A Christmas Classic! These Butter Balls, also known as Russian Tea Cakes, are so easy, but so delicious and perfect little snowball bites of Christmas!
It's the final countdowwnnn! Can you believe we're just a couple of days away? We're wrapping up our Christmas Cookie Platter Gifts for our neighbors and no cookie plate would be complete without Classic Butter Balls!
Although these are now more commonly known as Russian Tea Cakes, I prefer Butter Balls because lets be honest, that's exactly what they are. Little sugar-coated balls of butter. So simple, yet so perfect.
Recipe Video
These are up there as one of my husband's favorite cookies, which is why he has requested that we give away 99% of them, otherwise if he makes eye contact with the little snowball butter bites, we'll end up only having 1% to give away. 😛
The best thing about these cookies? They're so stinkin' easy. Less than 20 mins and you'll have dozens of Butter Balls ready to decorate any cookie tray.
May your Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or whatever you observe) be filled with many delicious treats! Now that we've finished all of our cookie baking, we're ready for the rest of our Christmas Cooking Traditions. Next up, Christmas Eve Pierogis!
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Classic Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup soft unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar + 1/4-1/2 cup more for dusting
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl mix together butter, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla until well incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. Stir into butter mixture. Add walnuts and mix.
- Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on un-greased cookie sheets. They don't spread so they don't need to be spaced far apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a minute or two, then add another 1/4-1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar to a small bowl and then roll just out of the oven balls in sugar (don't worry, they wont fully coat, yet). Let cool and then roll again to get the full sugary coating.
Awesomeness ,so easy and so good !
So happy to hear it, Karen! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Hello
I'm making the butter ball cookie recipe, do not know why but the butter and sugar plus vanilla added to flour is so dry I can't mix it into dough???
Hi Chris, did you mix the butter, sugar, and vanilla first before adding the sifted flour?
how do you keep them if you're making them like 2 or 3 weeks ahead?
Won't they get all wet in the freezer? How about putting them in a tight tupperware in the frig?
Hi Sandie! For anything more than 2 weeks, I'd freeze. Just be sure they cool completely and then store in a freezer-safe container. Or in an airtight Tupperware for up to 2 weeks before. 🙂
I followed the instructions about coating them with more confectioners sugar out of the oven- and they fell apart. Do you have any idea why they did that? Should I wait a few minutes before coating.
Hi Melissa, I'm sorry that wasn't clear - they should cool a minute or two before the first coating and then fully cool for the second.
Hi Tracy, just found your recipe and wanting to try this year. Do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. You do not indicate either and sometimes it makes a difference in the taste.
Thanks
Hi Deborah! GREAT question, thank you! I just updated the recipe card to note that it is unsalted butter - but you could use salted butter and then just omit the added salt. Thanks again for asking and enjoy!!
I refrigerate my dough for at least an hour before rolling. And let almost completely cool before rolling.
Melissa.…..I make these all the time an this is my exact recipe however the cooking temperature and time is not the same an I believe that's why yours fell apart. I cook mine at 325 for 20 minutes. They do not burn on the bottom an they don't fall apart. Good luck !
I just made a batch and the first one I touched out of the oven disintegrated in. my hand. I waited 3 minutes and tried it again and it worked perfectly. One thing.that might help is using 2 tablespoons to scoop up the cookie, roll it and put it back on the cookie sheet. BTW,this recipe is perfection. I put one in my mouth and had a flashback to being a kid
Why did my recipe flatten out?
Oh no, sorry that happened, Helen. What that means is your butter was probably too soft which means it melted in the oven causing the cookies to flatten. To help prevent this in the future, you can cool your cookie dough in the fridge before baking.
Can I make the recipe and refrigerate the dough for a day or two?
1 day, yes! Just store it in the fridge. Then when you’re ready to use just take the dough out about 30 minutes before you’re ready to roll into balls.
Thank you. What about freezing balls before baking for a few days?
Yup!
Can these be frozen after making to be kept for a few days before serving? I want to make a week before Christmas.
Id like to know this as well plz
Hi Jen! Updated the recipe to state that it's for unsalted but you can use salted, too and just omit the added salt!
This is the exact same recipe my mom used. 🙂
These were so tasty I'm adding them to my holiday treats box this year!! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed them, Aline!
If you are like me and wondering about the different results of confectioners vs granulated, this from the Web may be helpful to those who prefer melt in your mouth vs crispy:
“When creaming butter and sugar, granulated sugar's larger crystals incorporate more air into doughs than confectioners' sugar. A cookie made with granulated sugar will be crispy while one made with powdered sugar will be tender and melt-in-your-mouth.” Then use confectioners sugar/10x just for dusting. I see and use both versions of this recipe and finally discovered why the cookies turn out differently depending upon which type of sugar is used with the butter. Continued sweet success to you all.
Thanks so much for sharing, Lorraine!! Great information!
Yummy
Most old fashion recipe for Butter Ball Cookies require after mixture place in refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Thereafter they should form into balls.
Hi Helen! You're right - they do! But this busy mom doesn't have time for that, so this is my cheat 😉
Are you able to make dough and let it set over night?
This is a slight variation on the Butter Balls that I make. My favourite cookie, since childhood. 🙂
Aww that's great! There's nothing better than childhood favorites!
My grandmother always made these for the holidays, the only thing she did different was a half a cherry in the middle. Omg so good and I hate walnuts but I love these.
Oooh half a cherry, what a great idea!!! Love recipes that remind us of our grandmothers!
I have made these for years. It is the first thing my son asks for. Presents are not a big thing.
I use pecans in my butter ball cookies makes a huge difference in tast much much yummier if that is a word LOL
Hi Jane! Oh YUM that actually does sound really good!! And yummier is definitley a word 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
These are such a great classic that don't get made often enough! Can't wait to make these for the holidays!
Oh yum. This sound deliciously indulgent.
You are right these butter balls sound so easy. Def want to add them to my Christmas cookie list!
These look fabulous, and they sound so simple to make too! I'll be adding these to our Christmas sweet list this year!
These are delicious, easy-to-make amd melt-in-your mouth treats! A favourite part of Christmas for me.
These Butter Balls look like the perfect Holidays sweet treat for sure! I love it!
These would be such a great addition to the cookie tray! and the kids would love making these.
They're super fun to make with kids!
Hmm these look good. They must taste similar to shortbread bread cookies as they kind of have similar ingredients.
A little bit - but different texture 🙂
These are the perfect bite-sized treat for the holidays!
Just a pop in your mouth treat!
These look so good and so simple! I just put up my Christmas tree and am now craving Christmas cookies!
I would love to have a couple of these with my morning coffee right now!!
Ooooh Felesha you are genius! Coffee and butter balls, of course!
My dough is flakey and won't form a ball. What do
i do?
Try adding a little more butter!
These cookies look delicious and so easy to make! YUM!
SO easy!
These are one of my favorite parts of Christmas!
Thanks Juli, mine too!