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These chocolate snowball cookies are the coziest little bite-sized treat you’ll make this holiday season. They’re soft, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookies filled with mini chocolate chips and rolled twice in powdered sugar for that signature snowy look. Think Mexican wedding cookies, but rich, chocolatey, and upgraded for the chocolate lovers in your life.
They’re perfect for Christmas cookie boxes, gifting, or late-night hot cocoa dipping. And the best part? You only need a handful of pantry ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands-on work. They’re truly foolproof.
These came from a craving. I wanted something fudgy and chocolatey but with the soft, buttery, shortbread texture of my classic snowball cookies with pecans. So I turned my regular snowballs into a chocolate version and swapped the pecans for mini chocolate chips. The result was melt-in-your-mouth, double-chocolate snowballs that everyone devoured in minutes. They’re officially my new holiday favorite.
Why This Recipe Works
- Chocolate upgrade on a nostalgic classic: A richer, deeper version of the snowball cookies we all grew up eating.
- Zero chill time: Mix, roll, bake, done.
- Perfect texture: No eggs and powdered sugar in the dough give you soft, buttery centers that melt in your mouth.
- Freezer-friendly: You can prep them ahead for the holidays.
- Stunning for cookie boxes: They look like little cocoa snowballs.
Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: Softened so it creams properly and gives that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Powdered sugar: Goes both in the dough and on the outside for the snowy coating.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Adds that rich chocolate flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Balances the chocolate.
- Mini chocolate chips: GUARANTEED to make these addictive. Mini chips blend in so every bite has chocolate.
Flour and salt round it out. Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sugar-free: Use a sugar-free powdered sweetener (like Swerve or Lakanto) in place of the powdered sugar and choose sugar-free mini chocolate chips. The texture stays very similar to the original.
- Gluten-free: Replace the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I recommend one that contains xanthan gum for the closest texture to traditional snowball cookies.
- Vegan: Use vegan butter and dairy-free mini chocolate chips. The cookies still hold their shape and have that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Mix-ins: Keep the chocolate base and try chopped dried cherries for a Black Forest vibe, chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch, mini peanut butter chips, or crushed pretzels for a salty-sweet snowball.
- Peppermint: Fold in crushed peppermint candies for a festive twist. If you love chocolate and peppermint together, my peppermint bark cookies are a must.
- Lemon: Want a bright version for spring? Try my lemon snowball cookies.
How to Make Chocolate Snowball Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the bowl.
- Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix. Stopping as soon as the flour disappears keeps them tender.
- Fold in the chocolate chips. Fold the mini chocolate chips into the dough.
- Shape the dough. Scoop 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll into 1-inch balls, and place them on a lined baking sheet. Let them rest while you preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Bake. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until set but still soft. Don’t overbake.
- Roll in powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool slightly, then roll them in powdered sugar.
- Coat them again. Cool completely on a wire rack, then roll them in powdered sugar a second time for a thick snowy finish.
A quick note about the photos: You’ll notice the cookies look a little thicker in some of the step photos. That’s because I updated this recipe after re-testing it this year. The new version bakes up just slightly less thick, giving the centers a softer, melt-in-your-mouth texture without losing that classic snowball shape. The process is the same, but the final texture is even better now!
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the double sugar coat! The first layer melts slightly and acts like glue so the second layer sticks beautifully.
- Let them cool before the second coat, or the sugar will melt and clump.
- Keep the dough small. Tiny balls bake evenly without spreading too much.
- Use mini chocolate chips. Regular chips are too big and change the texture of the cookies.
- Pick your baking surface. Cookies spread less on a silicone mat, so use one for a thicker, rounder snowball, or parchment for a little more spread and a softer bite.
Holiday Cookie Box Ideas
These snowballs make any cookie box look extra festive. Pack them with my powdered sugar dusted melting moments cookies, piped Danish butter cookies, and a pop of color from my festive marbled Christmas sugar cookies or Grinch sugar cookies. You’ll find even more holiday baking in my easy Christmas recipes.
Chocolate Snowball Cookies FAQs
Chocolate snowball cookies are made without eggs and use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar, which gives them that soft, delicate, sandy texture.
Chocolate snowball cookies need enough butter to bind the flour and cocoa together. If they’re cracking, the dough might be too dry. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of butter or cream.
Yes! Chocolate snowball cookies freeze beautifully before or after baking. Freeze the baked cookies without the powdered sugar and roll them after thawing.
Mini chips are best for chocolate snowball cookies. Regular chips make the dough too chunky and can cause cracking.
Store chocolate snowball cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator for a little over a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. I do this often when preparing Christmas cookie boxes.
More Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies
If you made these Chocolate Snowball Cookies, tell me how many made it into the cookie box (and how many you ate first)! Leave a ⭐ star rating and a comment below!
Chocolate Snow Ball Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix well.1 & 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add in the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and mix to combine. Make sure to not overmix the cookie dough. Fold in mini chocolate chips.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- Scoop 1 tablespoon worth of cookie dough, and shape into 1-inch balls and place them on the baking sheet. Set aside, while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat (read the notes)
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, until set but still soft. Don't over bake.
- Allow cookies to cool slightly, then roll them in powdered sugar to coat. Place those on a wire rack to cool down fully before rolling in powdered sugar for the second time.
Notes
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Recipe Notes
- Parchment vs. silicone mat: Your cookies will spread less when baked on a silicone baking mat. If you prefer a slightly thicker, rounder snowball, use a silicone mat. For a touch more spreading and a softer texture, parchment works great.
- Letting the dough rest: Allowing the shaped cookie dough balls to rest on the tray while the oven preheats helps them stay a little thicker and keeps the centers extra tender.
- About the photos vs. the updated recipe: You’ll notice the cookies in the step-by-step photos look very thick. After re-testing, I updated the recipe so the baked cookies are just slightly less thick, giving them a softer bite and a richer, melt-in-your-mouth texture. These changes make the final version even better!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
