These Keto Snowball cookies are super buttery, soft, and melt in your mouth. Enjoy sugar-free cookies made with almond flour, butter, and toasty nuts. With just 1 net carb for a cookie, these keto Christmas cookies are a holiday favorite.
Imagine sinking your teeth into a crumbly, buttery cookie, bursting with nutty goodness, and crowned with a snowy cap of powdered sweetness. Sounds dreamy, right? Well, dreams do come true in the world of keto.
Roll freshly baked shortbread cookies into powdered sweetener for the best taste and festive look. No holiday table is complete without some delicious gluten-free cookies. And these are ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
What I love most about this recipe, apart from its undeniable deliciousness, is the journey it takes me on. Every step, from toasting the pecans to that final dusting of powdered sweetener, feels like crafting a tiny, edible snow globe.
Why You Absolutely Need to Bake These Keto Snowball Cookies:
- Low Carb: With low-carb ingredients, these cookies are a delightful way to satisfy your sweet tooth without the carbs.
- All the Flavor, None of the Sugar: Using alternative sweeteners, you can dive into a sugary experience without actual sugar.
- Nutty Goodness: Packed with the richness of pecans, each cookie offers a delightful crunch and nutty aroma, amplifying the overall taste experience.
- Festive and Fun: Their snowy appearance makes them a hit for holiday gatherings or winter-themed parties. Plus, they’re an excellent project for family baking sessions.
- Versatility: Not a fan of pecans? No worries. The recipe is adaptable to other nuts like walnuts or hazelnuts, allowing you to experiment and find your perfect match.
- Gluten-free Goodness: With almond and coconut flour as the base, they’re naturally gluten-free, making them suitable for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
- Texture Paradise: The unique combination of ingredients gives these cookies a melt-in-your-mouth texture combined with the slight crunch of nuts, making every bite a textured dream.
- Perfect for Gifting: Their delightful appearance and taste make them an ideal homemade gift. Who wouldn’t love receiving a jar filled with these snowy treats?
What Exactly Are Snowball Cookies?
Snowball cookies wear many hats! They’re known by various names like Russian tea cakes, Mexican wedding cookies, and even butterballs. These bite-sized delights are crafted from butter, flour, sugar, and a mix of ground nuts. They get their playful “snowball” moniker from their appearance—coated in a dusting of powdered sugar, they resemble mini snow globes or freshly fallen snowballs.
Are Snowball Cookies Keto-Friendly?
While traditional snowball cookies might tempt those taste buds, they’re not exactly keto-compliant. Their main ingredients, wheat flour, and sugar, pack a carb-heavy punch that doesn’t fit within typical keto guidelines.
But don’t fret, keto reader! You can have your cookie and eat it too. With this recipe in hand, you can whip up keto-friendly snowball cookies that not only capture the essence of the classic treat but are also low in carbs. Each serving contains a mere 2g net carbs, making them a delightful addition to your keto-friendly holiday spread.
Ingredients for Keto Snowball Cookies
- Unsalted Butter: It’s the creamy foundation of the cookie. If you’re looking for a dairy-free option or just want to try something different, coconut butter is a great vegan and paleo-friendly alternative.
- Sweetener: This is what gives the cookie its sweet kick. Go for the powdered kind; it blends in smoothly, and you won’t get any weird crunchy bits.
- Coconut & Almond Flour: These are the go-to flours for low-carb baking. They make the cookies soft and a bit nutty, just like the regular ones you’re used to.
- Pecans: They add that nice crunch in every bite. But hey, if pecans aren’t your thing, switch them out for walnuts or even hazelnuts.
- Xanthan Gum: This stuff’s like the cookie’s secret weapon. It keeps everything together so your cookie doesn’t fall apart on you.
- Vanilla Extract: It’s all about that sweet aroma and classic flavor. Always go for the real deal over the fake stuff – trust me, you’ll taste the difference.
- Sea Salt: A pinch of this just makes all the other flavors pop. You could even sprinkle a bit on top before baking for an extra tasty touch.
How to Make Keto Snowball Cookies
Ready to roll up those sleeves and sprinkle some magic into your baking? Let’s dive right into the heart of this recipe and create some snowball wonders together!
Preparing and Toasting the Nuts:
Using a food processor or a sharp knife, finely grind the pecans until they resemble a nut flour consistency. Remember not to over-blend, as you don’t want to end up with pecan butter.
Toast the ground pecans in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they release a fragrant, nutty aroma. Once toasted, remove them from the heat and let them chill for a few minutes.
Making The Dough
In a mixing bowl, cream together room-temperature butter and sweetener until the mixture becomes airy and takes on a lighter hue. This should take about 2 minutes.
Gradually add the almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, toasted pecan flour, salt, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture.
Mix the ingredients together using your hands or a hand mixer on a low setting, ensuring you get a consistent dough.
Wrap your formed dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. If you’re planning ahead, remember the dough can be stored for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Shaping the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C. While it’s heating up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough into small balls. This recipe should yield around 20 cookies. Place them on your prepared baking sheet, ensuring they’re spaced evenly.
Baking
Pop the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies are thoroughly cooked.
While they’re still warm, gently roll each cookie in powdered (confectioner’s) sweetener. Let them cool for a while, then give them a second roll in the sweetener for that snowy finish.
Once fully cooled, your keto-friendly snowball cookies are ready to be savored!
Baking Tips for Low Carb Snow Ball Cookies
- Measure the keto flour correctly – When measuring the flour, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level it off.
- Make sure the cookies have the same size. You’ll only need about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie.
- Feel free to replace the chopped pecans with other nuts like walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or cashews.
PS: If you’re looking for more keto recipes for the Holidays Check it out here!
Storing Ideas
- Fridge – you can store these delicious sugar-free snowball cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
- Freezer – you can also freeze these keto snowball cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make These Keto Snowball Cookies In Advance?
These cookies are a great sweet treat you can make in advance. All you have to do is to prepare and bake the cookies as we did in this recipe (without rolling them in powdered sweetener), then place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them until you are ready to enjoy them.
What Should I Do If My Dough Is Too Sticky?
If your cookie dough is sticky, then you need to refrigerate it for a few minutes until it hardens, or you can mix one more tablespoon of coconut flour until it has the right consistency.
More Keto Cookies Recipes You’ll Love
- Thick & Soft Keto Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Foolproof Keto Sugar Cookies
- Keto Gingerbread Cookies
- Easy 3 Ingredient Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
Keto Snowball Cookies
Description
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cups powdered sweetener
- 1 cup superfine blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts or hazelnuts
- a pinch fine sea salt
For Coating
Instructions
- Finely ground the pecans using a food processor or a sharp knife. It should resemble pecan flour, not pecan butter (so don’t over-blend).
- Lightly toast the chopped pecans in a dry pan over medium heat until they start to smell nutty. Chill for a few minutes.
- Cream the room temperature butter and sweetener until airy and lighter in color for about 2 minutes.
- Add the almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, chopped toasted pecans, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Mix using your hands or hand mixer on low until the dough is formed.
- Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes. The dough lasts for up to three days in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Form little balls from the dough and arrange on the sheet pan. I made about 20 snowball cookies.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until they are cooked through.
- While they’re still warm, roll in powdered (confectioner’s) sweetener.
- Allow to cool down then roll in more powdered sweetener. Enjoy!
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How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.
READER FAVORITES
The full recipe is in the recipe card below. Readers that love this aslo made these recipes:
I’m in the middle of making these cookies but can’t find where/when to add the coconut flour & xanthum gum. I actually bought these ingredients for the recipe. Perhaps it was just an error that they were included in ingredients list & they’re really not a part of the recipe. I’m skipping them, but hope my cookies pay for omitting these two ingredients. I have enjoyed all of your recipes so far. Excited to try these cookies.
Coconut flour is needed, xanthan gum is optional. Just add them when you add all the dry ingredients. I updated the recipe. My mistake! Hopefully, they turned out ok!!! Thank you so much!
Thank you for replying so quickly. I baked half of the batch (without coconut flour or xanthan gum) & they started out in a ball but ended up very flat cookies (nothing like the picture); but the flavor was still good. Then I added half the amount of coconut flour & xanthan gum to the remaining half of the batter & baked that batch this morning.
This time they kept their shape, came out perfect & I like everything about these cookies.
So glad you made it work for you!
How many cookies per “serving”? Couldn’t find that info in the Nutritional Facts. Thank you!
The macros are calculated for one cookie!
Can you freeze these cookies? I’m thinking of making them today then baking them later this week?
Hello, Jen!
I’m sure these cookies are freezer friendly, but don’t coat them in sweetener before freezing.
These turned out great! I was lazy and chopped the pecans with a knife and didn’t toast them but it wasn’t an issue at all. Also only chilled the batter for about 5 minutes. It was the end of the day so I was tired lol. Thanks for a winning keto treat!