Cinnamon Snowballs

A longtime family favorite holiday cookie that's not only Gluten-Free but Vegan optional too! Not too sweet, amazing cinnamon & nutmeg flavor and perfect buttery texture somewhere between chewy and crunchy.

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com
Cinnamon Snowballs

Easy recipe yields the yummiest holiday cookie!

New! I’ve added a cooking video to this page so you can see how easy it is to make the gluten-free Cinnamon Snowballs!

If you’re new to this page, there is a printable recipe with exact measurements and directions as the bottom of the page.

Hope you love them as much as we do!

Original post…

This is my kind of snowball… Gluten-free Cinnamon Snowballs!

My family has a long tradition of holiday cookie baking and we have many recipes from family & friends that we look forward to each year.

Everyone has a favorite, and these are the favorite of my son and my niece.

They are not too sweet, have a great cinnamon and nutmeg flavor, and that perfect buttery cookie texture somewhere between chewy & crunchy.

And this batch is not only gluten-free but Vegan too!

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

My family’s been baking this recipe for as long as I can remember.

The origins of this recipe?

My Aunt introduced the family to it…. She got it from a Swedish friend she met in weaving class in the 1970s… seriously, that’s where we got it from.

Beyond that, all I know is they are one of my family’s favorite holiday cookies and they are really yummy!

And they are EASY to make!

All you’ll need is:

butter or dairy-free butter

confectioners sugar

gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum (I use GF Jules– affiliate link)

salt

cinnamon

nutmeg

gluten-free oats

vanilla extract

finely chopped walnuts and pecans (you could use just one type of nut it that’s all available).

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

In fact the only change I’ve made to the original recipe is to use GF Jules (affiliate link) flour… which is why we love it so much!

And you may have noticed that we are affiliate for GFJules.  A great gluten-free flour is so important with gluten-free baking! To learn more about why we love GFJules flour and why we have used it for 10 years, click here.

Bonus: at the bottom of that post is a one-time use affiliate Discount Code.

And importantly, purchasing through an affiliate link does not change your cost at all. It generates a small percentage of the sale for me, and purchasing through an affiliate link helps me fund this website and all the recipes I share, so thank you!

Back to the Gluten-free Cinnamon Snowballs...

One pro tip as we start cookie baking season…

Whenever you chop nuts for a recipe, chop extra and leave it in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

That way, it will be all ready for the next cookie you bake.

chopped walnuts #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Back to the Cinnamon Snowballs….

And the dough comes together quickly and doesn’t require any refrigeration prior to baking.

All you do is cream the butter and separately mix together the flour, sugar and spices.

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter, add in the oats, vanilla and nuts and mix for about 5 minutes until it forms a dough.

Then roll into marble size balls and bake!

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

The only thing I want to point out about this recipe is that the cookies bake at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes.

This is notable because most cookies bake at 350 degrees or 375 degrees, so if you are planning on baking several recipes in one day, start with these!

They flatten and grow some while they bake and the house will smell amazing!

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Let them cool slightly,  then roll in confectioner’s sugar (also known as powdered sugar)

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

That’s it!

Super easy, fun for kids of all ages to make and yummy!

So this season, let it snow Cinnamon Snowballs!

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

Hope you love them as much as we do!

For more holiday cookies, click here.

For our Holiday Gift Guide, click here.

PIN it!

Cinnamon Snowballs gluten free christmas cookie #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

 

Scroll down to see the recipe and leave a comment if you try.

Recipe

 

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Cinnamon Snowballs

A longtime holiday favorite, these cookies are not too sweet, have a great cinnamon and nutmeg flavor, and the perfect buttery cookie texture somewhere between chewy and crunchy.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert, Holiday Cookies
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free and Vegan Optional
Servings: 48 cookies
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

Cookie dough

  • 1 cup butter or dairy-free butter softened (If butter, I use 1 stick unsalted, 1 stick salted)
  • 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum I use GF Jules- affiliate link
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup quick cooking gluten-free oats
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3/4 cup walnuts finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup pecans finely chopped 
(You could use only one type of nut if that's what is available)
  • 3/4 cups or more confectioner's sugar for rolling baked cookies

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or leave cookie sheet ungreased.
  • Beat butter until creamy
  • In a medium bowl mix the confectioner's sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg with a pastry cutter or fork.
  • Gradually add flour mixture to the butter.
  • Blend well.
  • Stir in oats
  • Blend in vanilla and nuts
  • Mix well (about 5 minutes)
  • Shape to form small, marble sized balls
  • Place these on the cookie sheet.
  • Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until set. Cookies will seem soft, but will harden as they cool.
  • Let cool.
  • Gently roll in confectioner's sugar.
  • Store in air tight container for several weeks. Cookies freeze well.
  • TIP: If making multiple cookies in a day, make these first because of the low oven temperature and longer baking time.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

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