Classic Butter Balls

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, let’s be honest, that’s exactly what they are.  Little sugar coated balls of butter.  So simple, yet so perfect. 

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!  Keep an eye out on my Facebook and Instagram tomorrow to see me teaching them to little M as this will be here first year able to use a rolling pin!  <3

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Classic Butter Balls

A Christmas Classic! These Butter Balls, also known as Russian Tea Cakes, are so easy, but so delicious and perfect little snowball like bites of Christmas!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time8 mins

Total Time18 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 40 balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft 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.  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.