Did anyone else grow up eating cinnamon sugar toast as a sweet treat? Well in 2026, social media said “Make it low carb!” The latest viral snack trend revolves around Land O’ Lakes’ Butter Balls, which are pre-portioned half tablespoons of salted butter, and coating them in the bag with cinnamon and sugar. Is this the next big thing or another snack fad? Let’s get into it.
Is It Worth The Hype?
In my opinion, the butter balls are best used for their intended purpose: pre-portioning salted butter. This hack tastes exactly how you’d expect: like a big hunk of salted butter dusted with cinnamon and sugar. I think this trend may be more clickbait than anything. We know comment sections love to argue about the diets of strangers on the internet. If this dessert snack is your cup of tea, good for you, but let’s discuss the health implications.
Another Keto Craze?
Influencers have not advertised this trend as any specific diet hack. Though, it immediately made me think of fitness influencers I’ve seen chomping down on raw butter. Keto and carnivore diets, which prioritize protein and fats over carbs and natural sugars. Before keto became a weight loss trend, it was designed to reduce epileptic seizures in children. It is generally not recommended for weight loss in adults.
This is because the best way to lose weight is by eating a balanced diet. Eating too much meat and fats can put you at greater risk for high cholesterol and heart disease. Also, most diets that require unsustainable lifestyle changes will be unsuccessful. Who wants to go without any carbs or sugar for the rest of their lives?
Saturated fats are especially harmful, and should take up less than 10 percent of daily calories. The keto diet is high in saturated fats, which is why butter balls would be a popular choice, with 2 balls putting you at 35 percent of your daily saturated fat recommendation.
Obviously, this trend is not meant to be a healthy snack or a weight loss hack, but I think the craze for low carb diets have made us feel like saturated fats are no big and like butter is a health food. Butter is great, but the nutrition facts of Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists are actually better than the butter balls before adding sugar.
If spiced salted butter does it for you, go nuts on those bags of butter balls, but consider that it’s not necessarily a better option than the alternatives.
N’Crowd: What do you think of this trend? What’s your “hear me out” snack?
What's Your Reaction?
