Delightful jam-filled Pecan Snowball Cookies are one of the easiest holiday cookie recipes you’ll try, with buttery pecan cookie dough and your favorite fruit preserves.
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I’m a huge Raspberry Jam lover. We always have a jar on hand, and usually a few other colorful fruit preserves too. That’s why I originally made these jewel-toned pecan shortbread cookies for Christmas one year. They’re a scrumptious holiday treat that everyone enjoys.
I especially love to make these pecan snowball cookies because they’re so easy. Around the holidays, there are so many delicious things to make and try that it’s nice to have a few tried-and-true, simple recipes to turn to. Since these cookies are filled with premade jam or jelly and a simple pecan cookie dough, they’re fun and easy to make.
Update: I’ve updated the post and recipe with new photos and tips for the best buttery pecan and jam cookies you’ve ever made!
How to Make Pecan Snowball Cookies
This snowball cookie recipe is incredibly simple. It’s also a fantastic baking project to get kids involved in the kitchen. They can mix up the pecan cookie dough and fill the snowball cookies with their favorite jam or jelly after baking.
I like to think of this cookie recipe as a pecan sandies recipe for the holidays. The colorful and sweet jam filling gives them a festive look and flavor. But the buttery, nutty and crumbly pecan sandies qualities are all there.
Filling Ideas for Jam Thumbprint Cookies
You can use any jar of preserves that’s hanging out in the fridge to fill your pecan snowball cookies. We also love orange marmalade and cherry preserves. It’s also fun to use a mixture of different colored jams for a beautiful dessert presentation.
If you want to go all-out and make the cookies entirely from scratch, we have an excellent recipe for simple Blackberry Jam that’s perfect with pecan.
Making Pecan Snowball Cookie Cups
Cookie cups are our favorite way to enjoy tender, soft cookies with a special filling inside. They’re adorable, fun to eat and much easier to assemble than cookie cutter cookies.
There’s no need to roll out the dough or cut out delicate shapes. Instead, you simply chill the dough until it’s firm enough to handle then roll portions into muffin tin-sized balls. I like to use a #50 scoop to ensure evenly sized cookies. You can also use a tablespoon measure.
Place the cookie dough balls into a greased mini muffin tin and give each one a deep indent for jam. Then, when the baked cookies are mostly cool, shower them with powdered sugar and fill them up with plenty of jam!
More Cookie Cup Recipes
Once you’re hooked on cookie cups, give these recipes a try:
- Lemon Bar Cookie Cups are delicate, bright and the perfect balance of sweet and tart for a springtime dessert.
- Oatmeal Cookie Cups are a must-try vehicle for decadent ice cream sundaes.
- Turtle Peanut Blossom Cookie Cups are another pecan-flavored dessert with a peanut butter twist
- Caramel Cashew Cookie Cups are filled with a gooey, nutty caramel center.
- Sprinkle Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups, from Two Peas and Their Pod, topped with frosting are a fun and delicious dessert for parties, potlucks, or just because!
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Jam-Filled Pecan Snowball Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup pecan halves lightly toasted* and cooled
- 2 cups powdered sugar divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ to ⅓ cups red raspberry jelly or any jam or jelly of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place pecans, ½ cup powdered sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse on and off to break up nuts, then process until the nuts are finely ground.
- Add butter a few pieces at a time, pulsing on and off to incorporate, then process until the mixture is smooth; pulse in vanilla. Add the flour and pulse machine on and off until incorporated, scraping the dough down once or twice. Process until the dough begins to form a ball.
- Remove the dough from the machine and shape into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm enough to roll into balls. Dough may be refrigerated overnight.**
- Drop one tablespoon dough (I used a #50 scoop) into each cup of a greased mini muffin tin. Using the end of a thick-handled wooden spoon make a small, deep well in the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown on the bottoms and around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.
- Sift the remaining 1 ½ cups powdered sugar over warm cookies. Immediately fill the indentations with jelly and allow to cool completely.
foodwanderings
These are adorable. Love the pecans bites. I don’t know why am thinking Mexican wedding cookies filled with jam.Maybe because I love them?! 🙂
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction
Barbara – there are adorable cookies. They look so pretty and delicious.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
Just looking at the photos makes me happy – imagine if I made them myself? 🙂
Jersey Girl Cooks
These look so good! Snowball cookies are always a favorite and adding jam to them makes them even better!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Buttery and festive! I love these cookies.
carrian
“Snow balls”! What a cute name. That alone sells me!
Valérie (Franche-Comté)
Hello Barbara, cette gourmandises sont au top de la gourmandise
Je te souhaite une agréable journée
Valérie.
Emily
Beautiful! I’ll take a dozen. Thanks. 😉
Julia
I love the way these look! They appear so festive!
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies
What a great way to make cookies…love that cookie cup. Will have to give it a try soon!
Hezzi-D
These are beautiful! I love jam filled cookies.
Katrina
Love the idea of making thumbprints in a mini muffin tin. I love thumbprints but haven’t made them for years because I always thought they were kind of a pain, but putting them in the mini muffins is so smart! And those look great!
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking
I love strawberry jam and snowballs are one of my favorite holiday cookies. What a great idea to do thumbprints!
My Inner Chick
—Just added this to my Christmas Baking.
Thank You, B <3 X
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Well aren’t these just the cutest thing ever! And you’re a very patient woman for filling all of them, mini style no less!
Elaine @ Cooking to Perfection
These are so impressive, like mini pies. 🙂 Love this idea!
Renée J. (RJ Flamingo)
Lovely! You know, I’m always looking for recipes using jam. 😉
Melissa B
So pretty! I love Christmas cookies!
saving to pinterest. =)
Rosa
Delicious and so festive! A great recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
These are so pretty! And perfect for the holidays. Lovely recipe 🙂