These Keto Snowball Cookies are sugar free, low carb, gluten free, grain free and can be dairy free too! These keto Christmas cookies are perfect if you're on a keto diet, low carb diet or even if you just want to reduce your sugar intake, with just 1 g net carbs for these classic favorite little cookies!
Sugar-Free Snowball Cookies
Traditional snowball cookies have always been known as Gram's Butter Balls in my childhood memories, and they were everyones favorite cookies.
They are also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, but whatever you call them, they are delicious and should be a must-bake during the holiday season.
This classic cookie was so easy to make with just 4 ingredients of flour, butter, pecans and sugar.
I would often be preparing them with my grandmother as a child and loved every minute of the cloud of powdered sweetener sugar all over me. Everyone looked so forward to them on our holiday cookie tray.
Ghee, Butter or Coconut Oil
Sadly when my grandmother passed, my mom tried to carry on the tradition. She still makes them but doesn't have the time to make the dozens and dozens my grandmother would make for all our family and friends. That's where I come in!
My gluten free classic snowball cookies recipe of my Grandmother's Butter Balls are in my Naturally Keto cookbook. And they are good, but I have so many friends and family who need to be dairy free for health reasons and allergies.
I've used Ghee, which is a type of clarified butter and has very minimal amounts of milk solids in it, something like 99% free of milk solids. So if you're dairy free and haven't yet tried ghee, I would totally recommend it! If you have a dairy allergy to milk then swap with coconut oil instead of ghee.
I made these about 3 times before I got just the right mouth texture and taste. The first time I made them my oldest child, the picky teen, asked if he could try one. I never mentioned the name of them or what was in them.
He said, "YUM, these taste like Gram's butter balls"!
Mission accomplished!
All 3 of my kids and picky hubby too loved these cookies each time I made them.
Even my MOTHER said, these taste like GRAMS!!!
I was so honored! My grandmother, I think, would have loved my healthier version of her recipe or at least I would hope she's proud of me for trying to carry on her cookie tradition.
How to Make Keto Pecan Snowball Cookies
To view exact measurements, print recipe and see nutritional data, please scroll to the bottom of this blog post to view the recipe card.
Ingredients
Ghee or use room temperature butter or coconut oil for dairy free
Almond flour or see FAQs below to make these nut free
Swerve Confectioners Sweetener or low carb powdered sugar of choice
Extra confectioners to roll balls in
Step by Step Instructions
Place all ingredients into food processor, stand mixer or large bowl and use a hand mixer and process until cookie dough forms a ball. Pulse if needed.
Taste batter, adjust sweetener if needed.
Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
Use a small cookie scoop or about a tablespoon of dough make 24 cookie dough balls.
Roll each mound in the palm of your hand and place onto prepared cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place in freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Place in preheated oven and bake cookies for about 12- 15 minutes or until golden around edges.
Allow to cool a little bit, about 5 minutes.
Once able to handle roll each in some confectioners sweetener.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an air tight container.
FAQs
How to Prevent Flat Snowball Cookies
Freeze them OVERNIGHT before baking, helps keep them from spreading and flattening.
How to Store
Place any leftover snowball cookies, once cooled, in an airtight container in a single layer. Lay a piece of parchment paper and place more in a single layer. Refrigerate for up to 7 days or place in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Can I swap almond flour with coconut flour?
Swapping almond and coconut flour isn't easy because ¼ cup coconut flour is equal to 1 cup almond flour and requires more liquids and eggs.
How can I make this nut free?
Yes, you can evenly swap almond flour with sunflower seed flour but to swap out the pecans you would need some kind of seed to replace, perhaps sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Can I use traditional flour like white or wheat pastry flour?
You could but then these would not be low carb keto snowballs because white flour and wheat flour are highly refined processed and high in carbs.
Can I change the sugar substitutes?
Yes, you can use any sweetener you like. I also love monk fruit sweetener. I avoid sugar alcohols like sorbitol and Maltitol and they tend to cause adverse reactions like stomach upset in some people. Use my sweetener guide and conversion chart.
Can I use coconut sugar?
You could but then they would be high carb not low carb as coconut sugar is a sugar whereas stevia and Swerve are low carb sweeteners that don't spike blood sugar.
Can I use walnuts instead of pecans?
Sure! You can use walnuts instead of pecans if you prefer.
I hope you enjoy these snowball cookies as much as my family did! Here are some other cookies you might love for the season!
Happy Holidays!
Sugar Free Low-Carb Snowball Cookies
Sugar-Free Pecan Snowball Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoon Ghee or coconut oil or use softened butter if not dairy free
- 1 ½ cup almond flour or 150 grams
- 1 cup pecans or 120 grams, chopped
- ½ cup Swerve Confectioners Sweetener or 78 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- extra confectioners to roll balls in
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into food processor and process until batter forms a ball. Pulse if needed.
- Taste batter, adjust sweetener if needed.
- Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment.
- Use a small cookie scoop and make 24 mounds.
- Roll each mound in the palm of your hand and place on cookie sheet.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place in freezer for 20-30 minutes. Best if frozen overnight.
- Place in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden around edges.
- Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, roll each in some confectioners sweetener.
- Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Margaret
Can you replace almond flour with coconut flour?
Brenda
Not for this recipe, it's not an equal swap, sorry I'd have to test it out.
Janel
These cookies are so good. My diabetic husband is so pleased I found this recipe. The cookies are so close to being like the Pecan Balls his Mother always made. So I thank you so much Brenda for sharing this recipe with us. God bless you.
Sherry
When I make these cookies do I add the confectioners sugar with the cookies and more to roll the cookies in?
Brenda
Yes, it's listed in the ingredient list, extra confectioners to roll balls in.
Sherry
I’m also wondering like Beth if these can successfully baked prior to Christmas and frozen then defrosted? Btw, my sugar-addicted teen son just tried one and LOVES them! This is the kid who turns his nose up at most of them treats I make, asking, “ this isn’t Paleo is it?” ?
Brenda
Yes I've successfully baked and frozen then thawed for Christmas.
Sherry
I’ve been making Russian tea cakes for years and I have to say, this version tastes just like the real deal! You’ve made me soooo happy! I used powdered Boca Sweet for the sweetener as a one to one sub and it worked great! Thank you so much for this nearly guilt free treat!
Jackie
These look amazing!! Can’t wait to make them!
Jay
I love these pecan balls but always made without sugar in years past. I just checked out your recommendation for the alternative sweeter and it looks great. Haven't heard of a powdered alternative before. I've done plain with some honey baked in but it's not the same. Yours look like they will be much closer to the authentic ones.
Beth Beaudoin
I am wondering if these can be frozen. Thanks.
Vee
These were fantastic! I’ve always loved to bake and now I’m so glad to have a Keto variation of a long time favorite cookie. They were easy with a few simple ingredients.
I’ve shared these with Keto and non-Keto eaters and everyone has loved them! This is my first use of Swerve and I’m suspecting there may be a little GI upset from it, but I’m okay with that, it will keep me from overindulging!
jenny bowman
I have not tried these yet, but I am fascinated with the use of gelatin for crispness, that is what keto cookies lack for me. Is there a particular ratio you use for the gelatin substitute?
Brenda
You don't want to use gelatin in this cookie as you want a tender bite. I use gelatin in my chocolate chip cookie as it gives an outer crispness and tender inside.
Jessica
I cant get swerve where I am. How could i adjust this to just use liquid stevia? Thanks
Tera
Another great recipe! I made the first batch on Saturday and turned right around and made another batch on Sunday. These are so delicious; I prefer them unpowdered, but I did powder some to share.
I love exposing my co-workers to great Keto treats- this one is coming to my cookie exchange in a couple weeks.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Gina
Made these yummy morsels today. As a diabetic and someone trying to watch what they eat sugar is off the table. Using Swerve has changed all that. No flour and real sugar but these are amazing. My Fiancé is doing keto with me and asked me to find a recipie for these cookies. I FOUND IT. Thank you!!
de
The tast in these cookies is amazing, however, I left mine in the freezer for 30+ min, baked them and they spread out like nothing mattered? It's an expensive recipe to find it doesnt work!
Marianne V.
Holidays Schmomlidays! I can't wait that long.... I'm making them in April cause these have always been one of my favorites and it's been sooooooo long since I've had any. Just sampled one without the powdered erithrytol cause I'm still waiting for them to cool enough, but they are FANTASTIC!
Brenda
Thanks!
Christina
Well i scrolled through the comments and i am adding one to the They flattened out replies haha. They tasted amazing before baking though! So I used cold butter that i just sliced into chunks and processed everything. I froze them for 30 minutes on the baking sheet and went straight from freezer to oven. I pulled them out at 12 minutes bc i noticed they were spreading. Theyre cooling now. As long as they hold together i will be fine haha. I dont care how they look as long as i can eat them without them crumbling. But yeah mine flattened too. Maybe I'll make them again and just eat it raw?
Rsneen
I am on anti candida diet and only allowed stevia as sweetener. Can i replace the swerve with stevia?
Brenda
If you have a stevia product that measures cup for cup like sugar then swapping it for the Swerve would work fine.
Cissy
Help!
Made these and followed recipe exactly and they came out completely flat. 🙁
Any tips!
Brenda
I'm beginning to think it really may depend on how soft the butter is when you begin. So if someone has melted their butter and i only softened my butter, there's the difference right there. 30 minutes in the freezer will work for mine when the butter was just softened but if the butter was melted then 30 minutes in the freezer might not be enough time for it to stay in shape while baking. I've made this so many times and I'm not sure why some follow my recipe exactly and can have perfect results and others are not having the same success.
Angie R
Hi Brenda,
I'll be using butter because I don't have ghee at the moment. Do you need to let the butter cool down to room temperature first? Most recipes call for that.
Thanks!
Brenda
Yes butter that's room temp is perfect.
Denise Dicus
I made these during the holidays,and they were so amazing I wanted more. Well I forgot to use confectionery sugar, so I am gonna bet they fall apart, or fall flat. We shall see.
Boo!!
Vicki
2nd time I added cocoa nibs and a little more almond flour and more butter. They came out good but lacked the firm texture of my first batch. Next time I'll stick to the recipe. Thank you.
Olga
I just took these out the oven, but realize I did not roll the mounds into balls between the palms of my hands after releasing the balls from the scoop. I guess I will have to sprinkle powdered sugar on instead of rolling them-- since I did not make balls.
Andi
I made these with ghee, froze for about 30min, however after baking these things just crumble to pieces. I’m at high elevation so not sure if I need more liquid so they don’t crumble? Thanks!
Brenda
Sounds like they were dry if they crumbled apart. They are however a fragile cookie, but should not crumble, you may have needed more ghee.
Olga
These look like Danish wedding cookies-- or Mexican wedding cookies or Greek wedding cookies- I'm going to try these when things slow down a bit and I get some time. Olga
Zaida
I'm bummed. Just pulled these out of the oven and they all melted into a blob instead of remaining a ball. And I definitely froze it before stick it in the oven! Probably longer than 30 minutes just because I was making other stuff. I don't know what went wrong. 🙁
Brenda
I just made them again last night, froze for 30 minutes and baked and they stayed perfectly round. Was your butter completely melted when you added it or just soft?
Kathy
I used ghee and froze for 45 min. amd mine were flat also. I was wondering if my ghee should have been refrigerated before using? They do, however, taste awesome!