These heavenly little cookies are packed with pistachio flavor! Pistachio nuts replace pecans (or walnuts) in this Pistachio Snowball Cookie recipe. Plus, a box of pistachio pudding mix further enhances the pistachio flavor - and gives the resulting cookies a lovely green hue!
I LOVE snowball cookies! If you do too, you should check out this recipe for Coconut Snowball Cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Buttery, crumbly, and rich - Snowball cookies have this incredible texture that's crumbly and tender, immediately yielding to rich, buttery results upon taking a bite. If you're into cookies with texture, you might also want to give these tender-crisp Rice Krispie Cookies a go!
- Great sweet and salty balance - These cookies make a sweet treat, but they are also well-balanced and nutty, with just the right subtle hit of salt from the pistachios.
- Universal appeal - Known by other creative names like Mexican wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes, these cookies are a cross-cultural favorite, beloved by many worldwide. Plus, they are amenable to flavor tweaks, making them a fun cookie to experiment with.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour - The supporting agent in most cookies! Make sure your flour is less than a year old, as America's Test Kitchen says refined white flour is best used within a year.
- Confectioners’ sugar - It's IN the cookies and also used to coat the exterior.
- Shelled pistachios - Avoid driving yourself crazy with the pistachios in the shell, and reach for the shelled variety of pistachios. I have only tested this recipe with roasted and salted pistachios.
- Pistachio pudding mix - You'll need exactly one 3.4-ounce package of pistachio pudding mix, which works out to approximately 7 tablespoons.
- Salted butter - Grab salted butter and you won't need to worry about adding salt. If you'd rather use unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to this recipe (specifically adding it along with the flour in the directions).
- Vanilla extract - You can also use almond extract instead or something similar to complement the pistachio flavor.
- Green food coloring (optional) - This is completely optional, but adding a few drops of green food coloring can enhance the resulting green color of the cookies. The cookies pictured DO NOT contain any food coloring.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Ope!
The last time I made a batch of Pistachio Snowballs, I accidentally added mint extract instead of vanilla. I was so disappointed, thinking I had just ruined the whole batch! BUT, they turned out pretty tasty, and they all got eaten :). If you're wondering if mint would work in these cookies, go for it!
However, I'm going to recommend you add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of mint extract vs. the 2 teaspoons of mint I tried on accident. IMO it's super easy to overdo mint extract, resulting in things getting too artificial tasting.
How to Make Pistachio Snowball Cookies - Directions
- Step 1: In a food processor, combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, ⅔ cup shelled pistachios, and pistachio pudding mix. Process until the pistachios are finely ground, 15-20 seconds.
- Step 2: In a separate bowl, add butter and beat until creamy with a mixer, approximately 1 minute on a medium-low speed. Add the ground pistachio mixture and beat until well blended, approximately 1 minute.
- Step 3: Add in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and flour, beating just until combined. The resulting dough should be crumbly in appearance, like pebbles.
- Step 4: Pour the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball, making sure it’s covered on all sides. Chill until firm, around 2-3 hours, but up to 24 hours in advance.
- Step 5: Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until it softens, around 45 minutes.
- Step 6: Preheat oven to 350°F. Use a cookie scoop to achieve uniform sizes. Press the dough into the scoop firmly with your thumb.
- Step 7: Very lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the balls 1 to 1 ½ inches apart on baking sheets - they don't need a lot of room because they don’t spread out as they bake.
- Step 8: Bake until the edges of the cookies barely begin to brown, 12 to 14 minutes (13 minutes is the sweet spot in my Ninja Foodi oven). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-7 minutes.
- Step 9: Make the powdered sugar coating. Add ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar and ¼ cup pistachios to the food processor. Process until the pistachios are finely ground.
- Step 10: Roll each cookie in the confectioners’ sugar and pistachio mixture while still slightly warm. Repeat until all the cookies are coated.
Top Tips for the BEST Pistachio Snowball Cookies
Tip 1. When you're making the cookies with your cookie scoop, use your thumb to really push the dough into the scoop. This helps prevent the cookie dough from crumbling. If your cookie crumbles a bit upon expelling it from the cookie scoop, re-do it so it sticks together better.
Tip 2. Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar and ground pistachio mixture while they are still warm and fresh from the oven, it helps the coating adhere.
Tip 3. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2-3 hours, or up to 24 hours in advance of baking. Chilling the dough first helps the cookies keep their signature round ball shape while baking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I have exclusively used roasted and salted pistachios in this recipe with great results! Plus when you use salted pistachios, you don't need to add any salt to the cookies.
Store those lovely pistachio cookies in an airtight container for up to five days or freeze for up to three months.
Most likely the butter was too warm and spread on you. The success of these cookies partially hinges upon the dough chilling before baking, so don't skip that step! Also, leave your butter on the counter and let it come to room temperature naturally. Melted butter doesn't work in this recipe.
Chilling cookie dough even helps with other kinds of cookies, like these Cranberry Walnut White Chocolate Cookies and these Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies.
Related or Pairing
Looking for other sweet treats? Check these out.
If you tried this Pistachio Snowball Cookie recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Pistachio Snowball Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
The Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ⅔ cup shelled pistachios
- 1 3.4 ounce package pistachio pudding mix (7 tablespoons)
- 1 cup salted butter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
The Cookie Coating
- ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup pistachios
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, ⅔ cup chopped shelled pistachios, and pistachio pudding mix. Process until the pistachios are finely ground, 15-20 seconds.1 cup confectioners’ sugar, ⅔ cup shelled pistachios, 1 3.4 ounce package pistachio pudding mix
- In a separate bowl, add the butter and beat until creamy with a mixer, approximately 1 minute on a medium-low speed. Add the ground pistachio mixture and beat until well blended, approximately 1 minute on a medium-low speed.1 cup salted butter
- Add in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and the flour mixture, beating just until combined. The resulting dough should be crumbly in appearance, like pebbles.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a ball, making sure it’s covered on all sides. Chill until firm, around 2-3 hours, but up to 24 hours in advance.
- When the dough has chilled and firmed up, remove it from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature until it softens up a bit, around 45 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough into even sizes. Optional: roll each piece between your palms to form a ball. I leave mine with a flat bottom.
- Very lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the balls 1-1 ½ inches apart on baking sheets - they don't need a lot of room because they don’t spread out as they bake.
- Bake until the edges of the cookies barely begin to brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for around 5-7 minutes.
- Make the powdered sugar coating. Add ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and ¼ cup pistachios to the food processor. Process until the pistachios are finely ground and powdery. Set aside.⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar, ¼ cup pistachios
- Roll each cookie in the confectioners’ sugar and pistachio mixture while still slightly warm. Repeat until all the cookies are coated.
Christina Koncker
I love this Pistachio Snowball Cookie recipe any old time, but the lovely green hue makes them a suitable dessert for holiday tables (think Christmas and Easter!). Plus they make the perfect gift for pistachio lovers.