Schneeball is the rolled, fried pastry specialty associated with Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria.
Its name means “snowball,” reflecting the pastry’s roughly spherical shape. Strips of shortcrust pastry are arranged into a ball and fried, then commonly dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Modern versions may be coated with chocolate, nuts, or other toppings.
Schneeballen have roots in the Franconian region of Bavaria and were traditionally connected with celebrations and special occasions. Their unusual shape makes them especially recognizable among German regional pastries.
The pastry is sometimes confused with Quarkbällchen because both names suggest a small round sweet. Quarkbällchen, however, are small fried dough balls made with quark, while Schneeball is formed from strips of pastry. Rothenburg’s tourist bakeries helped make Schneeball widely known beyond Franconia.