Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies

Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies are tender, shortbread-like snowballs studded with lime zest & toasted coconut and generously rolled in powdered sugar for yummy year-round treats...from the lazy days of summer to a Christmas cookie platter!

Yippeeee! It's time for my first holiday cookie recipe of the season! That means we must give proper attention to these lovely, delectable Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies.

Everyone knows what a regular Snowball is, right? It's a simple buttery cookie with a texture akin to shortbread that's rolled in obscene amounts of powdered sugar, resulting in something that looks like, well, a snowball. Snowball Cookies are pretty standard fixtures on Christmas cookie platters, so I thought it would be fun to share my adaptation today.

And that adaptation is (drumroll, please)...Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies! Because in the dead of winter, nothing is better than a little flashback to summer! In fact, I like to think of these as cookies that Olaf (why yes, I do have a 3-year-old daughter...why do you ask?) would appreciate...wintry little snowballs with a distinctively summery vibe.

Put the Lime in the Coconut...

They have the dough and powdered sugar coating of traditional Snowball Cookies, with toasted coconut mixed into the dough for sweetness and texture, and lime zest and lime juice lending pucker and pizzazz. Can't you just taste them now??? (insert all of the heart-eyed emojis HERE)

If you wanted an even stronger kick of lime, you could add extra lime zest to the powdered sugar before rolling, which would coat the cookies with little specks of green. But I decided to leave my cookies snowy white. I think it's kind of fun to expect a regular ol' Snowball and then discover a surprise inside!

How to Make Them

Aside from their flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture, the other thing I love about these Snowball Cookies is how simple they are to make.

1. Mix together a basic dough.
2. Roll it into balls.
3. Bake.
4. And coat with powdered sugar!

These cookies come together quickly and easily, and they're perfect for little ones to help make...because you know the kiddos are going to love all of that (albeit messy) powdered sugar rolling! As a bonus, there are no raw eggs to worry about, so everyone (adults included) can sneak cookie dough bites to their hearts' content. 😉

Extra Powdered Sugar

Like all Snowball Cookies, this lime coconut version tends to soak up the powdered sugar as it sits. However, that predicament is easily remedied by rolling each cookie in another layer of powdered sugar, making the cookie grow a teensy bit larger each time (HEYYY...like real snowballs!). Or, if you're feeling lazy (*cough, cough*), you could just do this...

...a veritable snowstorm of powdered sugar!

So who's ready to put the lime in the coconut and snow it ball around?

You had to read that twice, didn't you? 😉

I hope you LOVE these Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies as much as I loved coming up with them for y'all!

More Christmas Cookies

• Easy Shortbread Christmas Cookies
• Eggnog Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies
• Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
• Soft Chewy Ginger Cookies

Lime Coconut Snowball Cookies

Snowball Cookies are tender shortbread-like cookies, and this version is studded with lime zest & toasted coconut and generously rolled in powdered sugar for yummy year-round treats...from the lazy days of summer to a Christmas cookie platter!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

CHILLING TIME: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 24 to 36 cookies, depending on how large you make them

Calories: 166kcal

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon lime juice, juice from about 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tablespoons grated lime zest, from about 3 limes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut, lightly toasted
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, for rolling

Instructions

• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until creamy. Gradually mix in ½ cup powdered sugar, lime juice, and vanilla; beat well. Slowly blend in flour, lime zest, and salt; mix until just combined. Stir in toasted coconut. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out dough and roll into generous 1-inch balls. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until cookies are pale on top but golden brown on the bottom.
• Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Pour 1 ½ cups powdered sugar into a bowl and roll warm cookies in the powdered sugar to coat. Cool cookies completely on a rack and then roll in powdered sugar again. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

TO TOAST COCONUT: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes until it turns a light golden brown, watching closely since coconut can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in a matter of seconds. For more evenly toasted coconut, you may stir it every few minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Made this recipe? I'd love to see on IG!Mention @FiveHeartHome or tag #FiveHeartHome!

Adapted from Southern Living Christmas cookbook.
Originally published on December 7, 2015.