Italian Wedding Cookies, also known as Italian Butterballs or Snowball Cookies, are a traditional favorite in Italian cuisine. These delightful treats are often served at weddings, holidays, and special occasions, but their simple yet rich flavor makes them perfect for any time of the year.
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Italian Wedding Cookies are bite-sized, buttery, and crumbly cookies coated in powdered sugar. They have a melt-in-your-mouth texture that comes from a generous amount of butter and finely ground nuts. These cookies are made with almonds giving them a delightful nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with their sweet, sugary coating.
These delicious cookies would look elegant on a cookie platter accompanied with Homemade Biscotti, Oreo Balls, or Homemade Milano Cookies. These cookies are perfect to deliver to neighbors or serve at a gathering.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- With their simple ingredients and straightforward preparation, these cookies are easy to make.
- The combination of a crumbly, buttery cookie and a soft, sugary coating is irresistible.
- They can be enjoyed year-round and are perfect for festive occasions.
Recipe Ingredients
- Almonds: Nutty and rich, almonds add both flavor and crunch to recipes.
- Powdered sugar: This fine sugar lends a delicate sweetness without the grittiness of granulated sugar.
- Butter: Providing moisture and richness, room temperature butter ensures a smooth and creamy texture when mixed.
- Salt: A pinch of salt enhances other flavors and balances the overall sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a fragrant aroma and classic flavor that complements most baked goods.
- Flour: The backbone of many baked items, it gives structure and body to the recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Italian Wedding Cookies
Step #1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Toast almonds on a baking sheet for 5 minutes until golden. Allow to cool, then blend into a coarse flour using a food processor.
Step #2. In a large bowl, cream together ½ cup powdered sugar and 1 cup butter until light and fluffy. Mix in ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Step #3. Gradually blend in 1 cup flour to form a soft dough. Fold in the ground toasted almonds.
Step #4. Roll dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes until bottoms are slightly browned. Once slightly cooled, coat cookies in sifted powdered sugar and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! While traditional recipes often use almonds, pecans, or walnuts, you can experiment with other nuts like hazelnuts or pistachios.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Just be sure to roll them in powdered sugar again after thawing.
If your cookies are too dry, it might be due to overbaking or using too much flour. Be sure to measure your flour correctly and bake the cookies until they are just set.
Expert Tips
- Ensure your butter is soft but not melted. This helps in achieving the perfect cookie texture.
- The finer the nuts, the better the cookie texture. You can use a food processor to achieve this.
- For that classic snowy appearance, roll the cookies in powdered sugar twice – once while warm and once when cooled.
What To Serve With Italian Wedding Cookies
More Cookie Recipes To Consider
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Italian wedding cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Additional powdered sugar for coating
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and toast for about 5 minutes, or until they’re lightly golden and aromatic. Be sure to keep an eye on them to avoid burning.
- Once toasted, allow the almonds to cool completely.
- Once the almonds are cooled add them to a food processor or high powered blender and blend to a coarse flour. It should look uniform in size and color. Stir the mixture often and scrape down the sides as needed. Just don’t over blend or you’ll start to make almond butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup powdered sugar and 1 cup butter. Use a mixer with the paddle attachment to cream them together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Continue mixing until these ingredients are well incorporated.
- Gradually add 1 cup flour to the butter mixture, continue to mix until it’s smoothly blended into a soft dough.
- Fold in the coarsely ground toasted almonds, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to scoop out portions of dough (a generous tablespoons). Roll them into balls and place them onto a cookie sheet, spaced adequately apart to allow for slight spreading.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them – they should be just starting to show a hint of brown at the bottom.
- Allow the cookies to cool slightly, then roll them in sifted powdered sugar until they are well-coated. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before mixing to achieve a smooth and well-incorporated dough.
- Be consistent with the size of each cookie to ensure even baking. Adjust the baking time if you make your cookies larger or smaller.
- These Italian Wedding Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They can also be frozen; just allow them to thaw at room temperature before serving.
- If you’d like to experiment with different flavors, try substituting the almonds with other nuts like pecans or hazelnuts, following the same toasting and grinding steps.
- If you are making these ahead of time, the cookies kind of absorb the powdered sugar. So I like to reroll them in powdered sugar before I serve them the next day so that they look nice and fresh.
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