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    Home » Baking & Desserts

    Date Nut Snowballs

    Published: Dec 18, 2020 · Modified: May 18, 2023 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    PIN for Pinterest - Date Nut Snowballs

    This recipe for Date & Nut Snowballs comes from my mother-in-law who is a prolific baker and cook. She is of German descent, but probably got this recipe from an American friend who called these cookies Swedish Wedding Cookies. I'm not sure that any Swede would recognize them! And I've certainly never had them at a wedding, but then again, I've never been to a Swedish wedding!

    Date Nut Snowballs on a platter to serve

    This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you click them and purchase something, I get a little commission. Thank you for your support.

    In fact, a little stroll through the interwebs reveals that other people think that Swedish Wedding Cookies are, in fact, Pecan Sandies! Which, in turn, are also called Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Teacakes, Swedish Teacakes ... OY, my head hurts!

    I'm not sure where my mother-in-law got the recipe, but I'm gonna go ahead and change the name just for the sake of my sanity and my post title! I hope you're all OK with that!

    The secret ingredient

    This recipe might be called Date Nut Snowballs, but it's not the dates or nuts that make the secret! It's the crispy rice! Yeah, dates are great. Nuts are yummy. But crispy rice? It's got it going on!

    Crispy rice cereal, coconut, and walnuts in a large bowl

    Crispy rice?! What is that?

    Well, you and I know it from our childhoods as the brand name Rice Krispies. Isn't it wonderful, though, that there are wholesome, small farms producing a better quality alternative! For this, I used One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Brown Rice - Crisps Cereal that I found at Sprouts. It has only FOUR ingredients and you can track the farmers who grew them. You can buy it on Amazon as well, but it is quite a bit more expensive.

    ingredients for the syrup for the Date Nut Snowballs

    Not to say that this is a healthy recipe, but if you're gonna splurge, you might as well make it as healthful as possible. Here, organic cane sugar is cooked with grass fed butter, a pastured egg, organic dates, and homemade vanilla extract.

    Cook it over medium high heat until it thickens. You'll see it looking a bit foamy and you'll be able to pull the spatula across the bottom of the pot while still seeing the bottom. See how that looks foamy in the photo below ... it's just perfect!

    Pouring the date syrup mixture over the crispy rice, coconut, and walnut mixture

    Pour it over the crispy rice, coconut, and walnuts. If you'd like to use a different nut, do it! No one is holding you back. I would choose pecans, but these might be a Hawaiian favorite if macadamias were used! Who knows!

    The syrup mixture combined with the crispy rice, coconut, and walnuts

    Tips on rolling Date Nut Snowballs

    I tried all the things, man!

    • I used a small spoon and tried to collect it all together into a small ball. But it kept sticking to my hands.
    • Then I buttered my palms, but that only lasted through about three rollings.
    • Finally, I got out my cookie scoop, buttered it, and when to town!

    It worked best when I loaded the scoop as full as possible, pressed it against the side of the bowl or pressed it into the scoop with a spoon. I then dumped it out onto a platter of coconut bits to roll it.

    Use a cookie scoop to form the balls, then roll in coconut

    Et voila! A mound of Date & Nut Snowballs ready to be devoured!

    Close up of Date Nut Snowballs

    Other recipes you might like:

    • Pumpkin Doughnut Hole Muffins
    • Italian Plum Cake
    • Pecan Sandies
    • Hazelnut Jam Prints
    • Old-Fashioned Carrot Cookies

    If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!

    Recipe

    Date Nut Snowballs on a platter to serve

    Date Nut Snowballs

    Tammy Circeo
    I got this recipe from my mother-in-law who called them Swedish Wedding Cookies. I've changed the name to avoid confusion with Pecan Sandies, which are also called Swedish Wedding Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Teacakes ... They seem to have an identity crisis!
    Crunchy and sweet, these little snowballs are a quick snack, a great addition to a holiday cookie platter, or a lovely gift for friends and neighbors.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 7 minutes mins
    Total Time 27 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 45 cookies

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups crispy rice cereal
    • ¾ cup unsweetened coconut
    • ½ cup walnuts chopped small
    • ¼ cup butter
    • ⅔ cup sugar
    • 1 egg
    • dash salt
    • 1 cup dates chopped small
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • coconut to roll the balls in

    Instructions
     

    • Put the crispy rice cereal, coconut, and walnuts in a large bowl and mix together. Set aside.
    • Combine the butter, sugar, egg, salt, and dates in a small saucepan. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Pour the mixture over the crispy rice cereal, coconut, and walnuts. Stir together to mix well and allow to cool slightly.
    • Form small balls using a cookie scoop and roll in coconut.
    Keyword dates, nut, snowballs
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

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