Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies are sweet, citrus flavored cookies that are perfect for the holidays. Lemon shortbread cookies are coated in a lemon glaze and rolled in shredded coconut.

If I had to limit my cookie tray to just two or three cookies, I’m pretty sure these would make the cut. Lemon coconut snowball cookies look fancy and festive with very little work.

The base of these cookies are a simple shortbread cookie. By adding just a few extra ingredients, you’ve got a quick and easy cookie for the holidays!

There are no eggs and no leaveners in these cookies, so the ingredient list fairly short. The base of all shortbread cookies consists of butter, flour, and sugar. For these cookies I also add some vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt to amp up the flavor.

Lemon For Snowball Cookies

When I make a lemon recipe, I try to use the entire lemon if at all possible. For these cookies, I use the lemon zest in the dough and then the lemon juice in the icing.

I prefer the taste of using a fresh lemon, but you can substitute these with lemon extract if needed.

1 teaspoon of lemon zest = 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract
3 tablespoons of lemon juice = 3/4 teaspoon of lemon extract

Christmas Cookie Recipes

Looking for more holiday cookie recipes? Check out a few of my favorite cookie recipes:

• Heidesand – German Browned Butter Shortbread Cookies
• Christmas Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Zimtsterne – German Cinnamon Star Cookies
• Mint Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
• Dutch Cocoa Cookies

Print Recipe

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Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

A buttery and tender lemon shortbread cookie is topped with lemon icing and shredded coconut.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lemon Coconut Snowball Cookies

Servings: 36 cookies

Calories: 119kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

Lemon Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon Icing

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

Lemon Cookies

• In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add lemon zest and vanilla and stir to combine. 
• In a separate bowl, sift (or whisk) together flour and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until a dough forms. Shape into a disc and cover in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
• Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Using a small two teaspoon scoop (or your hands), form 1 inch balls of dough and place on baking sheet. 
  
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges of cookies begin to lightly brown. Remove from baking sheet to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before icing, about 30 minutes. 

Lemon Icing

• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine lemon juice and powdered sugar for the icing. Stir until sugar is completely incorporated and icing is smooth. Pour shredded coconut in a separate bowl. 
  
• Dip tops of cookies into icing, tapping off excess before dipping into the shredded coconut. Allow to harden before storing, about one hour. 

Notes

Your cookies will keep for 5-7 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, you can place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed. You can keep raw cookie dough in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cookie dough balls and baked cookies freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag. Allow frozen dough to thaw for up to 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking, or add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.5mg