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Gluten Free Snowball Cookies

Gluten free snowball cookies are tender, buttery pecan cookies baked until set and coated twice in powdered sugar. Chill the dough before scooping for neat, round cookies with a soft, delicate crumb.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 17 minutes
Servings: 36 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 130
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup butter unsalted, softened
  • 1.5 cups powdered sugar divided (1/2 cup for the dough and 1 cup for coating)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
  • 2.25 cups gluten-free baking flour 1-to-1 with xanthan gum, spooned and leveled
  • 0.25 tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup pecans finely chopped

Equipment

  • 1 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 18x13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes; beat in the vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour and salt, then add to the butter mixture and mix just until combined; stir in the pecans.
  4. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, until firm enough to scoop.
  5. Scoop the dough into 1-tablespoon portions and roll into balls; arrange about 18 balls on the prepared baking sheet, keeping the remaining dough chilled.
  6. Bake each batch at 350°F for 12–15 minutes, until the cookies are set and their bottoms are very lightly golden.
  7. Cool the cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let the sheet cool completely before baking the next batch.
  8. Put the 1 cup reserved powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and gently roll the warm cookies in it to coat, returning excess sugar to the bowl.
  9. Once the cookies are completely cool, roll them in the remaining powdered sugar for a second coating.

Notes

For evenly sized cookies, scoop each portion with a tablespoon measure and keep the remaining dough chilled between batches. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days; freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free variation, use dairy-free butter sticks.