These cute coconut snowmen are easy and fun to prepare and are perfect for Christmas or Winter! They consist of 2-ingredient coconut truffles and store-bought decorations.
What to expect from this recipe
DIFFICULTY: These snowmen are no-bake, easy and fun to make. You don't need any special equipment such as a blender or food processor! The whole family will love decorating these snowmen.
TASTE/TEXTURE: The coconut bliss balls will melt in your mouth and are addictive.
CUSTOMIZABLE: You can decorate the snowmen like the pictures or use your imagination!
Ingredients you'll need
Notes about the ingredients
Sweetened condensed milk to bind the coconut snowballs. This cannot be substituted for regular dairy-free milk as it's not the right consistency. If you can't access condensed milk, I've included an option using coconut cream and maple syrup.
Dairy-free white chocolate is used to stick the coconut balls together. Alternatively, you can use white candy melts, extra pretzel sticks or toothpicks!
Orange and black icing to draw the snowmen's eyes, noses and buttons. You can use store-bought icing pens, leftover icing or buttercream (I used leftover buttercream). Mini chocolate chips, mini raisins or small pieces of dried fruit work but don't 'stick' as easily to the snowmen.
Candy and pretzel sticks. If you're vegan, make sure yours are vegan-friendly and don't contain gelatine, milk solids or red food coloring made from bugs etc!
A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make the coconut truffles
Simply mix together the two snowball ingredients in a large bowl until combined. You can use a large wooden spoon or a hand mixer.
The final mixture should be a little sticky and look really fluffy.
The coconut cream version creates a less sticky mixture. If needed, you may need to add more coconut or maple syrup for a workable texture.
Roll balls of the mixture between your palms, trying to make sure each one is as compact as possible. I recommend using damp hands because the mixture is less likely to stick to a wet surface.
The balls should still be slightly tacky which is perfect for rolling in dried coconut.
To make snowmen, I recommend shaping an equal number of slightly larger balls (for the bodies) and slightly smaller balls (for the heads).
Assembling the snowmen
Next, place all your larger coconut truffles on a plate. Use melted white chocolate, pretzel sticks or toothpicks to stick the smaller coconut truffles on top.
I used a small piping bag to draw the snowmen's eyes, nose and buttons. However, you can use a toothpick or a store-bought icing pen. The icing may not want to stick to the dried coconut so just do the best that you can.
The snowmen are really cute without any additional decorations. However, you can choose to add arms and scarves, as pictured below. If your pretzels or candy scarves aren't sticking, use some white chocolate to 'glue' them to the snowmen. Most importantly, don't stress and have fun with it!
Can I add anything else to the coconut snowmen?
For extra flavor in the coconut bliss balls, you can add:
- Vanilla extract
- White chocolate chips
- Finely chopped dried fruit
- Lemon zest
For decorations, you can add:
- Large marshmallows to make hats.
- Mini marshmallows or candy/lollies to make mini hats.
- Cookie bases for the snowmen to stand on
- White chocolate. Instead of coating the snowmen in coconut, you can dip them in white chocolate to make a bounty-like snack!
- Festive sprinkles or decorator candies. These would be adorable as buttons!
Making the coconut snowmen in advance
If you'd like to make these for Christmas, you can make them days or weeks in advance!
2-3 days before Christmas: Make and assemble the coconut snowmen except for the pretzel sticks (these will get stale over time). Store the snowmen in your fridge in an airtight container. On Christmas Day, let them come to room temperature and insert the pretzel sticks.
1-4 weeks before Christmas: Make and assemble the snowmen except for the pretzel sticks. Store the snowmen in your freezer. The day before Christmas, or on the morning of Christmas, thaw them in the fridge or at room temperature. Insert the pretzel sticks when the snowmen are soft enough.
The versatility of this recipe
The coconut truffle mixture is very moldable and can be used to make other cute Christmas characters such as Santas or reindeer.
If you don't want to decorate the truffles as snowmen, you can enjoy the truffles by themselves. Or dip the balls in milk or white chocolate to make bounty-like balls!
More easy Christmas snacks and desserts
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Coconut Snowmen
Ingredients
Coconut Snowmen
- 320 g (11.25 oz) dairy-free sweetened condensed milk, 1 regular can, (note 2)
- 4 cups (320g) dessicated coconut (fine shredded), plus extra for rolling
To Decorate
- 3 tablespoons vegan white chocolate, or white candy melts, melted and as needed
- 3 tablespoons black-colored icing, or as needed
- 2 tablespoons orange-colored icing, or as needed
- 24 thin pretzel sticks, 2 inches (5 cm) each
- 12 red candy straps, 5 inches (13 cm) each
Instructions
Make the snowmen:
- Add the coconut and sweetened condensed milk to a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until well combined.
- Divide and roll the mixture into around 12 larger balls and 12 smaller balls. These will be the snowmen bodies and heads.
- Roll the coconut balls in extra coconut.
- Pair each larger ball with a smaller ball. Dab some white chocolate on the larger balls and stick a smaller ball on top. Allow the coconut snowmen to firm up at room temperature or in the fridge.
Decorate the snowmen:
- Using piping bags or toothpicks, draw the black icing on the snowmen to make eyes and buttons. Draw the orange icing on the snowmen to make noses.
- If desired, insert the pretzel sticks into the snowmen to make arms. Wrap the snowmen's necks with red candy. If needed, use melted white chocolate to 'stick' the items in place.
- Store the snowmen in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. The pretzel sticks will soften over time.
Notes
- The number of snowmen you'll get will depend on how large you roll your coconut truffles.
- If you can't access sweetened condensed milk, you can use 1 cup (240g) thick scoopable coconut cream and ¼ cup (85g) maple syrup. Your final mixture will be less sticky than the original and you may need to add more coconut or maple syrup.
Nutrition
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What kind of candy did you use for the scarf?
In Australia, I used something called 'Sour Straps.'
I made them but and posted on FB. Not sure how to do that # thing but mentioned you in comments. The snowmen were easy to make, but decorating coconut flake dusted anything is a challenge!! I had fun with the scarves and overall they turned out well.
Hello, for the coconut cream version you use a can of coconut milk? And do you use only the thick part or everything?
Hi Viktoriya, yes you can use a can of coconut milk but it tends to have less thick coconut cream compared to a can of coconut cream. As the recipe notes says, I recommend using only the thick scoopable part.
Thank you very much!