Description
These Christmas Peppermint Snowball Sugar Cookies are festive, buttery, and bursting with peppermint flavor. Soft, chewy sugar cookies studded with mini chocolate chips are rolled in a snowy coat of crushed peppermint candies and powdered sugar. Perfect for holiday gatherings and gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 cups powdered sugar, divided (2 cups and 1 cup)
- ¼ cup finely crushed peppermint candies
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5-6 drops hot pink/rose food color gel
Add-ins
- 1¼ cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and continue beating for 1 to 1½ minutes until fluffy and creamy.
- Add Extracts: Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and add pure peppermint extract and pure vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Keeping the mixer on medium-low, gradually add in the whisked flour and cornstarch mixture. Mix just until fully combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Add Food Coloring: Increase mixer speed to medium and add the hot pink/rose food color gel. Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Add the mini semi sweet chocolate chips and mix gently just until they are evenly distributed.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm up for easier handling.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper — one for baking the cookie dough balls and one for cooling the finished cookies. Set them aside.
- Form and Bake Cookies: Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll each portion into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft.
- Prepare Peppermint Sugar Coating: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and the finely crushed peppermint candies. Set aside.
- Coat Cookies: Remove baked cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to slightly cool. Roll each cookie in the peppermint powdered sugar mixture until fully coated, then transfer to the second prepared baking sheet to cool completely.
- Final Coating: Once cookies have fully cooled and set, roll them again in the peppermint powdered sugar mixture for a double coat of snowy sweetness.
Notes
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- You can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months for longer storage.
- Make the dough a day ahead and keep it chilled in the refrigerator for convenience.
- Use softened butter at room temperature — not melted — to prevent cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- For a classic snowy look, make sure to roll cookies in powdered sugar only after they have completely cooled to avoid crumbling.
- Use peppermint extract, not mint extract, to avoid a toothpaste-like flavor.
- To crush peppermint candies easily, place them in a Ziploc bag and smash gently with a rolling pin.
- Optional: Add a tablespoon of crushed peppermints directly into the cookie dough for extra peppermint flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
