Russian Tea Cakes - Keto & Low Carb American Recipes

These Russian tea cakes are rolled in powdered sugar for a sweet finish and a snowball-like appearance.

Table of Contents

Russian tea cakes (a.k.a. snowball cookies) are incredibly easy to make with pantry staples. The melt-in-your-mouth dessert is a simple way to satisfy your sweet tooth during the holiday season.

Prep Time:20 mins

Cook Time:15 mins

Additional Time:15 mins

Total Time:50 mins

Servings:36

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Russian Tea Cake Ingredients

Believe it or not, you’ll need just five ingredients to make this bakery-worthy Russian tea cake recipe:

Butter: These easy Russian tea cakes start with a stick of unsalted butter.
Vanilla: A teaspoon of vanilla extract enhances the flavor and adds complexity.
Flour: All-purpose flour adds structure and holds the dough together.
Sugar: You’ll need powdered sugar for the dough and to roll the tea cakes.
Walnuts: Finely chopped walnuts add nutty flavor and welcome crunch.

How to Make Russian Tea Cakes

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make Russian tea cakes:

Make the dough: Cream the butter and vanilla. Mix the flour and sugar together, then stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Stir in the walnuts.
Bake the dough: Roll the dough into balls and bake until the edges are golden.
Roll in sugar: Cool the baked cookies, then roll in powdered sugar.

How to Store Russian Tea Cakes

Store the Russian tea cakes in a shallow, airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Can You Freeze Russian Tea Cakes?

Yes! But it’s best to freeze Russian tea cakes before you roll them in powdered sugar. Arrange them on a baking sheet, cover, and flash freeze for a few hours or up to overnight. Transfer the now-frozen cookies to a zip-top bag or another freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge, then roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
⅓ cup powdered sugar, or more as needed

Directions

Gather all ingredients.

overhead view of ingredients for Russian tea cakes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream butter and vanilla together in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

Butter and vanilla creamed together in a medium bowl.

Whisk flour and 6 tablespoons powdered sugar together in separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just blended. Add walnuts and mix until incorporated; mixture may be crumbly

Flour and powdered sugar whisked together in a separate bowl.

Butter and walnuts incorporated with the flour and powdered sugar.

Take small scoops of dough and roll between your hands into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Small scoops of dough, rolled into 1-inch balls and placed on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are just turning golden, about 12 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
Place remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Roll cooled cookies in the powdered sugar once or twice.

Cooled cookies rolled into a separate bowl of powdered sugar.

a low angle, close up view of a pile of Russian tea cakes, one on top has been broken in half revealing a crumbly nutty interior.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

101	Calories
7g	Fat
8g	Carbs
1g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 36
Calories 101
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g	9%
Saturated Fat 3g	17%
Cholesterol 14mg	5%
Sodium 1mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g	3%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g	3%
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 6mg	0%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 24mg	1%