Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (2024)

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by Relle

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Snowball cookies are the epitome of Christmas and holiday cookies. This recipe for macadamia nut snowball cookies is a must have in your cookie arsenal.

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (1)

Crumbly, buttery shortbread with bits of macadamia nuts rolled in powdered sugar. Yum yum yum. I’d have to say that this is my favorite Christmas cookie. I mean what’s more holiday than snowballs? But you really can have this cookie anytime of year.

Whether you call these snowball cookies like me, melting moments, Mexican wedding cookies, or Russian tea cookies, we are all talking about the same delicious cookie with some minor variations.

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (2)

Day 3 of the 12 days of cookies: Macadamia nut snowball cookies.

If you missed days 1-2, check them out below

  • Day 1: Easy chocolate chip cookies
  • Day 2: Soft oatmeal cookies
Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (3)

Here in Hawai’i I like to use macadamia nuts in this recipe. Other add in options are

  • Pecan
  • Walnut
  • Or if you have nut allergies chocolate chips make a good addition

What’s in macadamia nut snowball cookies?

  • Only 6 ingredients
    • Butter
    • Powdered sugar
    • Vanilla (try my homemade vanilla recipe)
    • Flour
    • Salt
    • And the star of the show. . . macadamia nuts
Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (4)

This snowball cookie recipe is egg free for those with egg allergies.

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (5)

These cookies are really simple to make. Some tips for great cookies:

  • Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This creates the best texture and flavor.
  • Use a small cookie scoop to portion out your cookies. This keeps them uniform and offers a consistent bake time.
  • Use powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar in the dough. This creates the classic melt in your mouth consistency of this cookie.
  • Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while still warm. This helps the sugar better adhere to the cookie.
Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (6)

How to store these cookies?

These cookies are best kept in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for about 5 days.

Can you freeze the dough?

Yes. Roll out the balls and freeze. Store in an airtight container or zip top bag for about 6 months. When ready to bake, allow cookies to defrost until softened.

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (7)

How to make this recipe for macadamia nut snowball cookies?

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until well incorporated.

Stir in flour, salt, and macadamia nuts until just incorporated.

Shape dough into about 1 inch balls and place on the prepared cookie sheet about an inch apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until just lightly browned on the edges. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar and return to the cooling rack to cool.

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (8)

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies

Relle Lum

Snowball cookies are the epitome of Christmas and holiday cookies. This recipe for macadamia nut snowball cookies is a must have in your cookie recipe arsenal.

4.52 from 39 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Servings 36 cookies

Calories 113 kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until well incorporated.

  • Stir in flour, salt, and macadamia nuts until just incorporated.

  • Shape dough into about 1 inch balls and place on the prepared cookie sheet about an inch apart.

  • Bake 10-12 minutes or until just lightly browned on the edges. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

  • While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar and return to the cooling rack to cool.

Notes

*You can substitute macadamia nuts for walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, etc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 56mgSugar: 5g

Keyword baking, cookies, desserts, easy cookies, easy recipe, homemade, keeping it relle, macadamia nut, macadamia nut snowball cookies, made from scratch, mexican wedding cakes, russian tea cakes, scratch made, snowball cookies

Did you make this recipe?Share a photo and tag @keeping.it.relle on Instagram so I can see all your delicious creations and Let me know how it was!

© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I’d love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!

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Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (9)

By Relle on December 3rd, 2019

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (10)

About Relle

Aloha, my name is Relle and welcome to my little home on the internet where I like to share all my favorite Hawaiian recipes (and local ones too).

I am a wife, mom of two, and nurse practitioner here in the beautiful state of Hawai’i. I was born and raised in Hawai’i and I am of native Hawaiian descent. In my spare time I love to cook and bake and I have compiled many of my favorite recipes here for you to enjoy.

More posts by this author.

8 thoughts on “Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe”

  1. Believe it or not, I’ve been searching for this recipe for some time. I’m glad you mentioned they freeze well; since it helps to prep a few baked goods to make entertaining less stressful.

    Reply

    • Aww yay I’m glad you found this recipe. And yes pre making cookie dough is always a great idea. Unexpected guests show up, just pop in some cookies. Let me know how they turn out if you ever make them. Have a great day!

      Reply

  2. Hi Relle, I was wondering if you could find/make a recipe of the Uber Factory’s ube tarts? I’ve tried looking for a recipe, but had no luck. I would love to make these at home, but I don’t know where to start.

    Reply

    • Hi Ashley. Ube tarts are so yummy. Definitely on the list of things to make.

      Reply

  3. Macadamia Nut Snowball recipe make a great thumbprint base!

    Reply

    • Ooh nice. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

  4. Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (11)
    Great recipe!

    Reply

    • Mahalo!

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Macadamia Nut Snowball Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why did my snowball cookies flatten? ›

Why did my snowball cookies flatten? The cookies will flatten slightly when baked, but they shouldn't flatten completely. If you skipped the chilling time, this may be why they spread. Another reason is if you place the dough on a hot baking sheet; if you have to reuse baking sheets, let them cool first.

Why are macadamia nut cookies so good? ›

The macadamia nuts have a rich, buttery flavor and a nice creamy texture. They add a slight salty crunch to the cookies that you will love. This is the BEST white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe. You have to try them!

Why is white chocolate paired with macadamia nuts? ›

Both white chocolate and macadamia nuts are mild in flavor and complement each other well. White chocolate tastes a bit sweeter than semi-sweet chocolate chips, which creates a nice balance with salty macadamia nuts.

How to get powdered sugar to stick to cookies? ›

The trick to the stick (ha!) is to roll them twice. Give the cookies their first coating when they are slightly warm. As the cookies cool, the confectioners' sugar will melt into them.

How do you make cookies flatten more? ›

What are the best techniques to promote cookie spread?
  1. Try the creaming method. ...
  2. Chill the cookie dough overnight. ...
  3. Have the proper cookie dough portioning. ...
  4. Cookie baking temperature and time. ...
  5. Choose the right baking sheet or parchment paper.
Nov 25, 2023

How do you make cookies puffy not flat? ›

Adjust leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are responsible for the rise and structure of cookies. If your cookies are too flat, try slightly increasing these leavening agents. Conversely, if your cookies are overly puffy and then collapse into flatness, it could be due to using too much leavening agent.

Which is healthier almond or macadamia? ›

Macadamia nuts have more than double the amount of plant-based protein when compared to cashews, 7.5x more thiamin (energizing B vitamins) than almonds, double the amount of manganese (metabolism and brain boosting mineral) than almonds, more fiber and iron than walnuts.

Why add cornstarch to cookies? ›

“You can count on [it for] a softer and more tender crumb.” “A bonus benefit is it prevents the cookie from spreading too much while baking,” he adds, noting that a more compact, thick cookie typically yields a chewier outcome. But incorporating cornstarch isn't the only tip to make a cookie more palatable.

Why do macadamia nuts taste rancid? ›

Nuts that have a large surface area, like walnut halves, with their complex network of ridges and valleys, will go rancid faster because of a greater exposure to oxygen. And fattier nuts, like macadamia or Brazil nuts, will oxidize quicker than leaner almonds.

Which country consumes the most macadamia nuts? ›

Australians are by far and away the biggest consumers of the macadamia nut in the world at 129 grams per person in 2020, with a slight uptick in 2016 to 140 grams per person. However, shoppers in the United States buy the most imported macadamia nut kernel – at 9 586 tons in 2020.

Why are macadamia nuts not sold in their shells? ›

There's a reason why macadamias aren't often sold in their shells. Macadamia nut shells are one of the toughest shells to crack, requiring 300lb per square inch to break. By the time you'd got into the macadamia nut, you'd be too tired to eat it!

Why is macadamia not a nut? ›

A Macadamia fruit is technically not a nut, but rather a follicle because it splits along one side to release its seed. The fruit has a green, leather coat, enclosing a smooth, exceptionally hard shell that encloses the white kernel.

What happens if I use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar in cookies? ›

You'll end up with a grainy, unappealing texture. Lastly, store-bought powdered sugar generally includes corn starch, which prevents it from caking together. This can lead to unpredictable outcomes when you interchange the two.

Do you sprinkle sanding sugar on cookies before or after baking? ›

For this technique, you'll want to decorate your cookies before baking. We recommend using decorative sugar (also known as colored sanding sugar), Turbinado sugar (coarse golden sugar) or pearl sugar (coarse clear sugar). It all sounds super fancy but it's really very easy!

How do you dust cookies with powdered sugar without a sifter? ›

Tea strainers work best for dusting powdered sugar on small baked goods. A tea strainer is a small mesh ball normally used for loose-leaf tea, but it works great for dusting powdered sugar without a sifter. Just load a spoonful of powdered sugar into the strainer and seal it shut.

Why are my cookies suddenly flat? ›

OVEN IS TOO HOT

Oven temperatures are a crucial factor in baking. If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.

Why did my Mexican wedding cookies flatten? ›

Mexican wedding cookies can flatten for two reasons: if they are overmixed, or if they are baked without chilling. They should be mixed just until the dough comes together in a ball. I recommend chilling the dough for at least one hour so that the butter gets very cold and the cookies don't spread in the oven.

Why did my cookies stay puffy? ›

Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.

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