Easy Russian Tea Cakes

solid buttery easy Russian Tea Cakes – this nostalgic recipe is always a huge hit and takes a few simple ingredients- we love making these every Christmas!

Russian Tea Cake Cookies can be made with walnuts or pecans for a good flavor that isn't too sweet, making them a favorite with the whole family!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Russian Tea Cakes

Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Kourabiedes, Russian Tea Cakes – these good buttery cookies have lots of names, and are loaded with classic holiday flavor, butter, sugar, nuts, and not much else. They are a simple, good classic cookie that are easy enough for even beginner bakers to make and make for great gifts for Christmas cookie exchanges!

Russian Tea Cake Ingredients

To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:

• Unsalted butter (1 cup) – Soft, creamy butter creates the rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes Russian Tea Cakes so delicate and tender.
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) – Vanilla adds warm, fragrant sweetness that enhances the buttery, nutty flavor of the cookies.
• Salt (½ teaspoon) – A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and deepens the toasty flavor of the nuts and butter.
• Confectioners' sugar (6 tablespoons) – Confectioners' sugar blends smoothly into the dough, giving the cookies their signature soft, sandy crumb.
• All-purpose flour (2 cups) – Flour provides the structure that holds the cookies together while keeping them light and delicate.
• Chopped walnuts (1 cup) – Finely chopped walnuts add nutty crunch and classic flavor in every bite.
• Powdered sugar (? cup) – A final roll in powdered sugar coats the warm cookies in a snowy, sweet finish that melts on your tongue.

Steps to Make Easy Russian Tea Cakes

Once you've gathered your ingredients, we will use the following recipe:

Cream

In a large bowl, combine butter, vanilla, 6 tbsp powdered sugar and cream together.

Combine

Stir in flour and mix, then add in walnuts. Mix, but do not overwork. Cover the bowl and chill the dough at least 30 minutes.

Roll

Roll chilled dough into 2″ balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the sides.

Roll

Remove from oven, let cool. Roll in powdered sugar before serving.

Kitchen notes

Don't overwork your cookie dough – this is a simple cookie, meant to be made for friends and family and isn't one that requires a lot of technical skill. The cookies don't need to be precisely mixed, and will be tough if they are mixed too much.

Don't overcook cookies – cookies will be dry if you bake them too long. Cookies will be lightly browned around the edges.

Cool cookie completely before rolling in powdered sugar – Rolling cookies when still warm melts sugar slightly and makes cookies sticky.

Use room-temperature butter so it creams smoothly and helps the dough come together without crumbling.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to help the cookies hold their round shape instead of spreading.

Try toasting the nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds) for extra flavor and aroma before adding them to the dough.

FAQs for solid Russian Tea Cakes

Our Russian Tea Cake dough is too dry, how can we fix it?

If your dough is too try, you can loosen it with up to one tablespoon of milk.

Do Russian Tea Cakes use walnuts or pecans?

We use walnuts but you can use whatever nuts you prefer, if you toast them first you will get the best flavor.

How long do Russian tea cakes last?

These cookies last for up to one week when kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dry place.

Why are our Russian Tea Cakes crumbly?

They're usually crumbly if the dough is too dry—make sure the butter is soft enough, avoid over-measuring the flour, and mix until the dough comes together.

Why did our cookies flatten while baking?

This can happen if the butter is too warm, the dough wasn't chilled, or too little flour was added.

Other Easy Christmas Cookies You'll Love

If you're looking for other fun and festive sweet treats this holiday season, we have you covered – we have lots of great Christmas ideas to make your holiday great!

Find some of our favorite recent posts like Easy Santa Strawberries RecipeThe Best Easy Sprinkle Cookies RecipeEasy Iced Christmas Tree Shortbread CookiesThe Best Easy Candied Almonds RecipeThe Best Easy Chewy Sugar Cookies Ever RecipeChewy Molasses Cookiesand more, below:

You can find the rest of our Christmas cookies recipes here.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar, for decoration

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, vanilla, 6 tbsp powdered sugar and cream together.
3. Stir in flour and mix, then add in walnuts. Mix, but do not overwork.
4. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Roll chilled dough into 2" balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned on the sides.
7. Remove from oven, let cool.
8. Roll in powdered sugar before serving.