No holiday cookie platter is complete without these round, buttery, nutty shortbread cookies. This Snowball Cookie recipe is a low carb take on a classic cookie.
Well hello!
You’ve caught me in the middle of a flurry of baking. The holidays are fast approaching, so I’ve been planning out the perfect low carb cookie platter. Don’t want to leave these things to the last minute!
And, admittedly, I’ve got a lot of cookie recipes to choose from.
But it occurred to me this morning, that I have never shared a recipe for low carb Snowball Cookies. (You may know them as Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Pecan Susans or Butterballs.) They are these nutty, buttery balls of shortbread that melt in your mouth and fill your heart with holiday cheer.
And luckily for us, there is not a lot to these cookies.
You’ll just need chopped pecans, almond flour, butter, powdered sweetener, salt and vanilla.
Do you need to use pecans in low carb Snowball Cookies?
Heavens no. Any kind of nut will work. You can try using macadamia nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, or cashews. Just steer clear of peanuts, (which are not nuts at all, but actually legumes) because they are not very tasty in Snowball Cookies.
How do you keep the cookie balls from flattening as they cook?
First, we’ll use powdered sweetener instead of granulated, because it prevents the cookies from spreading as they bake. And second, we’ll chill the dough until it’s easy to form into balls and then freeze the balls for 15 minutes before baking them, to help them stay good and round.
So what else is going on this fancy pants cookie tray?
This year my epic cookie platter will include low carb Gingerbread, Pistachio Shortbread, Chocolate Chip Meringue, Heart Shaped Valentine, Molasses, Shortbread, Almond Meringue and Brown Sugar Cookies. Phew!
Best get back to work. Ciao!
Snowball Cookies [Low Carb & Keto]
No holiday cookie platter is complete without these round, buttery, nutty shortbread cookies.
- Prep Time: 90
- Cook Time: 11
- Total Time: 1 hour 41 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cookies:
1 1/2 cup chopped unsalted dry roasted pecans*
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup Confectioner’s Swerve or equivalent powdered sweetener
2 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons super fine almond flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Outer Coating:
1/4 cup Confectioner’s Swerve or equivalent powdered sweetener
Instructions
1. Add pecans to a food processor or high powdered blender and process until chopped finely. Don’t process too much though, or it will turn into nut butter.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sweetener, salt and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and creamy.
3. Stir in pecans and almond flour and mix well to combine.
4. Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Cover a medium sized cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a 1 1/2″ wide cookie scoop to scoop up balls of dough and place on the cookie sheet.
6. Roll the dough between the palms of your hands until they are ball shaped.
7. Freeze for 15 minutes.
8. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 9-11 minutes until tops are just beginning to turn golden. The cookies will still be soft and somewhat uncooked, but will firm up and finish cooking as they cool.
9. Use a sieve to sprinkle powdered sweetener on top of the cookies.
10. Cool completely, 1 hour.
11. Pour remaining powdered sweetener onto a plate and roll the cookies in it to coat all sides.
Notes
*If you can’t find roasted pecans, you can toast them yourself. Toast them in a non-stick pan, without any oil, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 193
- Fat: 19
- Carbohydrates: 4
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: Low Carb Snowball Cookies, Keto Snowball Cookies, Gluten Free Snowball Cookies
IF YOU LIKED THESE LOW CARB COOKIES, THEN YOU MIGHT LIKE MY RECIPES FOR PEANUT BUTTER, MOLASSES OR Chocolate Meringue Cookies.
Christine says
Could you use coconut oil or coconut butter in these instead of butter? Really hoping for some dairy free holiday recipes!
EmilyKrill says
No, I don’t think you’ll get the same result with coconut oil or coconut butter, because you need to cream the butter and sugar together. This evenly distributes the sugar, adds air to the mixture and binds the cookies together. If you want to make the cookies dairy free, I’d recommend substituting a butter spread alternative like Earth balance.
Serena says
These were so good and crunchy!
★★★★★
Frank M. says
My grandmother used to make these every year when I was growing up! So happy to find a keto version of these cookies. They taste just as good to me,
★★★★★
EmilyKrill says
My grandmother and aunts used to make these too. Lots of good Christmas memories.