Minty Snowball Cookies Recipe

Festive Minty Snowball Cookies Recipe for Holiday Magic

Crisp winter days call for delightful minty snowball cookies that melt in your mouth with pure magic.

Soft, buttery dough carries a refreshing peppermint whisper through every delicate bite.

Powdery sugar coats each round morsel like a gentle snowfall.

Delicate crumbs dissolve, releasing cool mint sensations across your palate.

These charming little treats bring instant comfort during chilly afternoons.

A single nibble transports you to cozy kitchen memories filled with sweet anticipation.

Bake a batch and watch smiles bloom with each delectable, snow-kissed cookie.

Why Minty Snowball Cookies Are a Seasonal Favorite

  • Simple prep makes these minty snowball cookies a breeze to whip up for any celebration.
  • With just 12 minutes of baking time, you'll have delicious treats ready faster than traditional cookie recipes.
  • Perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or cozy winter gatherings with family and friends.
  • Easily adapt the recipe by experimenting with different extract flavors or adding colorful sanding sugar for a personalized touch.

Ingredients That Make Mint Snowball Cookies Stand Out

Base Ingredients:
  • Butter: Provides rich, creamy base for cookie texture and flavor.
  • Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
  • Flour: Structural ingredient that gives cookies their shape and structure.
  • Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness.
Flavor Enhancers:
  • Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, classic background flavor.
  • Peppermint Extract: Creates signature minty taste and holiday spirit.
  • Mini Chocolate Chips: Provides delightful chocolate bursts throughout cookie.
Coating and Decoration:
  • Powdered Sugar: Creates classic snowball cookie exterior with soft, dusty finish.
  • Sanding Sugar (Optional): Adds festive color and extra sparkle for holiday presentation.

Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Space

Warm up your oven to 350F and grab a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Step 2: Create Dreamy Cookie Dough

In a spacious mixing bowl, blend:
  • Softened butter
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Peppermint extract
Fold in:
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Mini chocolate chips

Mix until ingredients dance together smoothly.

Step 3: Shape Delightful Cookie Spheres

Gently roll dough into charming one-inch round balls. Place them gracefully on the baking sheet, leaving tiny spaces between each cookie.

Step 4: Bake to Perfection

Slide the cookie sheet into the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies look set but not golden brown. Carefully remove and let them rest for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Sugar Coating Magic

While cookies are still warm, lovingly roll them in powdered sugar. For extra festiveness, mix green or red sanding sugar into the powdered sugar. Once cooled, give them another luxurious sugar bath for a thick, snowy coating.

Step 6: Store and Enjoy

Tuck these delectable treats into an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh and delicious for up to a week at room temperature.

  • Customize Cookie Consistency: Adjust dough texture by chilling for 30 minutes before shaping, ensuring firmer balls that hold shape perfectly during baking.
  • Boost Mint Intensity: Experiment with different mint extract strengths or add crushed candy canes for extra peppermint punch and festive crunch.
  • Perfect Powdered Sugar Coating: Sift powdered sugar before rolling to create smoother, more even coverage and prevent clumping on warm cookies.
  • Chocolate Chip Hack: Gently fold mini chocolate chips to distribute evenly, preventing sinking and ensuring consistent chocolatey bites throughout the cookie.
  • Store with Care: Place wax paper between cookie layers when storing to maintain their delicate powdered sugar coating and prevent sticking.

Storage Solutions for Mint Snowball Cookies

  • Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days, keeping them fresh and maintaining their delicate texture.
  • Carefully place cookies in a freezer-safe container, separating layers with parchment paper. They'll stay delicious for 3 months.
  • Remove cookies from freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying their minty goodness.
  • Warm cookies briefly in the oven at 300F for 3-5 minutes to restore their soft, crumbly texture and enhance the chocolate chip flavor.

Hot Drinks That Pair with Minty Snowball Cookies

  • Create a harmonious flavor connection by serving these minty cookies alongside a cool, creamy peppermint hot chocolate that echoes the cookie's refreshing mint profile.
  • Enhance the cookie's sweetness with a luxurious white chocolate mocha that mirrors the dessert's delicate chocolate chip and mint undertones.
  • Offer a creamy, cold contrast to the buttery cookie by serving a scoop of smooth vanilla bean ice cream that provides a rich, complementary backdrop.
  • Elevate the dessert experience with a light, fizzy mint julep mocktail that reinforces the cookie's minty freshness and adds a playful, festive touch.
  • Gluten-Free Minty Snowballs: Replace wheat flour with almond flour or gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version that maintains the same delicate texture and minty flavor.
  • Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Option: Swap butter with coconut oil or vegan margarine, and use dairy-free chocolate chips to create a plant-based friendly cookie that still delivers rich taste.
  • Low-Sugar Mint Cookie: Substitute powdered sugar with monk fruit sweetener or stevia, reducing overall sugar content while preserving the classic snowball cookie shape and refreshing peppermint profile.
  • Nutty Chocolate Mint Variation: Incorporate chopped pecans or almonds into the dough for added crunch and depth, complementing the chocolate chips and mint essence for a more complex flavor experience.
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Minty Snowball Cookies Recipe

Minty Snowball Cookies Recipe


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4.5 from 20 reviews

  • Total Time: 27 minutes
  • Yield: 24 1x

Description

Cool winter nights sparkle with this Minty Snowball Cookies recipe, delivering sweet peppermint comfort in delicate, powdered sugar-dusted bites. Crumbly, buttery cookies melt in your mouth, promising festive cheer with each delightful crunch.


Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup mini chocolate chips or finely chopped dark chocolate

Sweeteners and Flavorings:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar (plus extra for coating)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Additional Ingredients:

  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Green or red sanding sugar (optional, for a festive touch)

Instructions

  1. Assemble kitchen tools: mixing bowl, parchment-lined baking sheet, measuring utensils, and electric mixer.
  2. Thoroughly cream butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture becomes pale and airy, creating a smooth base for the cookie dough.
  3. Incorporate vanilla and peppermint extracts, ensuring the aromatic flavors are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
  4. Gently fold in flour and salt, mixing until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing, which could make the cookies tough.
  5. Delicately blend mini chocolate chips into the dough, distributing them evenly for consistent flavor in each bite.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C), allowing it to reach full temperature before baking.
  7. Shape the dough into uniform 1-inch spheres, using gentle pressure to maintain a consistent size and smooth exterior.
  8. Arrange cookie balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them approximately 1 inch apart to prevent merging during baking.
  9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully to ensure cookies remain pale and set without browning.
  10. Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes, which helps them firm up and become easier to handle.
  11. While still warm, carefully roll each cookie in powdered sugar, creating a delicate first coating.
  12. Optional: Mix green or red sanding sugar into the powdered sugar for a festive, colorful finish.
  13. Once completely cooled, roll the cookies in powdered sugar a second time for a more substantial, snow-like covering.
  14. Transfer cookies to an airtight container, where they will remain fresh at room temperature for up to one week.

Notes

  • Swap butter with coconut oil for a dairy-free version that maintains a rich, creamy texture.
  • Use gluten-free flour blend to make these cookies suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.
  • Crush candy canes into fine powder and mix with powdered sugar for a more intense mint coating that adds festive crunch.
  • Chill the dough for 30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and create more uniform, perfectly round cookies.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Desserts, Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 24
  • Calories: 130
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Sodium: 30 mg
  • Fat: 9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14 g
  • Fiber: 0.5 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 20 mg
Daves Miller

Daves Miller

Contributing Chef & Culinary Educator

Expertise

  • American Southern cuisine with a modern twist.
  • Instruction in culinary fundamentals and advanced techniques.
  • Development of recipes that highlight seasonal and local produce.​
  • Mastery of artisanal bread and pastry techniques, from laminated doughs to decorative sugar artistry.

Education

Sullivan University, Louisville, Kentucky

  • Degree: Associate of Science Degree in Culinary Arts
  • Focus: Specialized in cooking techniques and culinary sciences, hands‑on externships, professional kitchen lab training, and career preparation for restaurants, entrepreneurship, and global culinary opportunities.

White Mountains Community College, Berlin, New Hampshire

  • Program: Baking and Pastry Arts degree
  • Focus: Specialized in comprehensive baking and pastry arts, including bread making, artisan breads, cake decorating and design, chocolates, confections, and decorative centerpieces; product development and baking theory; and career preparation for baker and pastry chef roles in many places.

Daves is the friendly face guiding you through flavorful, fuss-free recipes at Picture Perfect Meals. 

He studied culinary arts at Sullivan University and embraced Baking and Pastry Arts at White Mountains Community College. Daves specializes in comforting meals with vibrant flavors, highlighting fresh, seasonal ingredients.

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