Scottish Snowballs are a traditional Scottish sweet treat made with two soft, lightly golden sponges sandwiched together with strawberry (or raspberry) jam, coated in sweet icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. A nostalgic Scottish bakery favourite that's worth the effort and perfect with a cup of tea!
Scottish Snowballs, alongside my Empire Biscuits, have to be two of my all-time favourite Scottish bakes. Both are proper old-school classics, the kind I grew up eating, and I absolutely love them.
Jump to:
- What Is A Scottish Snowball?
- What Makes My Scottish Snowballs Recipe Different?
- Ingredients for Scottish Snowballs
- How to Make Scottish Snowballs
- My Top Tips for Perfect Scottish Snowballs
- What's the Easiest Way to Coat Scottish Snowballs in Icing?
- How to Store Scottish Snowballs
- FAQs
- More Traditional Scottish Baking Recipes
- Scottish Snowballs
Now, I know some people find the sponge in Scottish Snowballs a little dry, but I think that's missing the point! Once you've sandwiched them together with jam, coated them in sweet icing and rolled them in coconut, everything comes together to create the perfect mouthful.
It's what I like to call the saliva test (I think I've coined that phrase myself). The sponge, jam and icing all need to work together so that when you take a bite, there's just enough moisture to balance everything out. And for me, that's exactly what makes a good Scottish Snowball!
If you're a fan of nostalgic Scottish baking, you'll probably love my Scottish Tablet recipe too. It's another traditional sweet treat that takes just a handful of ingredients and a little know-how to get right.
What Is A Scottish Snowball?
Unlike the chocolate-coated marshmallow snowballs you might find elsewhere in the UK, Scottish Snowballs have a soft, slightly crumbly sponge centre with jam rolled in icing and coconut. They're the ideal sweet treat and just a *little* messy to eat.
The key is getting the balance between the sponge, jam and icing just right. You want the biscuits to hold their shape without being too hard, with enough moisture from the filling and coating to bring everything together.
What Makes My Scottish Snowballs Recipe Different?
Having made these myself, I quickly realised that the most fiddly part isn't actually making the dough or baking the biscuits. It's coating them in icing and coconut without everything turning into a sticky mess!
After a little trial and error, I found a few things that made the process much easier.
- Firstly, I weigh the dough into 30g portions before rolling. This helps the biscuits bake evenly and means you've got similarly sized halves when it comes to sandwiching them together.
- Secondly, I refrigerate the assembled snowballs for approximately an hour before icing. This helps the jam firm up and keeps the two halves together when you're dipping them.
- And finally, I work in batches of three when coating them, allowing the excess icing to drip off on a wire cooling rack before rolling them in coconut.
It might sound like a small detail, but it makes the whole process much less faff and gives a much neater finish.
Ingredients for Scottish Snowballs
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and details.
- Salted Butter: I use salted butter because it adds flavour and helps balance the sweetness of the icing and jam. Make sure it's softened to room temperature so it's easier to rub into the flour.
- Self-Raising Flour: Forms the base of the sponge biscuits and provides the lift needed to create their lightly risen, rounded shape.
- Baking Powder: A small amount of additional baking powder helps give the biscuits a little extra lift as they bake.
- Caster Sugar: Sweetens the dough without making it overly sweet, particularly important when you're adding jam and icing later.
- Salt: Just a pinch to balance the sweetness and bring out the flavour of the other ingredients.
- Whole Milk: Adds moisture to the dough and helps bring everything together. I prefer whole milk for baking, but semi-skimmed should also work.
- Egg and Egg Yolk: I use one whole medium egg and an additional yolk. These help bind the dough together, with the extra yolk adding richness.
- Strawberry or Raspberry Jam: Both work beautifully, so use whichever you prefer. You'll only need a small amount to sandwich each pair together, as too much jam can make them slide apart.
- Icing Sugar: Mixed with hot water to create the sweet coating. You want a smooth icing that's thick enough to cling to the biscuits but still loose enough for dipping.
- Desiccated Coconut: Gives Scottish Snowballs their distinctive snowy appearance. Have it ready in a separate bowl before you start icing, as you'll want to work fairly quickly.
Equipment You'll Need
You don't need any specialist baking equipment for this Scottish Snowballs recipe, but a few things will make the process easier.
- Three baking trays and baking paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Small bowl or jug for the wet ingredients
- Digital kitchen scales
- Muffin tin
- Wire cooling rack
- Fork and spoon for icing
The muffin tin is particularly handy for holding the assembled snowballs while the jam sets, and later for keeping the finished ones tidy in their paper cases.
How to Make Scottish Snowballs
1. Prepare the ingredients
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350F conventional (160°C fan) and line three baking trays with baking paper.
Cut your butter into small cubes and allow it to soften to room temperature.
If you're using butter straight from the fridge, you can microwave it for 10–15 seconds to soften slightly, but be careful not to melt it.
2. Rub the butter into the flour
In a large mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the softened butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir through the caster sugar until evenly distributed.
3. Add the wet ingredients
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the whole egg, egg yolk and whole milk.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture.
Stir until a rough, shaggy dough begins to form.
4. Bring the dough together
Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until everything comes together into a soft, smooth dough.
You don't want to overwork it, so stop as soon as the dough is smooth and holds together.
5. Shape the snowballs
Divide the dough into approximately 30g portions and roll each piece between your palms to create a smooth ball.
You should have approximately 18 balls, enough to make 9 Scottish Snowballs.
I recommend weighing each portion rather than guessing, as this makes it much easier to match the halves together later.
6. Bake
Arrange six dough balls on each prepared baking tray, leaving enough space between them to spread slightly.
Bake for approximately 13–14 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the trays for 5–10 minutes.
7. Sandwich with jam
Once the biscuits are cool enough to handle, pair them together according to size.
Spread approximately one small teaspoon of strawberry or raspberry jam onto the flat side of one half, then gently sandwich the other half on top.
Repeat until you've assembled all nine snowballs. Place the assembled snowballs into the cups of a muffin tin to help hold them in place.
8. Chill
Refrigerate for approximately one hour to allow the jam to firm up and the two halves to become more secure.
This is particularly helpful when it comes to icing them.
9. Prepare the icing and coconut
Mix the icing sugar and hot water in a bowl until smooth.
Place the desiccated coconut into a separate bowl alongside it.
I also recommend setting up a wire cooling rack with baking paper underneath to catch any excess icing.
10. Ice the snowballs
Working with one snowball at a time, carefully dip it into the icing, turning until completely coated.
I find it easiest to balance the snowball on a fork and use a spoon to pour icing over any areas that need a little more coverage.
Gently tap the fork against the side of the bowl to remove the excess icing.
11. Coat in coconut
Place the iced snowballs onto your wire cooling rack, working in batches of three.
Allow the excess icing to drip off slightly before gently rolling each snowball through the desiccated coconut until evenly coated.
12. Allow to set
Place paper muffin cases into the cups of your muffin tin, then carefully transfer the coated snowballs into the cases.
Leave until the icing has completely set.
Then get the kettle on and enjoy!
My Top Tips for Perfect Scottish Snowballs
- Don't overwork the dough: Once everything comes together, knead it just enough to form a smooth dough. Overworking can make the finished biscuits tougher than you'd like.
- Weigh the dough: I recommend dividing it into 30g portions rather than guessing. This helps the biscuits bake evenly and makes pairing the halves much easier.
- Don't overbake: You're looking for a lightly golden colour. Remember, these aren't meant to be crunchy biscuits, so avoid leaving them in the oven too long.
- Use just enough jam: It's tempting to be generous, but too much jam makes the halves slide around when you're trying to ice them.
- Chill before icing: This is one step I wouldn't skip. Refrigerating the assembled snowballs for an hour makes them much easier to handle.
- Work in batches of three: After a little trial and error, I found this was the easiest way to manage the icing and coconut without making quite so much mess.
What's the Easiest Way to Coat Scottish Snowballs in Icing?
This was probably the part of the recipe that took me the most trial and error!
I initially tried dipping the snowballs straight into the icing and then rolling them immediately in coconut, but I found the whole process a little more awkward than it needed to be.
The easiest method I've found is to dip each snowball into the icing, scraping away some of the excess against the side of the bowl.
I then balance the snowball on a fork and use a spoon to pour icing over any areas that need a little more coverage. A gentle tap against the bowl helps remove any excess.
Rather than transferring them straight into the coconut, I place the iced snowballs onto a wire cooling rack with baking paper underneath.
Working in batches of three allows the icing to drip off slightly before rolling them in coconut. It's much less faff and gives a more even coating!
How to Store Scottish Snowballs
Once the icing has completely set, store your Scottish Snowballs in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
I'd recommend enjoying them within 2–3 days for the best texture.
If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can refrigerate them, although the coconut coating may become slightly damp when they return to room temperature.
Can You Freeze Scottish Snowballs?
Absolutely! You can freeze Scottish Snowballs either before or after assembling them.
Freezing the baked halves: Once completely cooled, place the individual sponge biscuits into a freezer-safe food bag or airtight container. When you're ready to make your snowballs, allow them to defrost fully at room temperature before adding the jam, icing and coconut.
Freezing fully assembled snowballs: I like to wrap each finished snowball individually in cling film before placing them together in a freezer-safe food bag. This helps protect the icing and coconut coating.
For the best quality, freeze for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to enjoy one, simply remove it from the freezer and allow it to defrost at room temperature.
FAQs
The dough should be soft and easy to handle without being overly sticky.
If it feels too sticky when shaping, sprinkle in a small amount of additional flour until you can comfortably roll it into balls.
Avoid adding too much, as you don't want the finished snowballs to be dry.
The sponge biscuits themselves can seem slightly dry when eaten on their own, and that's not necessarily a problem.
Remember my saliva test! Once you've added the jam, icing and coconut, everything should balance out to create that perfect mouthful.
However, if the biscuits are particularly hard or crumbly, they may have been overbaked or the dough may have contained too much additional flour.
The most likely reason is that the jam hasn't had enough time to firm up, or you've used a little too much.
I recommend chilling the assembled snowballs for approximately one hour before coating them to help the halves stay together.
Not at all! The muffin cases are simply a handy way to catch any excess coconut and keep things a little tidier.
You can just as easily place the finished snowballs onto a lined baking tray or wire cooling rack to set.
More Traditional Scottish Baking Recipes
If you liked this Scottish snowballs recipe, you might like some of my other popular Scottish baking and desserts:
If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I'll get back to you. Or I would really appreciate it if you left me a review below.
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Scottish Snowballs
Ingredients
Snowballs
- 100 g salted butter
- 285 g self-raising flour
- 90 g caster sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 20 ml whole milk
- 1 medium egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 g strawberry or raspberry jam
Icing and Coating
- 250 g icing sugar
- 67 ml hot water
- 150 g desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350F conventional (160°C fan) and line three baking trays with baking paper.
- Cube the 100 g salted butter and allow it to soften to room temperature. Alternatively, microwave for 10–15 seconds, taking care not to melt it (the perfect texture is being able to press your finger into it easily).
- Combine the 285 g self-raising flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder andpinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Stir through the 90 g caster sugar until evenly distributed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the 20 ml whole milk, 1 medium egg and 1 egg yolk.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Stir until a rough dough forms, then turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until soft and smooth.
- Divide the dough into approximately 30g portions and roll into smooth balls. You should have approximately 18 balls.
- Arrange six balls on each prepared baking tray, leaving space between them. Bake for 13–14 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool on the baking trays for 5–10 minutes. Measure out the 50 g strawberry or raspberry jam into a ramekin.
- Pair the biscuits together and spread approximately one small teaspoon of jam onto the flat side of one half of each pair. Gently sandwich together.
- Place the assembled snowballs into the cups of a muffin tin and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour to allow the jam to firm up.
- Mix the250 g icing sugar and 67 ml hot water in a bowl until smooth. Place the 150 g desiccated coconut into a separate bowl.
- Dip each chilled snowball into the icing, turning until coated. Use a fork and spoon to cover any exposed areas and allow the excess icing to drip off.
- Place on a wire cooling rack with baking paper underneath. Work in batches of three, allowing the icing to drip off slightly before rolling the snowballs through the coconut.
- Transfer the coated snowballs into paper muffin cases or onto a lined baking tray.
- Leave until the icing has completely set before serving.
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