Walnut Snowball Cookies (Oreshki-Inspired)
Buttery, melt-in-the-mouth walnut balls dusted to look like little snowballs — inspired by the nutty Slavic holiday cookies. Sweetened with honey, rolled in coconut "snow."
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- Makes enough for 20
- Easy, with clear steps and nothing fussy
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) walnuts, finely ground
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup (115 g) softened butter
- 1/4 cup (85 g) raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla, pinch salt
- 1/3 cup fine shredded coconut (for rolling)
How to make it
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a tray.
Cream butter and honey; add vanilla.
Mix in ground walnuts, flour and salt to a soft dough. Chill 15 minutes.
Roll into 20 small balls; bake 14–16 minutes until pale gold and set.
While still warm, roll in shredded coconut. Cool, then roll again for a snowy finish.
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Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Walnut Snowball Cookies (Oreshki-Inspired) really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from honey - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
How long does Walnut Snowball Cookies (Oreshki-Inspired) keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Walnut Snowball Cookies (Oreshki-Inspired) make?
This makes enough for 20. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Walnut Snowball Cookies (Oreshki-Inspired)
Buttery, melt-in-the-mouth walnut balls dusted to look like little snowballs — inspired by the nutty Slavic holiday cookies. Sweetened with honey, rolled in coconut "snow."
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) walnuts, finely ground
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 cup (115 g) softened butter
- 1/4 cup (85 g) raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla, pinch salt
- 1/3 cup fine shredded coconut (for rolling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a tray.
- Cream butter and honey; add vanilla.
- Mix in ground walnuts, flour and salt to a soft dough. Chill 15 minutes.
- Roll into 20 small balls; bake 14–16 minutes until pale gold and set.
- While still warm, roll in shredded coconut. Cool, then roll again for a snowy finish.
