Description

These buttery, nutty pecan snowball cookies are a classic family recipe made vegan and gluten free! They're soft, pillowy, rich, easy to make (just 5 ingredients) and so festive.

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/4 cups vegan butter* (let sit at room temp for 15 minutes)
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted + more for coating
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp ice cold water
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour*, sifted (or regular AP flour)
2 cups chopped pecans

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Instructions

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), cream butter until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Add sifted powdered sugar and continue mixing until incorporated.
Add vanilla extract and cold water and mix until combined.
Slowly add in sifted flour in a few batches until fully incorporated, then add chopped pecans.
Cover bowl with a tea towel and refrigerate dough for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325˚F.
Using a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, roll dough into evenly-sized balls. (They should be bite-sized and even – use your hands to roll into a smooth circle shape.)
Place cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. These cookies won't spread much, so you can put them pretty close together. Bake for 16-18 minutes in the middle rack of your oven. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
Add about 2/3 cup powdered sugar to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Carefully transfer each cookie to the powdered sugar and roll until coated. (Note: the cookies are fragile, so if you'd prefer, you can sift powdered sugar over each cookie instead of rolling them in sugar)

Notes

Storage: These cookies will store nicely at room temperature (in an airtight container) for up to 5 days before they start to go stale.

Freezer storage: These cookies freeze best without the powdered sugar coating. Freeze the cooled cookies for up to 3 months, then let thaw to room temperature before coating in powdered sugar.

*Vegan butter recommendations: Earth Balance (soy free), Melt Organic, Country Crock Plant Butter

Gluten free flour recommendation: Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour