Description

These Christmas Peppermint Snowball Sugar Cookies are festive, soft, and bursting with peppermint flavor. Loaded with mini chocolate chips and coated in powdered sugar and crushed peppermint candies, they bring a snowy, sweet finish to the holiday season. Perfectly chewy and colorful with a hint of peppermint, these cookies are a holiday classic that everyone will love.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
3 cups powdered sugar divided (2 cups and 1 cup)

Wet Ingredients

1 cup salted sweet cream butter softened
1 tsp pure peppermint extract
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
5-6 drops hot pink/rose food color gel

Add-ins

1¼ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup finely crushed peppermint candies

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Instructions

Prepare Dry Mix: Whisk together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a bowl, then set aside for later.
Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 30 seconds until smooth. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat for another 1 to 1½ minutes until fluffy.
Add Extracts: Lower the mixer speed to medium-low and add the peppermint and vanilla extracts, mixing to combine evenly.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Keeping the mixer on medium-low, gradually add the flour and cornstarch mixture. Mix just until all ingredients are well incorporated and no flour streaks remain.
Add Color: Increase mixer speed to medium and add the hot pink/rose food coloring gel. Mix just until the dough has a uniform color.
Mix in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 10 minutes to firm up before shaping.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; one for baking the cookie dough balls and the other for placing the rolled cookies after baking.
Scoop and Bake Cookies: Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out dough balls. Roll each into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft.
Prepare Coating Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and the finely crushed peppermint candies. Set aside.
Coat and Cool: Remove cookies from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Roll the warm cookies in the powdered sugar and peppermint mixture, then transfer them to the second baking sheet to cool completely.
Final Coating: Once cookies are completely cooled and firm, roll them again in the powdered sugar and peppermint mixture for a snowy white finish.

Notes

Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
You can freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
The dough can be made a day ahead and chilled to develop flavor and ease shaping.
Use softened butter at room temperature rather than melted to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
Make sure cookies are completely cool before rolling in powdered sugar to avoid crumbling.
Use peppermint extract specifically, not mint extract, to avoid a toothpaste flavor.
Crush peppermint candies easily by placing them in a Ziploc bag and smashing with a rolling pin.
Optionally, add a tablespoon of crushed peppermints directly to the cookie dough for extra texture and flavor.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 140 kcal
Sugar: 15 g
Sodium: 70 mg
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Fiber: 0.5 g
Protein: 1 g
Cholesterol: 20 mg