These cherry snowball cookies are made with powdered sugar, butter, oats, coconut, walnuts, and chopped maraschino cherries. Buttery, soft, and sweet with a festive twist.
When I was eight, my aunt Susan used to let me sit at her counter while she baked. She had this ancient tin of Christmas cookie cutters—like, honestly, I think one of them was supposed to be a bell but looked suspiciously like a pear? Anyway, she’d hand me a tiny spoonful of dough and let me “help” (which usually meant making a mess and licking my fingers when I wasn’t supposed to).
But these cherry snowball cookies? They weren’t part of that tin tradition. I didn’t discover them until years later. I was newly married, living in a drafty apartment with beige carpet and zero insulation, trying to feel festive with like $11 in my bank account and half a stick of butter in my fridge.
I made them on a whim. I’d bought a jar of maraschino cherries for something (no idea what—maybe a cocktail I never made?), and found this old handwritten note in a cookbook from a thrift store. It just said “Cherry Snowballs – roll in sugar” and listed a few ingredients. No instructions. No context. I followed it with my usual “Eh, this’ll probably work” energy.
Remember it later!
Planning to try this recipe soon? Pin it for a quick find later!
Remember it later!
Planning to try this recipe soon? Pin it for a quick find later!
The first batch came out slightly burnt. The second batch was too pink. But the third one? That batch tasted like joy. Like something warm in the middle of cold. A little chewy. But still soft. A little nutty. But not too much. And those cherries? Sweet and bright and way more comforting than they had any right to be.
Now, I make them every December. Sometimes in January too, if we’re being honest. They’re that kind of cookie. Not perfect. Just nostalgic and happy and a little bit magic.
Here’s a quick peek at what’s inside:
Table of content
Why You’ll Love This Cherry Snowball Cookies Recipe?
I’ll be real—these aren’t trendy. You won’t see them going viral on TikTok or made into a 12-layer cookie tower by some YouTuber with a ring light and perfect nails. But that’s kind of why I love them.
They’re old-school in the best way. You get that buttery, shortbread-like base, but then—bam!—a bite of sweet cherry. It’s surprising, but in a “wait, why haven’t I had this before?” kind of way. And they’re rolled in powdered sugar which, let’s be honest, makes them look way fancier than the effort you actually put in.
They’re cozy. And slightly messy. And very much “grandma’s kitchen” but in the warmest, most comforting way.
Ingredient Notes:
This is not one of those recipes where you need twelve specialty flours or golden Himalayan salt. We’re sticking to the basics, but each ingredient does matter. And if you swap something? That’s cool too. I’ll tell you what’s worth fussing over and what’s not.
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Powdered Sugar (1¼ cups, divided): Use the good stuff here. Not because it changes the flavor dramatically—but because you’ll be licking it off your fingers later, so it might as well taste good.
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Butter (½ cup, softened): Real butter, always. Margarine just doesn’t cut it here, though I’ll admit—I’ve used it once in a pinch. It was fine. Not great. But fine.
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All-Purpose Flour (1 cup): Regular ol’ flour. The backbone of any good cookie.
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Instant Oats (¼ cup): This adds a bit of chew. You can skip it, but it’s kinda nice. Like that one background singer in a band who doesn’t get much credit but holds the whole song together.
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Coconut (¼ cup, sweetened & chopped): Totally optional. Some people love it. Some… don’t. I fall somewhere in the middle, which probably says something about my personality.
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Walnuts (¼ cup, chopped): Adds crunch. If you’ve got a nut allergy (or just don’t like ‘em), leave them out or sub in pecans. Or just… skip.
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Salt (just a pinch): Makes everything better. It’s like that one friend who doesn’t say much at parties but everyone wants there.
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Maraschino Cherries (15, chopped): Look, I’m not saying this cookie exists because of these, but… yeah, kinda. They’re cheerful. Like little red holiday confetti.
How To Make Cherry Snowball Cookies?
You don’t need a stand mixer. Or chilling time. Or any kind of magic. Here’s how I do it (and yeah, I still get flour on my sleeves every time).
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Easy enough. Line your baking sheet with parchment if you’re fancy. If not? Just grease it lightly. Nobody’s judging.
Step 2: Cream the butter and a bit of the sugar.
Take ¼ cup of the powdered sugar (save the rest for rolling later!) and mix it with your softened butter until smooth. Like spreadable frosting. I usually do this with a wooden spoon because that’s what my aunt Susan did.
Step 3: Add the dry stuff.
Toss in the flour, oats, coconut, walnuts, and salt. Stir until it starts to come together. Then add the cherries. Fold them in gently—don’t go full Hulk or you’ll crush them and the whole dough turns pink. I’ve done it. Still tastes great. Just looks… very pink.
Note (to avoid confusion): The photos in this post show cookies made with whole maraschino cherries placed in the center of each dough ball, just for visual appeal. But the written recipe uses chopped cherries folded into the dough—that’s the traditional version I always bake. Both taste amazing, so go with whatever you prefer!
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Step 4: Scoop and bake.
Spoon out small blobs of dough onto the sheet. Give them a little room—they don’t spread a ton, but they need space to breathe. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they just start to brown on the bottom.
Step 5: Cool and coat.
Let them cool for a couple of minutes so they don’t fall apart in your hands. Then roll them in the rest of the powdered sugar. It’ll stick better when they’re still slightly warm. Expect powdered sugar everywhere. Embrace it.
Storage Options:
If you’re the kind of person who can resist eating six of these in one sitting… first of all, how? Secondly, they keep well. Airtight container. Counter. Boom—5 days of joy.
Wanna freeze them? Do it before you sugar-roll them. Then, once thawed, give them their powdered snow treatment. Like a little cookie spa moment.
Variations and Substitutions:
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Ditch the nuts – No biggie.
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Add almond extract – Just a drop. Seriously. Transforms the cherry flavor.
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Swap cherries for dried cranberries – Less sweet, more tart, but still good.
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No oats? Just use a little extra flour. It’s fine. We adapt.
What to Serve with Cherry Snowball Cookies?
Because, yes, these little snowballs deserve a co-star.
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Coffee with cream. Or black, if you like contrast.
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Peppermint tea. Soothing and strangely perfect.
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Milk. Obviously.
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Holiday movies. Especially the ones where everyone falls in love in a small town bakery. You know the ones.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I have to use maraschino cherries?
Technically no. But also… yes? They’re kind of the whole point. That said, dried fruit works in a pinch.
My dough’s too sticky—what now?
Stick it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes. It helps. Or just deal with sticky hands. It’s cookie therapy, right?
Can I double the recipe?
Absolutely. Just make sure you’ve got enough powdered sugar on hand—you’ll need more than you think.
So there you go. Cherry Snowball Cookies, from my slightly messy, imperfect kitchen to yours. They’re not fancy, but they’re sweet, nostalgic, and honestly—kind of everything I want a holiday cookie to be.
Try ‘em. Tweak ‘em. Tell me how they turned out. And if you ended up covered in powdered sugar too? Welcome to the club.
Remember it later!
Planning to try this recipe soon? Pin it for a quick find later!
Remember it later!
Planning to try this recipe soon? Pin it for a quick find later!
Keep the Flavor Coming – Try These:
Cherry Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ c powdered sugar divided
- ½ c softened butter
- 1 c flour
- ¼ c instant oats
- ¼ c finely chopped sweetened coconut
- ¼ c finely chopped walnuts
- 1 pinch of salt
- 15 maraschino cherries finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet, using parchment paper.
- In a bowl cream together 1/4 cup of sugar and softened butter until the mixture is smooth.
- Gradually add the flour, oats, coconut, walnuts and a pinch of salt into the bowl. Lastly gently fold in the chopped cherries.
- Use a spoon to drop portions of dough onto your baking sheet making sure to space them 2 inches apart.
- Place the cookies in the oven. Bake for around 18 minutes or until they turn slightly golden.
- After baking roll the cookies in the remaining sugar until they are fully coated.
Notes
I’m Bitty, owner of nodashofgluten.com, where I share simple, delicious recipes for all tastes, including gluten-free. Check out my “About Me” page for more info!
11 Responses
So why does the picture show cherries just in the center, but the recipe has you chopping the cherries and stirring it in with the shortbread?
Hi Malinda! That’s such a great question—and you’re absolutely right to notice the difference. For the photos, I used whole cherries in the center of each cookie just to make them pop visually, but the actual recipe uses chopped cherries mixed into the dough. I’ve added a note in the post to clear that up—thanks so much for pointing it out!
– Bitty
So have you made them both ways? Which way tastes and bakes better? I’m confused as to why make them different than the recipe.
Hi Sage! Yes, I’ve made them both ways. The recipe version with chopped cherries mixed in is my favorite because you get a little cherry in every bite—it’s more balanced and flavorful overall. The whole-cherry version just looks prettier in photos, but taste-wise, I always go back to the original.
– Bitty
Can you tell us how you made the ones in the picture with the whole cherry in the middle? (how to wrap the cookie dough around it without getting cherry sauce all over!). It would also be helpful if you can show a picture of the cookies you made with the chopped cherries in the batter so we know what it should like. Thanks! Looking forward to trying these cuz cherries are favorites at our house!
Hi BusyBee! Great questions! For the version with the whole cherry in the center (like in the photos), I simply scoop a bit of dough, press a maraschino cherry into the middle, and then gently mold the dough around it with my fingers—kind of like wrapping it in a blanket. It helps to pat the cherries dry first with a paper towel to avoid that sticky red syrup getting everywhere.
As for the classic version with chopped cherries in the dough—that’s the one written in the recipe card. I’ll work on adding a photo of that batch soon so you can see what they look like baked up. Both are delicious, just a slightly different look and bite. Can’t wait for you to try them!
I bet these would be a nice treat and also beautiful using the green maraschino cherries in a batch. Surprise. So cute. Will definitely make. Thanks.
I would love to make these cookies for Christmas. I am not a fan of maraschino cherries.Can I substitute frozen cherries or cherry jelly?
Hi Geri! Great question—maraschino cherries give these cookies their sweet, chewy bite and that pop of holiday color, but you can definitely experiment. Frozen cherries won’t work as well here since they release too much juice and will make the dough soggy. Cherry jelly would also throw off the texture since it melts into the dough instead of holding its shape.
If you’d like an alternative, dried cherries (chopped) are a much better swap—they’ll give you that cherry flavor without the extra liquid, and they pair beautifully with the buttery cookie base. You can also mix in a touch of almond extract if you want to boost the flavor.
Well, I love these delicious little cherry bites. Since it’s a small recipe I made them both ways. Wrapped a whole cherry and made a batch with the chopped cherries. I’m with you. I like the chopped version. Cherry in every bite.
Thanks for sharing. It will become a staple 🙂
I really like the way you talk,write.you will keep my spirits up. Recipe looks so good. Cherry and almond, great combination!!!