How to Make a Snow Golem in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Stack 2 snow blocks vertically and place a carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern on top last. The snow golem throws snowballs at monsters and leaves a snow trail where conditions allow. Keep it away from rain, water and hot biomes.

What you need

2 snow blocks (8 snowballs, 4 per block in a 2×2 square)
1 carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern
Optional: shears and a lead

Step by step

Craft 2 snow blocks from 8 snowballs: each block uses 4 snowballs filling a 2×2 square. Get a carved pumpkin by using shears on a pumpkin, or use a jack o'lantern.
Stack the 2 snow blocks vertically, then place the pumpkin on top. A player, dispenser, enderman or command can place it, but not a piston. The pattern also works sideways or upside-down, as long as the pumpkin goes last.
The snow golem moves toward monsters (except ghasts and undead mounts) and throws one snowball per second from up to 10 blocks away, or 16 if it was captured. Snowballs do damage only to blazes, but knock back anything they hit, and they provoke mobs to attack the golem. It never intentionally attacks you.
It leaves a trail of snow where blocks can support it. In Java this happens in any biome; in Bedrock the trail is not generated in hot biomes. If mobGriefing is false, no trail appears.
It has 4 HP and takes damage from rain, water and biomes with temperature above 1.0, such as deserts, badlands and Nether biomes. Give it a roof and keep water away. Fire Resistance protects against hot-biome damage; do not treat it as shelter from rain or water.
Shear it to remove the pumpkin, which drops as an item. In Java you can only give it a pumpkin again with a command such as /data.
When it dies it drops 0-15 snowballs.

Java vs Bedrock

Java: the snow trail generates in any biome, and savannas count as hot biomes for damage. Bedrock: no trail in hot biomes (jungles, mushroom fields, savannas, stony peaks, deserts, badlands, Nether), a snowball that hits you gives knockback and makes tamed wolves and trusting foxes attack the golem, and its snowballs can set mobs on fire after passing through lava or fire.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my snow golem die in the desert or the Nether?

Snow golems take damage in hot biomes such as deserts, badlands and Nether biomes. Fire Resistance protects against hot-biome damage. Rain and water also damage them, so use a roof and keep water away.

Do snow golem snowballs deal damage?

Only to blazes. They knock back any mob they hit, and they provoke monsters to attack the golem.

Does a snow golem attack me?

No, it never intentionally attacks the player. In Bedrock, a snowball that hits you gives knockback and makes tamed wolves and trusting foxes attack the golem.

What do snow golems drop?

0 to 15 snowballs when killed, and 1 carved pumpkin when sheared.

Why will my snow golem not spawn?

Use 2 snow blocks, not snow layers or powder snow, and place a carved pumpkin or jack o'lantern last. An ordinary uncarved pumpkin placed on top is not the required head.