These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are heavenly — a creamy vanilla filling, a bright cherry center, and a soft coconut-crunch shell. No wonder they’re your most popular Christmas treat!
✨ Makes: 30–36 cookies
❄️ No baking required
🎄 Perfect for holiday parties, cookie trays, and gifting
Ingredients
For the Cream Layer
- 8 oz (225g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 stick (½ cup / 113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3–3½ cups powdered sugar (enough to make a thick dough)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cherry Filling
- 1½ cups cherry pie filling or thick cherry preserves
(you can also use raspberry or strawberry)
Outer Coating
- 2½ cups finely shredded sweetened coconut
- ½ cup white chocolate sprinkles or crushed white wafers (optional for texture)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Cream Dough
- In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla.
- Gradually beat in powdered sugar until you form a soft but moldable dough — it should feel like thick frosting that can be rolled into balls without sticking heavily to your hands.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes to firm up.
2. Prepare the Filling
- Spoon small amounts (½ teaspoon or so) of cherry pie filling onto a plate.
- Optional: Refrigerate or briefly freeze these little “drops” — this makes shaping the cookies much easier.
3. Shape the Cookies
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese dough into your hand.
- Flatten slightly.
- Place one chilled cherry drop in the center.
- Wrap the dough gently around the cherry until completely sealed.
- Roll into a smooth ball.
- Repeat until all the dough is used.
4. Coat the Snowballs
- Place coconut (and sprinkles, if using) into a shallow bowl.
- Roll each ball in the coating, pressing lightly so it sticks well.
- Set cookies onto a parchment-lined tray.
5. Chill
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
- The texture becomes perfectly creamy and truffle-like as they chill.
How They Taste
- Soft, creamy vanilla center
- Bright, juicy cherry burst in the middle
- Light coconut crunch on the outside
- Sweet but not heavy — like a cheesecake truffle meets a snowball cookie!
Tips for Best Results
- Chill the cream dough so rolling is easier.
- If the cherry filling is too runny, strain off excess liquid.
- These freeze beautifully for up to 2–3 months.
- Coat in toasted coconut for deeper flavor.
- Swap cherry for lemon curd, raspberry jam, or chocolate ganache!
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 7 days
- Freeze up to 3 months
- Serve chilled or slightly softened — both are amazing
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