Description
Peppermint Snowball Cookies are delightful buttery treats infused with peppermint extract and crushed candy canes, rolled in confectioners’ sugar for a festive, melt-in-your-mouth finish. These cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations and gift-giving, offering a crisp exterior and a tender, flavorful center with refreshing peppermint notes.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (40g) crushed candy canes (about 3–4 regular-size candy canes)
Coating
- 1 and 1/4 cups (150g) confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts on medium-high speed until combined. Add the flour and salt and beat on low speed; the dough will seem dry at first. Once all flour is incorporated, increase mixer speed to high until the dough comes together. Finally, beat in the crushed candy canes.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. If chilled for more than 3 hours, let the dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling, as it will become very stiff.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Shape cookies: Scoop or roll 1 tablespoon (20g) of dough into balls and place on baking sheets at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Bake cookies: Bake for about 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are just barely browned.
- Coat cookies: Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then gently roll them in confectioners’ sugar until fully coated. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Once cooled, roll again in confectioners’ sugar to ensure a thick, sticky coating.
- Store cookies: Keep cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Unbaked cookie dough balls also freeze for up to 3 months; bake frozen dough balls for an extra minute without thawing.
- Use an electric mixer (handheld or stand) to ensure the dough is creamy and well combined.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prevent sticking and aid even baking.
- Allow cookies to cool completely before the final sugar coating to achieve the best texture and appearance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
