Raw coconut snowballs are real cuties, aren't they? :). These little guys came about when I was feeling like something rich, coconuty, and sweet — and these snowballs seemed like the perfect fit. I love dessert balls because they are pretty hard to mess up, they're small enough that you can indulge without feeling guilty, they're perfectly shareable, and they take literally less than 10 minutes to make — so raw coconut snowballs just make total sense, you see.
P.S. If you're in a coconut kind of mood, check out these Vegan Gluten-Free Coconut Bars, these Chocolate Coconut Vegan and Gluten-Free Granola Bars, and this DIY Coconut Milk.
PrintRaw Coconut Snowballs
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 snowballs
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut butter (also called coconut manna)
- 1 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or a pinch of raw ground vanilla beans)
- ½ cup more shredded coconut for rolling (or can roll in some powdered sugar for a more "snowy" look)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients (except the ½ cup shredded coconut reserved for rolling) into a food processor and process until everything is combined and the mixture begins to form a ball. Spread the coconut reserved for rolling onto a plate and set aside. Form bite sized balls out of the dough by shaping and rolling them with your hands, and then give them a roll on the shredded coconut plate to coat them.
- Serve/eat right away or refrigerate for a little bit to make them firmer. They can be made ahead too and store well in the fridge or can be frozen.
Rosie says
A simple, fast and absolutely delicious recipe Audrey! I whipped these up to add to my family's christmas dessert spread - of course, I will wait until after they've eaten it to tell them these are gluten free, dairy free, raw and vegan ;) I had to add a little extra liquid when making the mixture (a dash of rice milk) but my coconut butter was quite dry, and I guess it would vary between brands. Yum, yum, YUM. Thanks for sharing
Audrey says
Hi Rosie, thanks so much for the feedback. And good call on adding a bit more liquid of coconut butter is on the dry side. I've seen as well that it can vary from brand to brand. So happy everyone liked them :)
Bianca @ ElephantasticVegan says
Those look amazing! I don't even think double the recipe would be enough for me... :D
I'll definitely have to try those - I love coconut.
Steve says
Looking for some ways to consume coconut oil and saw this post. They look super delicious! Also, great job handling that accusation of plagiarism. Perfect example of extending grace. Hard to do.
Audrey says
Thank you so much on both accounts, Steve! These coconut balls are super delicious and the easiest thing to throw together -- I'm sure you'll love them.
Crystelle says
These look so yummy! And pretty (a snowman in summer?) Such a simple recipe... perfect!! :)
xox, Crystelle
CrystelleBoutique
Audrey says
Thanks so much Crystelle! Enjoy it :)
Terry Moore says
First time coming across it web site so glad I did;) was diagnosed with celiac disease a year ago so this is another great websites. Thanks can't wait to try snowball recipe bc really like coconut! Look forward to many more and follow your web! Thanks for sharing
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Terry! Hope you find some yummy gluten-free things to make :)
kate says
These look yummy.....The only issue is I can't get coconut butter in South Africa. Whilst I appreciate that it wouldn't be raw and vegan could I use normal butter? I'm sugar free and wheat free so thought I could adapt it to suit that??
Audrey says
Hi Kate. Yeah, I can see how that could work. The only thing is that I would maybe up the shredded coconut and lessen the butter just a little in that case. Coconut butter is a little bit meatier/has a firmer texture than regular butter, but adding a little bit more shredded coconut in would offset it. So maybe like 3/4 cup butter and 1 1/4 cup shredded coconut (you can always add a little but more shredded coconut if the consistency doesn't seem firm enough to roll into a ball). I think this could work really well, actually. If you try it out, I'd love to hear how it goes :)
Audrey says
Forgot to mention, you can also always make your own coconut butter. It's pretty simple to make. Here's a recipe for it: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/01/26/make-your-own-coconut-butter/ (you can find other ones with flavor variations, but a simple version is what I used in this recipe).
Sandi Gaertner (@sandigtweets) says
These look incredible. I will have to hunt down coconut butter and try these.
Audrey says
Thanks Sandi! I hope you like them :)
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says
Oh, Audrey, these look absolutely delightful! Thank you for sharing these on Gluten-Free Wednesdays with us all. The timing could not be better with the heat we have here. None of us wants to turn on our ovens, but we still want healthy treats! :-)
Thanks again, dear! xo,
Shirley
Audrey says
Thanks Shirley! My favorite part is that they only take like 10 minutes to make -- no oven & no sweat either ;)
Ashley says
I recently began the autoimmune paleo plan and these are LITERALLY the best thing I've eaten in three weeks. THANK YOU for your recipe!!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Ashley! I know how difficult it can be to find treats on a restricted diet, so I'm so glad to hear you were able to find something you liked -- I can totally relate to the feeling ;)
Almasi says
Great recipe and beautiful pictures. Will definitely try it when I get some coconut butter.
Audrey says
Hi Almasi. Thanks so much! Coconut butter is an amazing product. I recently came across this blog outlining its benefits which made me want to eat even more of it. It's well worth getting and using. And it tastes amazing in this recipe ;)
Gaye @CalmHealthySexy says
Oh, these look delicious! I love coconut. Thanks so much for sharing with the Let's Get Real party.
Audrey says
Thanks Gaye. If you love coconut, I'm sure you'll like these ;) . Thanks for stopping by and for hosting the party!
Marla says
What a great recipe. I am definitely saving this one and might use it for Easter dinner. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays Blog Hop. Have a wonderful healthy day. Pinned, twitted and sent to google.
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Marla! :) Have a wonderful weekend too!
Carolina Ponce says
The recipe looks amazing!!! But I have a question, do I need to melt the coconut butter or should I use it as it is? Thank you!!!
Audrey says
Hi Carolina.
Thanks so much! Glad you like the recipe.
The coconut butter doesn't need to be fully liquid, just liquid enough to blend well into the recipe (equivalent of softened butter). So, If it's hot where you are, it'll probably be melted enough. If it's very solid, then here are some melting options:
1. If you're not on a raw food diet, you can just scoop the correct amount into an oven safe dish and place it in the oven or in a toaster oven and let it toast a little until it softens (It doesn't take very long). (You can also use a microwave for this purpose, though I'm not a fan, so don't use it personally).
2. To keep it raw, you can either place it next to a source of warmth for some time to soften (close to a toaster oven, a fireplace, a strong light, etc.). You can also scoop some into a saucepan and warm up on very low heat on the stove for a few minutes. It'll soften at a very low temperature without cooking. Just make sure to watch it so it doesn't actually cook and stir a little to heat it faster. Should be a very quick process.
3. Another option to keep it raw is to place the correct amount of coconut butter (or the whole jar if it's made out of glass) into a bowl of hot water. You may need to switch the water a few times to keep it warm, but that will help to soften it.
It can basically melt or soften up quite easily next to or surrounded by a source of heat.
Heather @ The Soulful Spoon says
I find this ironic that this post is almost exactly like mine, under a year after I posted this exact recipe, titled the same thing. I realize this could be coincidence, but at the same time, I'm not at all happy to see my exact recipe here, as much as I love your blog, this was disappointing. My link-------> http://www.soulfulspoon.com/2013/06/raw-coconut-snowballs-grain-free-vegan.html#.UcyxevlOTyE
Audrey says
Hi Heather,
Wow. That was an unexpected comment. I can assure you that no plagiarism took place. I've only come across your blog a week or two ago when you made a comment on here. Also, the recipe is completely different. The ingredients aren't the same at all - your recipe uses more than six ingredients that I didn't use here. Actually, none of the ingredients are the same, except shredded coconut, so I don't really see how they can be compared at all. There are lots of coconut snowballs recipes out there. It's a bit like saying that because both of us may have a chocolate cake recipe up on our blogs, it means one of us must have stolen it from the other...
I came up with mine by experimenting with coconut butter, a product I really like, and that is really the main flavor and ingredient in them.
I am also very much against any kind of uncredited recipe "borrowing" and while most of my recipes are my own creations, I also make sure to always give credit where credit is due (i.e. if I got inspired to make something based on another recipe I've seen out there, or if I adapted something from another blogger or book author's recipe, etc.). If you have a look around the recipes, you'll see that quite clearly.
So my point is, don't be disappointed. Maybe look at it like a "great minds think alike" instead ;)
Rosa says
Such a cheap shot Heather! These are completely different recipes. Not even close. Accolades to the height Ms Audrey conducts herself in her response to you.
Sharon Waltenburg says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I have cut out refined sugar completely, and this recipe has given me hope in seeing that a life w/o sugar is possible. I used honey for my sweetener and it was fantastic. Thank you! Again!
Audrey says
Hi Sharon,
That's wonderful. Glad you liked it. Good to know it works well with honey too. I used to be entirely sugar-free for years (now I have it on the rare occasion, though life seems to be much better without it for me :) ). And on the positive side, I get to explore (and share) these new refined sugar-free recipes with others, which is a big bonus!
Karen says
do you happen to know the nutritional content of these snowballs? They look delicious!
Audrey says
Hi Karen,
Good question! To be honest, as it's a dessert treat I never really looked into the values :). I'm also not sure specifically which values you're interested in (calories? carbs? sodium? etc.). However, there are websites like this: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp you can use to run the recipe through to get a full idea. At a quick glance, if you make 10 balls from this recipe, it's roughly 240 cals per serving (more if you coat them with something), if you make 20 half-size balls it's 120 per serving. Dessert balls are quite versatile though, so depending on what you're looking for nutritionally, they can be quite easily adapted. Let me know if there's something more specific you're looking for, and I can see if I can help with any more info or suggestions. All the best!
kristen says
can you adapt this recipe to make chocolate balls?
Audrey says
Hi Kristen,
Yes, for sure. That’s the beauty of dessert balls — they’re quite versatile. I haven’t tried changing this particular recipe to chocolate myself, but if I did I would add in 1/4 cup cocoa powder and another 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste). I am very confident this will work and taste delicious.
I’m actually getting ready to publish a slightly different chocolate balls recipe tomorrow, so stay tuned :)
Sarah says
What is coconut butter?
Audrey says
Hi Sarah,
Coconut butter is a spread made out of coconut flesh (different from coconut oil). I used Artisana's coconut butter, which you can typically find in a health food store, or in places like Whole Foods, etc. If you haven't had a chance to try it out, I highly recommend it -- it's very creamy, thick, and smooth, and quite versatile for many recipes (like fudge, dessert balls, cakes, bars, spreads, etc.), and it's quite yummy too :)