Slightly sweet, nutty little no-bake snowballs taste indulgent but are a pretty nutritionally sound snack, especially during the holidays. Full of cashews, coconut, agave, oats, and vanilla, they keep tummies satisfied without the sugar overload.
Adapted from Laura Fleiter and Kerstin Niehoff | Advent | Murdoch Books, 2021
Healthy snacking during Advent? Of course it’s possible! Every bite of these soft little snowy balls enchants the senses, without any added sugar. They’re an ideal gift for those among your family and friends who like to limit the sweet treats around Christmas.—Laura Fleiter and Kerstin Niehoff
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No-Bake Snowballs FAQs
I don’t like cashews. What else can I use?
Honestly, you can use any nut you like. Our testers were excited to give these a try with almonds but pecans or pistachios would be terrific, too.
Can I toast the coconut before rolling the balls?
If that’s your preference, have at it. Again, our testers have an opinion on this—a few tried it and absolutely loved it. Toasting the coconut adds a little extra crunch that’s quite lovely.
No-Bake Snowballs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 2/3 cup cashews toasted if desired
- 3 tablespoons agave syrup
- 1 pinch vanilla bean powder
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tablespoon water
- 4 tablespoons desiccated coconut divided
Directions
- In a food processor or blender, blitz the oats and cashews until you have a fine meal, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the agave syrup, vanilla, salt, and water and blitz again briefly, just until the mixture resembles wet cookie dough.
- Dump the mixture into a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of the desiccated coconut. Shape into small balls. Place the remaining coconut on a plate and roll the balls to fully coat with coconut.
- Stored in a tin or jar in the refrigerator, the no-bake snowballs will keep for about a week.
Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Super simple, truly tasty. These little nuggets take well under 10 minutes to prepare and are delightfully delectable! The food processor does all the work with ingredients you have in your pantry! I used roasted cashews and since I didn’t have vanilla bean powder, I reduced the water to 2 teaspoons and added 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Only one problem: I could eat them ALL in one sitting. Trying to only allow myself 2 at a time! (I also used regular oats, not quick-cooking). Note: I think it would be wonderful to use almonds and a little almond extract instead of vanilla.
As someone who loves to snack on energy bites, this no-bake snowballs recipe immediately drew my attention. I don’t frequently have much time to prepare snacks and this happened to be perfectly simple, quick, healthy, and was able to satisfy my sweet tooth throughout the week.
The mixture was a bit dry and had trouble sticking so I did add a teaspoon more of water. Perhaps a touch of tahini or dates would help with the mixture sticking together a bit better. However, it was the perfect combination of sweet and salty and would definitely create a bigger batch for future snacking.
Jingle balls all the way to the deck the hello mellow goodness of these wee balls of yum! What a great speedy and exciting dessert, snack, protein punch to have handy year-round! I mean, the hardest part about this recipe was bending over to lift my Cuisinart.
These no-bake snowballs were speedy to put together, speedy to roll into shape, and very speedy to disappear. I have to say as a non-sweet lover, I could be found sneaking into the tin at odd times getting myself a little treat or two. There isn’t anything I would have changed but perhaps doubling the recipe if you are having company.
Happy year round fast, delicious, and an option for finger foods on their dessert table, picnic basket, or lunch. I mean, who can say no to a little ball of yum?
A quick and easy healthy snack or holiday gift. I made these no-bake snowballs in just under 10 minutes from start to finish. My whole family loved them and my daughter likes to eat them after swim practice.
If I were to make these again, I’d try lightly toasting the coconut before the final roll. I think the flavor of the toasted coconut would greatly enhance the flavor.
Originally published December 23, 2021
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
B. Shanly
This was a quick and easy recipe and a really tasty bite. It’s sweet but not too sweet. The no-bake snowballs are very satisfying because of the crunch. I might be inclined to try a little less agave but it’s definitely not too sweet the way that it is. Not too much to say. Easy, tasty little bite. I suggest toasting the nuts and coconut for added flavor.