Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies
This version of Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies are made with coconut sugar and coconut oil and a dusting of protein powder combined with confectioner’s sugar.
My daughter’s favorite holiday cookie is the simple snowball! While they’re referred to as “Russian Tea Cakes” or “Mexican Wedding Cookies” or “Little Snowy Orbs” by some, my daughter refers to them as just plain deeeeelectable!
For the longest time, I made these little snowballs using a recipe I found on Food(dot)com; but this year, I figured it was time for a change! It was time to come up with a healthier version of these balls so that they could be enjoyed year-round and not just once a year, after all this is the season to #TreatYourFamily right – right?
My first GMO (gluten modified orb) was made with a gluten-free flour blend I adapted after coming across one in “The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook (Vol 2)”.
As this first version did not make my heart content as it still had butter and powdered sugar in it, I changed it up a tad more.
And my third and final version was given a thumbs up by my daughter. In fact, she picked this version with coconut sugar and coconut oil and a dusting of protein powder over the one I made containing butter and brown sugar and a hefty dusting of confectioners sugar! Yes – it is a major parental win for me when my daughter decides to #treatherself right!
Have you ever tried to modify a holiday treat so you can enjoy it year-round? Or, should Holiday treats be holiday treats?
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups white rice flour
- 1 2/3 cups brown rice flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch/flour
- 1 cup arrowroot powder
- 1/2 cup pecans crushed in blender pulse till nuts are crushed into small pieces not a butter consistency
- 1/2 cup walnuts crushed in blender pulse till nuts are crushed into small pieces not a butter consistency
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted but not hot
- dash of salt
- 1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend recipe above
- Vanilla Protein Powder for dusting
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together and store in an airtight container as needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Add the pecans, walnuts, coconut sugar, salt, cardamom, and gluten-free flour blend to a bowl and mix well
- Then add the coconut oil and vanilla
- Roll into balls and bake on a parchment-lined baking tray for 12 minutes
- Let cool
- Then dust in Vanilla protein powder till the snowballs are well coated
- We stored these for a week in our refrigerator, but I am thinking they would be fine on your counter too.
Nutrition
These were always Mexican Wedding Cookies at our house and every time my mother made them she swore never again. She got so upset that we all dusted the house with powdered sugar. She’d say the same thing about yours but I’d eat them with glee.
When I used to make the flour and butter version – I used to swear never again too – then when Christmas came around, I was making them again – go figure!
BTW – thanks so much Maureen!
Nothing beats healthy cookies!! These look so delicious Shashi! I love the snowball effect too – they look so cute! Love the addition of vanilla and cardamom, they have such great flavours. Yum!
Thanks so much Harriet – you sure are right about cardamom and vanilla!
I know I would not be able to eat only one …. maybe I would stop after a dozen and I have powder sugar all over my mouth. 🙂 But it would be so worth it! PS.. I love your “tabletop” surface. Did you buy it somewhere for your photos or is a real table?
Haha – Thanks so much Ramona – if you ate a dozen of these I’d be shocked! They are pretty filling!
That’s actually a 2×2 vinyl piece I got from Etsy – it was my blogiversary present to myself 🙂
Oh my gosh…snowballs are one of my all-time weaknesses. I seriously could eat an entire batch of these by myself. In one sitting. Did you see my sister’s post for the baby shower?? Yeah…that’s me and snowballs. Sounds like Lil Shashi and I share an obsession with these little balls of deliciousness! 🙂
Haha – yes – I did see your sister’s post! I thought you and Lil Shashi would be trouble together as between the 2 of y’all there’d be no cookies for anyone else! 🙂 Seriously though, David – till I went through Chris’s list, I had no clue your sister was a blogger too! Oh my gosh – when y’all get together it must be like heaven on earth with treats everywhere!
I’m always a sucker for snowball cookies. That perfect powdered sugar. Mmm….
Thanks so much Melanie – though mine had a coating of Vanilla Soy Protein Powder 🙂
Gorgeous cookies Shashi!!! I loved the recipe for the gluten free flour blend also, having many friends who eat gluten-free. (Now I know just what to make when you come visit.) Cheers and have an awesome Thursday, girlfriend!
Thanks so much Allie! You could use the GF blend I have – but that would mean buying large quantities of individual flours and I know when I wasn’t doing the GF thing, I didn’t think it was too budget friendly to do that – but now – cos of my daughter – mostly everything I make is GF so it’s worth it. Bob’s Red Mill makes a pretty decent GF All Purpose blend and so does King Aurthur’s!
Happy Thursday to you too sweet girlfriend!
Your snowball cookies are gorgeous. I love how they’re GF. I have eaten these and really enjoyed them but I don’t think I’ve ever made them. I’d love to make some this Christmas as they’d make a perfect hostess gift xx
Thanks so much Charlie – yes – these would make perfect gifts – though I really don’t want to share them – so wrong eh?! 🙂
xx
I love these cookies! How great that you devised a GF version!! 😀
Thanks so much Lorraine!
which protein powder did you use?
I take it you didn’t use straight brown rice protein powder – because that would have made your daughter gag.
haha.
Vanilla-flavoured whey isolate?
Haha – No I didn’t – I made these twice, once with Premier Protein Vanilla Whey Powder and EAS Vanilla soy powder
You should see someone for your ball obsession….
BAH HA HA!
I love how you call them cookies… Nope. They’re balls!
I’ve actually never had snowball cookie before — I KNOW! I might make it a point to make them this year, though, because they look absolutely to.die.for. I’m all about putting a healthier spin on treats as long as it doesn’t sacrifice the taste or texture. Actually, most of the time I prefer the healthier versions — I just can’t handle the sweet stuff as much as I could when I was younger!
these are my favorite cookies!! nom nom!
Thank you so much for the gluten free version! I am going to make them today! What dors arrowroot do to the cookies? Why do you use both brown rice flour and sweet white rice flower? Would it work if you used just sweet white rice flour? It’s such a shame we who have celiac have to use so many different types of flours when it was always so simple to make snowballs with ease with just three ingredients!