Cherry Walnut Snowball Cookies
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy
Classic snowball cookies get a flavor upgrade with cherries and walnuts. These Cherry Walnut Snowball Cookies will make the perfect addition to your Christmas cookie platter and holiday dessert table.
Snowball Cookies with a Cherry Twist
Everyone knows of the classic snowball cookies, right? (You may also know them as Russian Tea Cakes.) These were a staple on Christmas cookie trays when I was growing up. I was never a fan of them as a kid but as an adult, I enjoy them. To make them a bit more interesting, I thought we could put a twist on the classic recipe and turn them into Cherry Walnut Snowball Cookies.
With the help of maraschino cherries, toasted walnuts, almond extract, and some edible glitter, these snowball cookies have a fresh new take. With the added flavor, color, and touch of holiday sparkle, these are a must-bake for this holiday season.
Why you’ll enjoy this recipe:
Here are a few reasons to dub these cherry walnut snowball cookies a must-bake!
- They are simple to make. There is no fussing with frosting, decorations, or sandwiching things together.
- They are classic with a twist. Everyone loves a classic. This cookie has familiarity but still feels fresh and special.
- They look like a snowball. I’m all about adding different colors, textures, and shapes to my Christmas cookie trays. This does all three.
Ready to give these fancy cookies a go? Let’s gather up the ingredients and then it’s onto the recipe!
Want more Christmas Cookie Recipes? Try these:
- Shortbread Wreath Cookies
- Italian Sprinkle Christmas Cookies
- Cream Wafer Sandwich Cookies
- Orange Almond Sugar Cookies
- Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients:
Here’s what you’ll need to make these cherry walnut snowball cookies.
- maraschino cherries – I buy the stemless to make things easier. Be sure to dry them on a paper towel to avoid excess liquid in your dough.
- unsalted butter
- confectioners’ sugar
- almond and vanilla extracts – Both of these add great flavor. Almond extract always makes me think of Christmas.
- all-purpose flour
- toasted walnuts – You can quickly toast these in a pan on your stove over medium heat. Once you smell them you know they are ready.
- red edible glitter – I love the color and shine this adds. Info on where to buy it is in the FAQ below.
How to Bake:
I’ll walk you through the steps for making these cookies here. I’ve also provided a detailed ingredient list and instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place chopped cherries on a paper towel. Pat dry.
- Beat the butter for about one minute. Add confectioners’ sugar, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
- Beat until combined.
- Add in the flour, walnut, and maraschino cherries. Beat to combine.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.
- Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 18 minutes or until the bottoms just start to brown.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for five minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar with red edible glitter.
- Roll the warm cookies in the confectioners’ sugar and red edible glitter mix.
- Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Before packing and storing in an air-tight container, roll again in the confectioners’ sugar and red edible glitter mix.
That’s it!
Aren’t they a thing of beauty? I’m obsessed.
As mentioned above, I definitely recommend rolling them in the confectioners’ sugar mix twice. It makes for a really beautiful coating.
Looking for more festive Christmas ideas? Check out my list of 150+ Creative Christmas Ideas. There is endless holiday inspiration!
Now, to answer a couple of questions…
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where did you get the edible red glitter?
I found mine HERE. It worked really well. Highly recommend. You may also be able to find it at a specialty cake supply store.
How to Store:
You have a couple of options for storing these snowball cookies.
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
- Freezer: Store in an airtight freezer container for up to three months.
Can I use a different nut?
I really recommend walnuts for this recipe, though you could use pecans.
Time to Bake!
And that’s a wrap on these cherry walnut snowball cookies. Do you think you’ll give them a try? I sure hope so!
If you do, I’d love to see the results! Share on Instagram and tag me at @inspiredbycharm.
Happy holidays and happy baking!
Love this recipe and want more?
Join the IBC Mailing List to get all of my recipes, projects, and ideas sent straight to your inbox! I hope you’ll also follow along on Instagram and TikTok for daily updates and behind-the-scenes looks at my process. There’s even more inspiration on Facebook and Pinterest!
Have you tried this recipe? Follow me on Instagram, then share YOUR dish with #myIBC and tag @inspiredbycharm. It’s fun to see how folks are using recipes from IBC
Cherry Walnut Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped maraschino cherries
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
To decorate:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 – 2 teaspoons red edible glitter
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Place chopped cherries on a paper towel. Pat dry.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) beat the butter for about one minute. Add ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, then the almond extract and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. (Scrape the bowl as needed.)
- Add in the flour, walnut, and maraschino cherries. Beat to combine.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 18 minutes or until the bottoms just start to brown.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for five minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar with your desired amount of red edible glitter.
- Roll the warm cookies in the confectioners’ sugar and red edible glitter mix. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Before packing and storing them in an air-tight container, you made need to roll the cookies again in the confectioners’ sugar and red edible glitter mix.
What about using dries tart cherries. Have a huge bag that soneone gave me. Want to use up.
My Mom started making these back in the early 50’s and gifted her friends with tins of them. We didn’t do the sprinkles. I’ve noticed that a lot of folks make them too big. You should be able to just pop one in your mouth. If it’s so big that you bite into it, powdered sugar flies everywhere LOL! They are very fragrant while baking and always stir up fond Christmas memories for me.
These are adorable and look totally do-able. Thanks for that! Plus, from a reader’s perspective, I love the section on Why You Should Make These Cookies. You’ve knocked it out of the park again, Santa Jr.