few days at room temperature in an airtight container, or they can be frozen for up to a month.
Sarah says
Hi, these look delicious 🙂 they remind me a little of german vanilla kipferl’s. Well done..pics look great. On another note, may i ask where you got the cup from ? I love it. Thank you for the. Post & for your reply. Xxx sarah
Shiran says
Hi Sarah! Thanks for all the sweet words! Sure you can ask anything, but this specific cup is actually from a little town in France. Every time I travel, I buy unique plates, cups etc. Sorry I couldn’t help you with that!
Sarah says
Hello Shiran,
Thank you for your reply 🙂
I will keep my eyes open when i visit france again.
Merci 🙂
Dee says
I have to bake 70 containers of these and would like to know if I could put some fine chopped pecans and omit some of the flour and how much of each should I use
Shiran says
If you want buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with pecans, I suggest you make this recipe instead. It’s amazing!
Marsha Lee says
Hi Shiran, Thank you for this recipe. I searched for hours for a recipe that called for powdered sugar. I have a lot of powdered sugar but no granulated sugar. I just finished making the cookies and they are still delicious even though I did not do everything correctly. I did not sift any of the dry ingredients and I used a stick blender. I try not to use too many appliances and dishes. I chilled the mix for a couple of hours and then was too impatient to let it sit. So I skimmed off the edge of the batter and placed it directly onto the cookie sheet. They were small and with the second batch, I made them a little bigger and the third batch was the biggest. I don’t like real sweet desserts, so I tried the cookies with and without the sugar topping–either way, fantastic. I also did not roll into a ball as I was afraid they would get too soft. The last batch, I pressed down on the cookie some and made them flat. I will make these again soon. Thanks!
Nisha says
These turned out perfectly! They were delicious and were definitely melty! Thanks!
dina says
i love light cookies like these!
Shiran says
Me too Dina!
Judy says
My grandmother made these and I have never been able to find the recipe until now. Thanks!
Judy
Shiran says
That’s exciting to hear. Thanks Judy!
Sandra says
Thanks for sharing your receipe. The biscuits were so soft they melt in our mouths.
My family love the cookies even without coating them in extra powdered sugar.
Added only a pinch of salt as I used salted butter and I think it balanced the 40g of powdered sugar well。
Anna says
I made these for my friends baby shower today! Everyone was asking who had made them while walking around with powdery biscuit crumbs on their tops! They really do melt in the mouth! Very fragile, I gave mine 2 minutes longer in the oven.
Shiran says
Thanks for sharing Anna! I’m glad everyone likes them! 🙂
Lillian says
Hi Shiran,
Thank you for such amazing recipe. The first time I made following the exact recipe but I thought it wasn’t sweet. So I added caster sugar and some coconut powder to taste. The cookies didn’t turn out to be melting in mouth instead chewy. Can you please advise.
Shiran says
Hi Lillian 🙂 If the only issue is that the cookies are not sweet enough to your taste, then you can simply add more powdered sugar (and not caster sugar, which will make them chewy). As long as you add powdered sugar to the cookie batter, the cookies will keep their melt-in-your-mouth texture. Try using 1/2 cup powdered sugar instead of 1/3 cup for the cookie batter, it should be sweet enough. Also, did you roll the cookies in powdered sugar twice? And did you use all the 1/2 cup in the recipe to roll them?
Name* says
Hi Shiran,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I will try again without the caster sugar. I haven’t tried rolling them in powdered sugar but just lightly sift on top of them.
Thank you again for your piece of useful information. May you have a great day. =)
Shiran says
That was probably the reason why they weren’t sweet enough. In the post I mentioned that not a lot of sugar is added to the dough and therefore the cookies only have a mild sweetness – this is because they’re coated with powdered sugar after baking, which makes them sweet enough. So make sure to roll them next time 🙂 And again, no problem, have a wonderful day!
Siana says
Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar?
Shiran says
Yes 🙂
Debbie says
Delicious! Melt in your mouth! Never used cornstarch before. I will use this recipe from now on!
Shiran says
Thank you, Debbie! 🙂
Ivor Amore says
Hi Shiran,
I am going to try these to-day. My first time cooking Biscuits.
I note that there is no added baking powder in this recipe.
I checked a few others and they had 1tps baking powder in their Melt in the Mouth cookies.
2nd I will mix everything by hand as I do not have a mixer of any kind . Hope this works for now. Otherwise I shall have to invest in a Hand mixer of some sort.
I do general food cooking for the home but never any thing like deserts, cakes and so on.
Take care Ivor Amore
Shiran says
Hi Ivor, I hope you liked the cookies! The cookies are great without baking powder, but if you prefer them more light, you can add it.
Coral Stricker says
You can get a hand held mixer at the Goodwill for $1 or $2 dollars. They have all kinds of baking pans at the Goodwill Most of them are brand new. I love going to the Goodwill or any charity church stores. You can find so many wonderful things there!
Ivor Amore says
Hi Shiran,
Thank you for the reply.
I followed the recipe to the letter, but found that the mix was too thin in consistency, even after keeping in the “fridge” for 20 minutes, so I added a further amount of 80g self raising flour to get the right consistency.
this also gave me some added baking powder in the mix.
They turned out just fine.
Take care
Ivor
Shiran says
Hi Ivor, I usually keep it in the fridge for at least an hour or two to firm up, otherwise it’s too soft. I’m glad you like it though! Thanks!
Patty Cake says
Can this dough be rolled out and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter? I am looking for a recipe that I can decorate with royal icing
Shiran says
Try this recipe, which is perfect for what you’re looking for.
Cindy says
Delicious cookies, made with my daughter and they were absolutely fantastic…
Shiran says
Thank you Cindy!
Dianne says
I tried these. They spread into one large giant flat toffee like cookie. Hard . What did I do wrong?
Shiran says
Hi Dianne, it could be that the dough was too soft and needed more chilling time, and that the butter wasn’t cold enough.
M wulff says
So glad I found this recipe! I made this many years ago, but I coated it with an orange glaze. It gave these light, delicate cookie a delicious shell when dry.
Heidi says
oh what a beautiful idea for the glaze! Was it just a simple cake glaze recipe?
Sharon Gardner says
How could I make these as chocolate cookies? Love powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in any recipe. Thank you
Shiran says
Hi Sharon, that’s a great question. You’ll need to replace some of the flour with cocoa powder, but without testing it myself, I can’t really tell you how much.
Mel says
This recipe sounds amazing. I want to try to make these but I am missing the cornstarch can I just substitute with more flour? Thank you.
Shiran says
You can, but the cornstarch is what gives the cookies their melt-in-your-mouth texture, so I don’t recommend it.
Paula says
I just moved and I’m dying to bake something but I dont have any vanilla extract. How much will it affect the recipe without it?
Shiran says
Hi Paula, you can make butter cookies without vanilla extract, but they won’t be as flavorful.
yanti says
Thank you so much for the recipe. Its very nice.
Denise Casanova says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I just made them and they are amazing.
Noelene Joseph says
I just cannot wait to make them??
NaQuetta Faulkner says
We made these tonight, they are delicious!!!
Bre says
If i do everything by hand without a mixer will it turn out right?
Shiran says
You can, it will be harder, but you can google ‘how to make cookies without a mixer’, and try one of the methods.
jwhe says
Could these be used in a cookie press?
Shiran says
I have no experience using a cookie press, sorry!
Sarah says
Easy cookie to make with my 3 year old, we added a little bit of maple morsels and they were a big hit. Thanks!
Taiye says
Hi. Thank you for the recipe. I have been looking for it. My husband is Indian and MIL makes it with a touch of cardamom. He misses it so i want to try. With love from Nigeria!
Sonia says
Made these as a child in my grandmother’s kitchen, by hand. So glad to run across the recipe again.
Dolly says
Can the dough be kept in fridge and bake it as and when I want to?
David says
Made these today with pecans and chocolate chips and just dusted with powdered sugar. Unbelievable, thanks for posting the recipe Your wedding cookie recipe is awesome also
cathy says
Any ideas for this cookie w/o cornstarch? We have allergies to corn, peanuts, tree nuts, and eggs.
Thanks!
Shiran says
You can use all-purpose flour instead of cornstarch.
Maureen says
Thanks so much for the recipe! Looks like my grandmothers’ recipes. I don’t have those recipes, so grateful to have yours. Just need to clarify whether I should use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. Until recently, I never realized that there was a variation in the amount of salt found in different salted butters.
Leanie says
Really melt in the mouth…lovely. Thank you for sharing. Easy and perfect recipe.
Slim says
These supple cookies turned out delicious w an amazing flavor & they indeed do melt in your mouth & it’s a simple recipe w minimal ingredients & steps. My only complaint is regarding this website page… Originally I wasn’t going to write this other part but due to having to try to retype my review every time the page jumped forcing me to click on the advertisement I decided I couldn’t omit to mention this. I actually had to write this review in my notes bc I couldn’t do it on the page due to it continuously jumping me back to the dang ads & as I’m trying to type this out when it jumps my keyboard goes away & I end up clicking on the ad & when I do it obviously takes me to the ad & deletes everything I’ve tried to type. It was doing it when I was trying to follow the recipe as well, however since I wasn’t typing i didn’t end up clicking on it resulting in my review being deleted & forcing me to start over. Nonetheless, It was just as irking since I lost my place & especially when I was rolling the cookies bc I have dough all over my hands & in turn getting it all over my phone trying to get back where I left off. Anyway, cookies are great just the webpage that is a real fly in the ornament for me, so to say… However, regardless I will leave 5 stars bc I do love this recipe, just not the page.
Nicole says
Can you use salted butter with these cookies? Excited to make them
Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says
Hi Nicole, I recommend sticking to unsalted butter because salted butter will make the cookies taste too salty.
Melissa says
They really do melt in your mouth! My daughter says it is a great sensory experience. We saved the recipe to make again soon. The whole family likes these cookies. The batch made 35 cookies at 15 grams each.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Thank you, Melissa! You’ve been busy baking cookies 🙂
Kendra Mathews says
Great, easy and delicious recipe! I used a tablespoon scoop and got 24 medium cookies. I rolled some with espresso and powdered sugar and a few with cocoa and powdered sugar they were very tasty. Thanks for the recipe! I will make these over and over!
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Yum! What a fun idea! So glad you loved this recipe.
Laura Olson says
Appreciate the recipe, it was nice of you, but how do you have the patience to deal with all the stupidity that people throw at you asking dumb questions trying to alter your recipe. They are complete idiots.
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Laura, there are so many varying levels of experience in the kitchen that sometimes people just don’t know what they don’t know. This is why I created my Mastering Baking Basics course – to be a mentor for people who want to learn more about baking successfully. I guess I have patience because I have a toddler and have started teaching him how to bake and why we do certain things. I love teaching, so to me there are no wrong questions as each question is a learning opportunity.
Traci says
Can I make this dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for a few days? Or can I freeze the dough?
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet. says
Hi Traci, yes at step three you can certainly chill your dough for longer than a few hours. In fact, the flavor or the dough will get better if you make it ahead of time and let it chill or freeze for a few days first before baking!