Gingerbread Bliss "Snowballs"

Oats, walnuts, homemade date paste, and spices are blitzed together, rolled, baked, and rolled in powdered sugar in these wholesomely scrumptious bites that channel notes of gingerbread cookie dough, bliss balls, snowball cookies, and powdered sugar donut holes!

If you’re here looking for a healthy, vegan, traditional-tasting Snowball Cookie, this recipe’s not going to achieve that goal…but I hope you’ll give it a chance.

Of all the holiday cookies from childhood to present, there are a few that stand out and bring the greatest glee. There’s the classic gingerbread cutout cookie, of course; also, pretty piped, light and crumbly spritz; any kind of shortbread dipped in chocolate; and snowball cookies. Among the lot, snowballs gave the most immediate, heady delight (straight up sugar tends to do that). Over the years, the butter-and-sugar confection taste is less and less for me, but I will always think fondly of the powdery, meltaway sweetness of them. It goes without saying, then, that creating a healthier version has become an annual project!

There are numerous, oh-so-scrumptious vegan options that arrive that the classic without eggs or dairy beautifully using vegan butter or coconut oil. Trying to cut out or back on the fat and sugar has not yet yielded the results I hoped for; in this case, though, I got something altogether different and delightful.

Scanning the ingredients list, this recipe looks a lot like no-bake bliss balls. The couple of steps that distinguish it from make a subtle yet notable difference. Instead of the quick blitz of most everything in the food processor, take the time to blend the oats into flour first, elevated with delicious warm spices. Similarly, soak the dates and make a paste (both dates and soaking water). This way, you get more of a smooth, evenly flavored “dough”. Could you roll them straight into balls, coat with powdered sugar (or chopped nuts, coconut, or whatever you choose) and be done? I think so. But, the brief bake in the oven is worth it, creating a soft coating to the tender inside that takes on the powdered sugar just right to conjure the feel of a healthier donut hole.

When I first baked and tasted these, I’ll be honest, I was ever so slightly disappointed. Because, I’d secretly really hoped for a gingerbread-spiced riff on Snowballs! When my son popped one in his mouth, though, his immediate reaction was a resounding YUM. That alone was a huge feel-good win, doubled and then some knowing the relative wholesomeness of these treats.

You can keep these in a covered container or freeze them. Either way, the powdered sugar will mostly be absorbed by the time you come back to them. If this is the case, you can re-roll just as easily as the first time. Yes, this means adding more sugar, but given the nutrient-rich ingredients and the overall impact of a little powdery enhancement, I’m good with it. If you want to skip that and go in another direction, a light coating, maybe halfway, of melted dark or vegan white chocolate would be pretty blissful, too while still being better-for-you holiday goodies. You do you, and let me know what that ends up evolving into if you have a minute. : ) Enjoy!

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Gingbread Bliss "Snowballs"

Yield: 18-20

Author: Wendy McMillan

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Oats, walnuts, homemade date paste, and spices are blitzed together, rolled, baked, and rolled in powdered sugar in these wholesomely scrumptious bites that channel notes of gingerbread cookie dough, bliss balls, snowball cookies, and powdered sugar donut holes!

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup oats
• 1 Cup walnuts
• ½ Teaspoon baking powder
• ½ Teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ Teaspoon cardamom
• ⅛ Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ Teaspoon ground cloves
• ¾ Cup homemade date paste (see note)
• ½ Teaspoon vanilla
• ½ Tablespoon molasses
• Oat or other gluten free flour as needed to assist in rolling (depending on stickiness of the dough)
• ⅓ Cup powder sugar for coating

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place oats and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and process to a crumbly but flour-like consistency.
3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in the baking powder and spices. Stir in the date paste and vanilla to form a crumbly dough that sticks together when pinched.
4. Portion the dough into approximately 1-Tablespoon sized balls, rolling each between your palms to help round them out. Sprinkle with a little oat or other gluteb free flour as needed depending on the stickiness. Place them on the baking tray (I usually line with parchment or silpat, but it's not necessary.
5. Bake for 10-11 minutes, then let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before rolling in powdered sugar.
6. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Notes

For the date paste:

1 Cup Medjool dates, pitted

¾ Cup freshly boiled water

Soak the dates in the boiled water10 minutes.

Blend dates and soaking water on high, adding a little extra water if needed for desired consistency.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

88

Fat

5 g

Sat. Fat

0 g

Carbs

13 g

Fiber

2 g

Net carbs

11 g

Sugar

5 g

Protein

2 g

Sodium

13 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg