These Pistachio Snowball Cookies take everything you love about a classic tea cake cookies and give them a really delicious pistachio twist. The cookies are buttery, tender, and packed with finely chopped pistachios. They’re topped with a sweet vanilla icing, and the combination is nutty, delicate, and just lightly sweet. They look so pretty on a Christmas cookie tray!
If you’ve ever had a snowball cookie, you already have a good idea of the texture we’re going for with these pistachio cookies. They’re a tender, crumbly, almost melt in your mouth texture because the cookie base is a nice buttery shortbread. The texture is what makes these holiday cookies so good!
Instead of coating our baked cookies in powdered sugar, we’re dipping the tops in a sweet vanilla icing. It adds a little extra sweetness, and makes the cookies extra pretty too.
Why my Pistachio Snowball Cookies are the best
- Real Pistachio Flavor: The cookies have 1 cup of finely chopped pistachios in the cookies to give them the best nutty, pistachio flavor.
- Only 6 Ingredients: You probably already have all the ingredients needed to make these cookies! They’re one of the easiest Christmas cookies you can make!
- Melt in your Mouth Texture: These cookies are so buttery, and made with powdered sugar in the dough that keeps the cookies extra tender, and melt in your mouth in every bite!
- Perfect for Sharing: The cookies are small little bites, they’re great for your Christmas cookie plates, or for a cookie exchange or party dessert table.
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Pistachio Snowball Cookie Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter: Let it soften to room temperature so it will mix easily with the powdered sugar
- Powdered Sugar: This gives the cookies their tender and delicate texture
- Almond Extract: Just a little almond extract complements the pistachio flavor well.
- Pistachios: Buy a bag of shelled pistachios to save your fingers and save yourself time.
- Green Food Coloring: This is optional, the pistachios give a little green color, but not much, so if you want it a little more noticeable, add a few drops.
How to Make Wedding Cookies with Pistachios?
Step 1: Finely chop the Pistachios. You’ll want a variety of sizes in the pistachio pieces, but you’ll want most of them small enough that they can mix nicely and evenly throughout the dough.
Step 2: Make the Cookie Dough. Add the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract to a stand mixer and mix until they are combined. Add in the flour, and salt and mix it into the dough just until it all comes together. Then add in your chopped pistachios and mix them evenly into the dough.
Step 3: Roll into Balls. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place them in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to make sure your cookies don’t spread too much.
Step 4: Bake the Cookies. Bake the cookies on cookie sheets, 1 inch apart from each other for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are set and you can see the bottoms are golden brown. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Add the Icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla icing, and salt until you have an icing that is thin enough to dip in, but thick enough not to run. Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and place them back on the cooling rack to let the icing set.
Tips and Tricks
- Pistachios: You can finely chop your pistachios in a food processor, but you have to be careful with it. Use short pulses and stop before it becomes a crumb.
- Carefully measure the flour: Weigh the flour, or spoon and level it into your measuring cup to prevent too much flour from getting mixed into the dough, and the cookies turning out dry.
- Chill the Dough: You can chill the cookie dough in the ball for an hour or two, or if its thick enough to handle you can roll them into cookie dough balls and chill for only 30 minutes. Don’t skip the chilling though or the cookies will spread more than you want.
Storage Instructions
The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or you can store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
The baked cookies can also be frozen (before or with the icing on top). I recommend flash freezing the cookies in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet, then transfer them to a freezer safe container or bag, and you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge or on the counter.
These Pistachio Snowball Cookies are a fun twist on your classic snowball cookies. They keep the buttery, melt in your mouth texture, but the pistachio flavor makes them feel extra special. They’re perfect to add to your holiday baking because they’re easy to make, and will stand out on your cookie trays!
More Cookie Recipes
- Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Christmas Magic Cookie Bars
- Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- Christmas Cookies in a Jar
- Lemon Snowball Cookies
If you try these Pistachio Snowball Cookies, please leave a 🌟 rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Pistachio Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
For the Pistachio Cookies:
- 1 cup Finely Chopped Pistachios
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
For the Vanilla Icing:
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 TBS Heavy Cream
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 dash Salt
Instructions
For the Pistachio Cookies:
- Chop the pistachios finely with a sharp knife, or add them to a food processor and pulse. You don't want a sandy texture, but you want a mix of sizes, mostly small pieces that will mix evenly in the dough. 1 cup Finely Chopped Pistachios
- Add the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl or stand mixer and beat it for 1 to 2 minutes, until its smooth and creamy. 1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add in the flour, and salt and mix it into the butter mixture until just combined. 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp Salt
- Add in the pistachio pieces and gently mix them into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Scoop the dough into 1 TBS portions (about 20g of dough each) and roll them into balls, about 1 inch in size. Place them on a lined baking sheet and place the sheet in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner, and place the cookies on the sheet 1 inch apart.
- Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are light brown, and the tops are set.
- Cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Vanilla Icing:
- Whisk together the ingredients for the icing in a small bowl until smooth. 1 cup Powdered Sugar, 2 TBS Heavy Cream, 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1 dash Salt
- Dip the tops of the cookies into the icing and then flip them over and set them back on the cookie sheet until the icing is set.
Notes
- Pistachios: You can finely chop your pistachios in a food processor, but you have to be careful with it. Use short pulses and stop before it becomes a crumb.
- Carefully measure the flour: Weigh the flour, or spoon and level it into your measuring cup to prevent too much flour from getting mixed into the dough, and the cookies turning out dry.
- Chill the Dough: You can chill the cookie dough in the ball for an hour or two, or if its thick enough to handle you can roll them into cookie dough balls and chill for only 30 minutes. Don’t skip the chilling though or the cookies will spread more than you want.
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