Scottish Snowballs
Scottish Snowballs are am old-school bakery favourite. Soft sweet buns filled with jam, then coated in icing and rolled in coconut, they’re simple to make and packed with nostalgia. Also sometimes known as ‘Snowy Joeys’.
There are a few recipes that my Mum is determined to share here on Baking with Granny (and a few I keep pestering her for, too!). One she has been especially keen to rework, test, and properly perfect before sharing is… Scottish Snowballs.
Now, when she first mentioned Snowballs, I was convinced she meant the chocolate and coconut-covered marshmallow treats from Tunnock’s – which, to be fair, are brilliant in their own right! But these are something entirely different. These are the traditional Scottish Snowball buns she used to make in the bakery over 30 years ago.
Scottish Snowballs (or Snowy Joeys, as they’re sometimes known) are an old-school bakery favourite. Soft, sweet buns filled with jam, coated in icing, and rolled in desiccated coconut. Simple, nostalgic, and exactly the kind of bake that the entire family will love.
Much like my Empire Biscuits or Pineapple Tarts, this is a bake that my Mum made time and time again when she worked in the bakeries, and one that customers would come back for without fail.
And that’s exactly how she remembers these Snowballs, too – a bakery staple that people just knew and loved. When I shared a sneak peek of them on Instagram, I was honestly surprised (and a bit delighted!) by how many people recognised them straight away and said how long it had been since they’d last had one.
So, if you’ve been missing these classic Scottish Snowballs, or you’ve never tried them before, this is your sign to give them a go. Because sometimes, the simplest bakes really are the best. And they are 100% worth the sticky fingers, when it comes to both baking and eating!
Tips for homemade Scottish Snowballs:
• Keep Them Even: If you want your snowballs to be a uniform size, weigh your dough before shaping. Divide the total by 20, then portion each piece to match.
• Don’t Overbake: Keep an eye on your sponge buns as they bake. You want them just lightly golden and soft – overbaking will dry them out, and they won’t have that classic soft Snowball texture.
• Jam While Warm: Spread your jam when the buns are cool enough to touch but still slightly warm. Like with my Empire Biscuits, this helps the jam set as they cool, stopping them from slipping when it comes to icing and coconut.
• Use a Muffin Tin: A 12-hole muffin tin is ideal for holding your snowballs as they cool and set. It keeps them in place after filling, and again after icing, so they don’t roll about or stick together.
• Embrace the Mess: Coating in icing and coconut can get a bit messy. If you can, get an extra pair of hands involved – one of you doing the icing, one doing the coconut. You can use spoons or forks, but honestly, it’s much easier to just use your (clean!) fingers.
• Let the Icing Set: Once coated, give your snowballs time to properly set before serving. This helps the coconut stick and stops everything from becoming overly sticky.
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Scottish Snowballs
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g Self-raising Flour
- ¼ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 80 g Caster Sugar (Superfine Sugar)
- 80 g Butter or Block Margarine
- 1 Free-range Egg (whole)
- 1 Free-range Egg Yolk
- 1 tbsp Milk
To decorate
- Strawberry or Raspberry Jam (Jelly)
- 225 g Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
- 2-3 tbsp Boiling Water
- 60-70 g Desiccated Coconut (Shredded Coconut)
EQUIPMENT
- Small Bowl(s)
- 12-hole Muffin Tin
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 200°c (180°c for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 6 or 400°F) and lightly grease a couple of baking sheets with some excess butter/margarine. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter/margarine and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir through the sugar.
- In a small bowl or mug, beat the eggs & milk together. Add to the dry ingredients, mix until combined, and you have a soft dough (you may need to use your hands).
- Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it is smooth. Divide your dough into 20 even-sized balls, placing them on your prepared baking sheets, with a bit of space between each.
- Bake in your pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes, until they are risen and a light golden colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little on the baking sheets.
- Once cool enough to touch but still warm, spread a little bit of jam (about half a teaspoon) onto the flat side of half the snowball buns before sandwiching the other halves to them. Place them into an empty muffin tin to stop them sliding apart whilst they continue to cool and the jam sets.
To decorate
- Once your snowball buns have cooled and the jam has set, you can prepare your icing. In a small but relatively deep bowl, mix your icing sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of water until you have a thin consistency. Decant your coconut into a similar (but different) bowl and keep it close by.
- Start by rolling your buns in the icing until completely coated. Hold your snowball bun above the icing and allow the excess to drip off, before transferring straight into the coconut. Roll your now-iced snowball bun in coconut until it is completely coated. Transfer to your muffin tin and repeat with the other snowballs, until they are all coated in icing and coconut.
- Allow your snowballs to set for an hour or so before enjoying.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES:
Storage:
Store your Scottish Snowballs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days. Due to the icing, they can become a little sticky over time, so it’s best to keep them in a single layer if possible.Freezing:
You can freeze the buns before assembling. Once baked and cooled, freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature, then fill with jam, bforeing icing and coat in coconut as usual. I wouldn’t recommend freezing once assembled, despite their name.Substitutions:
- Jam: The jam filling can be swapped to suit your taste – raspberry and strawberry are the most traditional, but any seedless jam will work well.
Scottish Snowballs aren’t quite cakes, and they certainly aren’t biscuits. They are soft, sweet buns filled with jam, then coated in icing and rolled in desiccated coconut. They’re a traditional bakery treat, known for their light texture and distinctive coconut coating.
Scottish Snowballs are made by baking small buns, filling them with jam, then coating them in icing and rolling them in desiccated coconut. Despite how they look, they’re actually very simple to make at home – albeit a little messy!
Scottish Snowballs come from traditional Scottish bakeries, where they were once a common sight on the counter and remain a nostalgic favourite for many.
Yes! Scottish Snowballs are often called Snowy Joeys, depending on where you are in Scotland. The name varies, but they refer to the same coconut-coated buns filled with jam.
Raspberry or strawberry jam is the most traditional choice for Scottish Snowballs, but you can use any seedless jam you have or prefer.
You can freeze the buns before assembling, but it’s best to add the jam, icing, and coconut after defrosting for the best texture and finish.
First time I made these they came out perfect…& tasted amazing!
Every time I’ve tried to make these since the dough is coming out too soft to ball, & I have no idea what’s going wrong
These are fantastic!
A taste from my childhood when I’d be looked after by my granny and she’d buy me one from the local bakery as a treat.
Incredibly easy to make. I followed the recipe to the letter and all I would add is it’s worth opening a brand new fresh bag of coconut to enjoy the best taste possible.
What a treat and great memories. Thank you once more!
Hello Amy. Is the coconut medium and unsweetened? Im assuming it is unsweetened becauae of the icing sugar.
Thank you.
Hi Maureen. I always used desiccated coconut, which is finely shredded, with no added sugar.
I love your snowball recipe – it turned out beautiful! Id like to make a larger batch next time is it ok to double the recipe, and how long would the snowballs stay fresh once baked?
Great recipe, thank you.
Do you have a recipe for gluten free snowballs or is it just to use gluten free self raising flour?