Cranberry Snowballs – Fresh cranberries rolled in powdered sugar then baked and chilled. Surprise your guests with a burst of delicious cranberry when they bite into these sweet and tangy confections!

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I love entertaining over the holidays. It gives me the chance to whip up some of my family’s favorite recipes as well as test some new recipes I’ve been dying to try.

Today we’re making Cranberry Snowballs and they ARE NOT cookies. There ARE cookies with this name as well but what we’re making today is more of a sweet and tangy “appetizer.”

Cranberry snowballs are essentially fresh cranberries you bake, roll in powdered sugar and chill. They are sweet on the outside with a juicy “pop” of fresh and tangy cranberry in the center!

Put out a bowl of these chilled confections over the holidays and watch your guests pop them in their mouths. These little snowballs are often the talk of the party!

HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY SNOWBALLS

To make these cranberry snowballs, you’ll need:

Fresh cranberries
Egg white
Powdered sugar

You’ll want to start by rinsing your cranberries and gently patting them dry with a towel.

Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy.

Pour the egg white over the fresh cranberries and toss to coat.

Pour the powdered sugar into a gallon ziplock bag and add the cranberries.

Gently shake the bag until the cranberries are completely covered in sugar.

You need to GENTLY transfer the cranberries to a baking sheet. I use a skimmer like this one.

If any of the berries are sticking together, you can gently shake the skimmer to separate them and allow any extra powdered sugar to fall through the slots.

If you don’t have a skimmer, you can try and use a slotted turner. It’s just a bit more difficult to try to keep the cranberries on a turner because it’s flat.

Bake the cranberries at 200º Fahrenheit for 4 minutes. Then transfer the berries to a sheet of parchment paper to cool for about an hour before you refrigerate.

Just look at how pretty these tiny confections are!

WHERE DID THE RECIPE FOR CRANBERRY SNOWBALLS ORIGINATE?

Sugared cranberries originated in Russia, and the recipe dates back to the 1800’s. People would stand in long lines to purchase these little confections. They were often enjoyed along with a cup of tea and were a favorite treat among children.

IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE EGG WHITE?

If you don’t want to coat the cranberries in egg white, you can use a simple syrup mixture. Prepare this by adding 1/4 cup powdered sugar into 1 cup water.

Coat the cranberries in the sugar/water mixture before adding the berries to the bag of powdered sugar.

WHAT DOES BAKING THE CRANBERRIES DO?

Baking the cranberries softens them so they’re not difficult to bite into.

COULD CRANBERRY SNOWBALLS BE USED AS A GARNISH?

Yes! In addition to just placing them in a bowl for guests to enjoy, you can use them as a garnish for desserts or even as a topping for a holiday cake.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE CRANBERRY SNOWBALLS?

You’ll want to chill and store the cranberry snowballs in the refrigerator. They can remain fresh for about a month in the fridge.

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