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These coconut snowball cookies are light, fluffy, and surprisingly refreshing. A no-bake twist on the classic snowballs, I love that you only need 3 key ingredients!
Looking for more coconut recipes? Try my coconut bars, coconut brownies, and chocolate coconut balls next.
Growing up, I always looked forward to the days my parents would treat us to those fluffy snowball cookies.
Inspired by my vegan macaroons, I wanted to pay homage to the dessert that first got me hooked on coconut. These snowball cookies are just as good (if not better) as I remember, and they’re far healthier, too.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- No oven needed. Just mix all the ingredients together and shape your snowballs. It’s that simple!
- Easy to make ahead. They freeze like a dream. I usually make a double batch and keep them in the freezer since they only need a few minutes to thaw.
- Perfect flavor and texture. With sweetened coconut flavor and a rich, creamy texture, these snowballs pack nostalgia in every bite.
- Accidentally vegan and gluten-free. There’s no flour, eggs, or dairy needed, yet they still turn out light, fluffy, and oh-so chewy.
Ingredients needed
- Shredded coconut. For the texture, of course! Make sure to look for shredded unsweetened coconut (or “desiccated coconut”) and NOT coconut chips, which won’t have the proper consistency.
- Sugar. I used regular white sugar, but you can use powdered sugar, brown sugar, or a sugar-free sweetener if you prefer. If you use brown sugar, know your snowballs will be dark in color.
- Coconut milk. Preferably full-fat, canned coconut milk, which will give the cookies a thick, creamy texture.
- Almond OR vanilla extract. Optional, but I like adding a little extra flavor to my cookies.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to make coconut snowball cookies
Step 1- Blend the coconut. In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the coconut for 1-2 minutes until it achieves a fine texture.
Step 2- Finish the cookie dough. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until a sticky, thick batter remains. If the batter is too crumbly, add a little extra milk.
Step 3- Shape. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Form 1-inch balls and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each ball into a cookie shape. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and refrigerate or freeze until firm.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Lightly wet your hands. To make it easier to shape the cookies. Or use a cookie scoop.
- Avoid overblending the coconut. Otherwise, you’ll be left with coconut butter, which is perfect for chocolate coconut bars but not exactly what we’re aiming for here.
- Adjust the consistency. Depending on the brand of shredded coconut I’m using, sometimes the cookie dough gets too dry. If this happens, add extra coconut milk until you have a soft, shapable dough.
Variations
- Amp up the coconut. Fold in one teaspoon of coconut extract for more coconut flavor.
- Change the flavor. Try swapping the extract for peppermint to make Christmas cookies, or dip the bottoms of the cookies in melted chocolate.
- Coat the cookies in confectioners’ sugar for more of the traditional snowball texture.
Storage instructions
To store: No bake coconut snowballs are quite fragile, so they should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and they’ll stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Transfer leftover snowball cookies to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
More coconut treats you’ll love
Coconut Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk Can use almond or another milk of choice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, add your unsweetened coconut and blend for 1-2 minutes, until a fine texture. Do not over blend otherwise you will be left with coconut butter.
- Add your sugar and coconut milk (and optional extract) and blend until a sticky, thick batter remains. If the batter is too crumbly, add a little extra milk of choice.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Lightly wet your hands and form the batter into small balls. Place on a lined baking tray or plate. Press each ball into a cookie shape. Sprinkle with extra coconut or sugar and refrigerate until they firm up slightly.
Hi Arman,
I just discovered your
site. And I love it. I just made the no bake snowball coconut cookies. Next I’ll make the banana cookies. I like how U think outside the box when creating your baked goods. I got kind of tired of recipes made only with almond flour or coconut flour. You have alot more variety. I think I’ll only be using your recipes from now on.
looks delicious but I was wondering why a granulated sweetener is necessary? would subbing in maple syrup or applesauce ruin the shape?
It gives sweetness, and holds better. I haven’t tried, feel free to experiment and see
I love your blog and recipes but I have a problem. When the videos jumps to full play I can’t scroll through the page any more. The placement of the video is such that the close option is hurried under the header. Only way to keep scrolling is to turn me tablet sideways. Just thought you should know. It happens on several pages.
Thanks for the feedback, Beth- I’ll have it amended 🙂
The unsweet coconut I have is DRY( think shredded paper), so here is what I did. Chopped in the processor as fine as I could. Mixed my sweetener(granulated erythritol) and 3/4 cup (maybe a little more) of coconut cream in a sauce pan and warmed to just a simmer. Added my coconut to the pan and let it cool almost completely. After it had cooled I put it back i the processor for a couple of seconds. I then formed them into cookies and popped then in the refrigerator. They were amazing! I can’t wait to play with the flavors, maybe lime and dark chocolate….yuuum.
Thank you so much. Keep it keto!
LOVE IT!
what in the world is a sticky sweetener?
Check out the links in the post.
So….not sure why you don’t bake these, but I made them and since I LOVE a warm, fresh from the oven cookie, I decided to experiment. O.M.G. Baked for 15 minutes at 350 until they got a but firm on top and slight golden brown on edges. Slightly Crunchy outside soft on inside. Yumm. Like a macaroon without all the egg white hustle. I did modify recipe to add a tsp. of coconut extract, half tsp. Vanilla extract and a dash of salt to enhance flavors.
The same thing just happened to me and I realized I purchased a sweetener but the one I went with is not considered a “sticky” sweetener it is more of a lighter syrup for beverages. So be sure to get a sticky sweetener (I cannot find the monk one mentioned in our supermarket).
These are not sticking together…it never got sticky. I wasted all my ingredients. Even put it in the freezer to see if it would help.
Regina, did you change anything? These have been made by many successfully 🙂
I did not….I followed everything to the tee.
Is finely milled coconut the same as coconut flour?
Hi Michelle, no it isn’t- It’s just finely shredded coconut
Do you use canned coconut milk?
I sure do 🙂 It’s thicker and holds up so much better than the carton variety!
How many cookies does this recipe make? Any idea how many grams per serving (cookie)? Thanks for any additional info! They look great!!!
These make 40 cookies! Enjoy!
Snowball cookies were one of my favorites as a kid! I can imagine how delicious they all taste. No-bake makes everything even better too!
These look delicious!
Off topic: how come you have started changing all of your recipes to keto? Is this something that you have started to follow- What are the benefits of eating a keto diet?
Hi Devin! I never realised many of my recipes were naturally keto and upon request, I’ve ensured to include it! Enjoy!