Description
Delightfully sweet and tangy, Orange Coconut Snowballs are a no-bake treat combining vanilla wafers, pecans, coconut flakes, and a burst of orange flavor. These bite-sized cookies offer a perfect balance of citrus and nutty textures coated in shredded coconut, making them an irresistible snack or dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 12oz box vanilla wafer cookies (see notes)
- 1 1/4 cup pecans
- 2 cups coconut flakes (sweetened or unsweetened depending on your preference)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup orange juice concentrate, mostly thawed (about 6 oz)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
- Prepare the crumbs: In a food processor, pulse the vanilla wafers into a very fine crumb. Transfer the crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Next, pulse the pecans in the food processor until finely ground and add them to the bowl with the wafer crumbs.
- Chop the coconut: Pulse the coconut flakes in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer these chopped coconut flakes to a separate shallow dish for rolling the snowballs later, setting them aside.
- Combine the dough: Add the powdered sugar, orange juice concentrate, vanilla extract, and softened butter to the mixture of vanilla wafer and pecan crumbs. Using a hand mixer, blend everything together until a consistent dough forms.
- Form the snowballs: Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the dough into small, equally sized scoops. With your hands, roll each scoop into a round ball shape.
- Coat and chill: Roll each dough ball in the chopped coconut flakes until fully coated. Arrange the coated snowballs on a cookie sheet and chill them in the refrigerator until firm, which usually takes about 30 minutes or until they hold their shape well.
- Store and serve: Once firm, transfer the snowballs to an airtight container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator to maintain freshness. Serve chilled and enjoy the refreshing citrus nutty bite-size treats.
Notes
- If only 11oz boxes of vanilla wafers are available, you can add 2-3 sheets of graham crackers crushed finely to make up the volume difference.
- Alternatively, use an extra 1/3 cup of powdered sugar to compensate for less vanilla wafer volume, but note this will increase overall sweetness.
- Buying two boxes of vanilla wafers gives enough volume plus extra wafers for making complementary banana pudding.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
