Cherry Snowball Cookies

Cherry Snowball Cookies – buttery, tender cookies studded with sweet cherries, rolled in coconut and walnuts for extra texture. Coated twice in powdered sugar, they look just like festive snowballs with a hint of pink inside. Easy to make yet impressive on any holiday table, these cookies are a sweet treat everyone will love!

Love More Cherry Desserts ? Try My Cherry Pie Bars or this Chocolate Cherry Upside Down Cake next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Soft, tender, and perfectly balanced with just the right touch of fruity sweetness from the cherries. They have a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes them irresistible without being overly sweet. Plus, they freeze beautifully—so you can always keep a batch ready for holidays or gifts.

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Ingredient List

For the Cookies:

• 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup quick-cooking oats
• ¼ cup finely chopped sweetened coconut
• ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 pinch salt
• 15 maraschino cherries, finely chopped

Notes:

• Don’t use margarine, it tastes weird
• The quick oats are important – regular ones don’t work the same
• Pat the cherries dry or your cookies will be soggy

Why These Ingredients Work

Honestly, I have no idea why this combination works so well, but it does. The oats give them this chewy-but-soft texture that’s different from regular cookies. The coconut isn’t really noticeable but adds something. And those cherries turn everything this pretty pink color that makes people think you’re fancy.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Nothing special:

• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Regular mixing bowl
• Cookie sheet
• Parchment paper (don’t skip this)
• A bowl for the sugar rolling

How To Make Cherry Snowball Cookies

Step 1: Prep Your Workspace

Heat your oven to 350°F. Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet. I always forget this step and regret it later.

Step 2: Create the Butter Base

Mix ¼ cup of the powdered sugar with the soft butter. Beat it until it looks smooth. Mine usually takes a few minutes.

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients

Add the flour first, then the oats, coconut, nuts, and salt. Mix after each one but don’t go crazy with it.

Step 4: Mix in the Cherries

Throw in the chopped cherries and mix until the dough turns pink. This part is kind of fun to watch happen.

Step 5: Shape and Place

Scoop the dough onto your cookie sheet. I space them about 2 inches apart because they spread a little.

Step 6: Bake to Perfection

Bake for 18 minutes. They should be just barely golden on the edges. Don’t leave them in too long or they get hard.

Step 7: The Magic Sugar Coating

This is the important part – roll them in the leftover powdered sugar while they’re still hot. Then roll them again. Hot cookies hold the sugar better.

You Must Know

You have to roll them while they’re hot. I made the mistake of letting them cool once and the sugar just fell right off. Learned that lesson the hard way.

Personal Secret: I always chop way more cherries than I need because I eat half of them while I’m making the cookies.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Your butter should be soft enough to dent with your finger but not melting
• Roll them twice in sugar – once isn’t enough
• Don’t make the cherry pieces too big or they’ll fall out
• Room temperature stuff mixes easier

Flavor Variations

Different berries: I’ve tried this with dried cranberries and it was good but more tart.

Almond version: Add some almond extract if you’re into that flavor.

With chocolate: Mini chocolate chips work but then they’re not really snowballs anymore.

Make-Ahead Options

The dough sits fine in the fridge for a couple days if you cover it. Just let it warm up a bit before you try to scoop it.

I freeze the finished cookies all the time. They thaw out fine and you can roll them in fresh sugar if they look sad.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Sometimes the dough looks like it’s not going to come together but it always does once you add the cherries. If it seems too crumbly, add another cherry or two.

Don’t ask me why the oats work in this recipe because I don’t know, but they do. Regular cookies don’t have the same texture.

Serving Suggestions

Good for:

• When you need to bring something somewhere
• Coffee in the afternoon
• Giving away in tins at Christmas
• Whenever you want people to think you’re a good baker

They look nice on a plate with some fake snow or whatever decorations you have.

How to Store Your Cherry Snowball Cookies

I keep them in a big plastic container with a tight lid. They stay good for about a week if they last that long.

For the freezer, I use freezer bags and they keep for months. Just let them thaw out and dust with more sugar if they need it.

Allergy Information

Has: Wheat, nuts, dairy

Can try instead:

• Gluten-free flour seems to work
• Fake butter is fine
• Leave out nuts or use seeds instead

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use regular cherries?

No, they’re too wet and make the cookies weird. Stick with the jar kind.

Mine fell apart, what did I do?

Probably your butter was too melted or you didn’t measure the flour right.

Do I need the coconut?

Not really, but it makes them taste better even though you can’t really tell it’s there.

How small do I chop the cherries?

Small enough that they don’t fall out but big enough that you can taste them.

💬 Did you make these? Let me know how they turned out! Drop a comment below. I especially want to hear if you tried any of the flavor variations – the almond cherry ones are calling my name for my next batch!