These chocolate almond cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth feel that makes them irresistible. A twist on the traditional and insanely popular holiday cookies: they have a deep chocolate flavor, can be made ahead and use few ingredients.
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This is the chocolate version of our most popular holiday cookie recipe. They're incredibly delicious, with just the perfect balance of sweetness and intense chocolate flavor.
Who doesn't need easy chocolate Christmas cookies for holiday gifting? Snowballs never disappoint and travel well, making them perfect for exchanges.
We make them with almonds, as is traditional with Mexican wedding cookies, but other recipes might call for pecans or walnuts.
For variations, we have the pecan sandies and the pistachio snowballs, which are close siblings. And they're all fantastic.
Step-by-step VIDEO
FAQ
Absolutely! I like to freeze the formed balls on the baking sheet, before baking. When rock solid, transfer them to a plastic bag, so they don't take up space in the freezer. Bake directly from the freezer. Baked cookies can also be frozen before rolling them in sugar.
They crumble too much and fall apart when they don't have enough moisture which comes from the butter. They are crumbly cookies, make no mistake about that. But they hold their shape. If you cannot take a piece of dough and form it into a moist ball you need to add more butter, maybe a few teaspoons. Adding a teaspoon of milk will also bind the dough.
The recipe you used probably had too much butter, not enough dry ingredients to hold them together, or the cookie dough was too soft when you baked them. Our recipe will render perfect cookies if you take the time to chill the dough and follow the instructions in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
These cookies have only four main ingredients. I like to add flavorings, but let me tell you now that they are amazing even without them.
- Almonds: I buy nonpareil because they are easily available and the best if you want to remove the skins. But you can use Marcona or any other you like.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Powdered sugar: also called confectioners or icing sugar. The amount is small but necessary for the melt-in-your-mouth quality of these cookies. Using granulated sugar is not an option.
- Unsalted butter.
- All-purpose flour.
- Flavorings are optional and not essential for the cookies to be delicious, but I sometimes add vanilla extract and pure almond extract for a nice depth of flavor.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
The cookie dough can be chilled for up to 3 days. It should always be well covered to prevent dryness. The unbaked dough balls can be frozen for up to a month and baked directly from the freezer.
How to make almond snowballs
This cookie recipe is made in one bowl and can be easily doubled or tripled.
- The final dough has no dry spots, is soft but slightly sticky, and spotted if using raw almonds with skin.
- Cover and chill for a few hours so the cookies don't spread too much during baking. I cover the bowl with a freezer sheet or plastic wrap.
Sifting
This is an important step when you use cocoa powder and baking powder or baking soda, as these ingredients can clump during storage.
Dough balls
Size: form balls the size of walnuts. If you make them too big, they will not bake properly. Place them an inch or so apart.
When are they done? They will crack slightly and expand very little. They will be almost firm to the touch
Coating
After the cookies are baked, they are rolled in powdered sugar while still warm (but not hot) so that the sugar adheres well.
I sometimes use part cocoa powder to roll them, creating the darker cookies you see in the photos. This makes them more intense, and the first bite is slightly more bitter, so it's not for everyone.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
Do a test run. I always recommend baking two or three cookies to find your sweet spot regarding baking time and texture. Check the baking time to ensure you don't over or underbake them. Also, see how much they expand and adjust accordingly if needed so they don't touch during baking.
Every year I decide to make homemade gifts to give to friends, and while I don't always succeed, this recipe is always one of them.
- These cookies travel well.
- They can be made ahead.
- You can flavor the dough with different spices, citrus zest, and extracts.
- They're delicious plain or glazed, as with the Pistachio Butter Balls.
- It's hard to find someone who doesn't swoon over them!
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Mixing: you should be able to make this recipe by hand with a whisk, so make sure the butter is soft and at room temperature.
- Toasting the nuts: lightly toasting the almonds adds flavor to the cookies. Be aware that it takes a few minutes to toast and a few seconds to burn. So once they go into the oven, keep an eye. It's fine to leave the skin on. They will simply crack open here and there. Let them cool down completely before grinding, or they might clump.
- Storing: the baked cookies keep very well for a few weeks if stored in an airtight container, a metal tin, or cookie jars.
- Make ahead: the dough is similar to shortbread, so you can freeze the unbaked cookie balls, well wrapped, for a month before baking. Bake directly from the freezer.
- Variations: use different nuts. Add citrus zest (lemon and orange work very well). Add mini chocolate chips. Add a spice, such as ground cinnamon or cardamom.
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Chocolate Snowball Cookies (with ground almonds)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup ground almonds, toasted if you want to (see Notes below)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, extra, for coating the cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and ¼ cup powdered sugar until creamy and smooth.
- Add ½ teaspoon almond extract and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add sifted ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 cup at a time and then ¾ cup ground almonds. Mix just until smooth and even in color.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, o until firm enough to form balls. It might take longer.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Line a baking or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll portions of cold dough between your palms to form balls. Place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are a bit golden, puffed and slightly cracked.
- Let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Place the extra ¾ cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the cookies while still warm to coat completely. Let cool down completely on a wire rack.
- Store the baked cookies in airtight containers, tins or cookie jars for a few weeks
- These cookies freeze well unbaked. When you need them, just line them up on a parchment-lined or greased baking tray, thaw, and bake.
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