Why You’ll Love This Healthy Sugar-Free Snowballs

• They’re genuinely sugar-free and naturally sweet. We’re using a combination of dates and a touch of monk fruit to achieve that lovely sweetness without any refined sugars. The result is a complex, caramel-like flavor that’s so much more interesting than plain white sugar.
• The texture is absolutely dreamy. Thanks to a mix of almond flour and a little oat flour, these cookies have that signature sandy, melt-away quality you crave. They’re delicate, crumbly, and just dissolve on your tongue in the most satisfying way.
• They come together in one bowl. Honestly, the cleanup is almost as delightful as the cookies themselves. You just mix everything in a single bowl, roll, and bake. It’s the kind of simple, straightforward recipe that makes holiday baking feel joyful, not like a chore.
• They’re freezer-friendly for instant treats. You can make a big batch and stash them in the freezer for weeks. Having a little stash of these snowballs means you’re always just minutes away from a cozy, comforting snack with your afternoon tea or coffee.

Ingredients & Tools

• 1 ½ cups fine almond flour
• ¼ cup oat flour
• ½ cup soft Medjool dates, pitted
• ¼ cup coconut oil, solid but scoopable
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons powdered monk fruit sweetener, for rolling

Tools: A food processor, a baking sheet, and parchment paper.

The quality of your almond flour really makes a difference here—using a fine, blanched variety gives you that beautifully pale, tender crumb. And don’t skip the almond extract! It might seem like a small thing, but it adds a profound depth of flavor that makes these snowballs taste incredibly authentic.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 98 kcal
• Protein: 2 g
• Fat: 8 g
• Carbohydrates: 6 g
• Fiber: 1 g

Serves: 18 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 27 minutes

Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes

• Your dates must be soft. If your Medjool dates are at all dry or hard, they won’t blend into a smooth paste. Simply soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry thoroughly before using. This little step ensures a perfectly smooth dough.
• Understand “scoopable” coconut oil. We don’t want it melted and liquid, but we also don’t want it rock-hard from the fridge. The ideal texture is like slightly softened butter—you can easily scoop it, but it still holds its shape. This is key for the right cookie texture.
• Don’t skip the chilling. I know it’s tempting to pop them straight in the oven, but a brief 15-minute chill is non-negotiable. It solidifies the fat, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much and helps them hold their perfect round shape.
• Be gentle when rolling. After baking, the cookies are very delicate while they’re warm. You’ll want to roll them in the powdered sweetener at this stage for the best coating, but handle them with care—a light touch is everything.

How to Make Healthy Sugar-Free Snowballs

Serving Suggestions

Complementary Dishes

• A simple cheese board — The salty, sharp notes of a good aged cheddar or manchego create a fantastic contrast with the sweet, nutty cookies.
• A warm bowl of tomato soup — Dunking a snowball might sound odd, but the sweet and savory combination is unexpectedly delightful and so comforting.
• A festive fruit platter — Think crisp apple slices, juicy pears, and bright pomegranate arils for a refreshing, colorful side.

Drinks

• Hot black tea — The slight bitterness of a strong English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea cuts through the sweetness perfectly.
• Almond milk latte — It echoes the almond flavor in the cookies and adds a creamy, cozy element to your snack time.
• Sparkling water with lemon — A clean, crisp palate cleanser that makes each bite of cookie taste fresh and new.

Something Sweet

• Dark chocolate-dipped orange segments — The intense, bitter dark chocolate and bright citrus are a stunning follow-up to the subtle snowballs.
• A small cup of cinnamon-spiced hot cocoa — It feels like a hug from the inside and continues the warm, spiced holiday vibe.
• Vanilla bean panna cotta — Its creamy, smooth texture is the ultimate contrast to the crumbly, sandy feel of the snowballs.

Top Mistakes to Avoid

• Using melted coconut oil. If your oil is liquid, it will make the dough greasy and cause the cookies to spread into puddles in the oven. The texture will be all wrong, I promise. Solid but scoopable is the key.
• Over-processing the dough. Once the dough comes together, stop the food processor. Blending it for too long can warm up the fats and overwork the flours, leading to a denser, tougher cookie instead of that light, crumbly texture we’re after.
• Skipping the freezer time. I’ve messed this up before too, in a hurry. The cookies will spread, lose their round shape, and become more cakey than crumbly. That 15 minutes in the freezer is your best friend here.
• Rolling the cookies when they’re too hot. If you try to coat them straight out of the oven, they’ll fall apart in your hands. Let them rest for 5 minutes so they firm up just enough to handle, but are still warm enough for the “snow” to stick beautifully.

Expert Tips

• Tip: Make your own oat flour in seconds. If you don’t have oat flour, just toss some old-fashioned rolled oats into your clean, dry food processor and blitz until it’s a fine powder. It’s cheaper, and you’ll know it’s 100% pure.
• Tip: For an extra flavor boost, toast your almond flour. Spread it on a baking sheet and toast it at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, until fragrant. Let it cool completely before using. This deepens the nutty flavor incredibly.
• Tip: If your dough is too crumbly, add moisture. If the dough isn’t holding together when you pinch it, add another half tablespoon of almond butter. If it’s too sticky, add a sprinkle more almond flour until it’s workable.
• Tip: Create a “snowy” look with different sweeteners. For a more dramatic white coating, you can use allulose-based powdered sweetener, which is often brighter white than monk fruit blends. It gives that classic, snowy aesthetic.

FAQs

Can I use a different nut butter?
Absolutely! The almond butter gives a great flavor match, but cashew butter would be wonderfully mild and creamy, or you could use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version. Just make sure it’s the natural, drippy kind without any added sugars or oils. The consistency might change slightly, so you may need to adjust with a touch more almond flour or nut butter to get the right dough texture.

How should I store these snowballs?
They keep best in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days. The powdered coating might absorb a little over time, but they’ll still taste fantastic. For longer storage, I highly recommend freezing them. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months, and you can enjoy them straight from the freezer—they thaw in minutes!

My dough is too sticky to roll. What do I do?
This usually happens if your dates were very juicy or your kitchen is particularly warm. Don’t worry! Just pop the entire bowl of dough into the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up. You can also lightly oil your hands or dust them with a tiny bit of almond flour before rolling to prevent sticking. It’s an easy fix.

Can I make these without a food processor?
You can, but it requires a bit more elbow grease. You’ll need to very finely chop the dates by hand until they’re almost a paste. Then, use a fork or your fingertips to work the coconut oil and almond butter into the almond and oat flour mixture, smushing everything together until it forms a dough. It might not be quite as uniform, but it will still work!

Why didn’t my cookies stay round?
This almost always comes down to the dough not being cold enough before baking. If you skipped or shortened the freezer time, the coconut oil will melt too quickly in the oven, causing the cookies to slump. Another culprit could be over-measuring the almond flour—if you pack it into the cup, you add too much dry ingredient, which can throw off the fat-to-flour ratio and affect the structure.