I created these Mint Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies one December evening, wanting to capture the taste of my favorite ice cream in a festive, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. As I creamed the butter and sugar, the clean, bright scent of peppermint extract filled my kitchen, cutting through the rich, sweet aroma of butter with a refreshing chill. Rolling the dough into perfect little spheres felt like forming edible snowballs, and watching them bake into pale, golden puffs was pure magic. The final roll in powdered sugar transformed them into wintery treasures, and that first bite—a buttery, minty crumble giving way to bits of dark chocolate—was an instant holiday classic.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’re going to love this recipe because it takes the familiar comfort of a snowball cookie and gives it a wonderfully festive, refreshing twist. They are delightfully easy to make, require no fancy decorating skills, and the combination of rich, buttery shortbread with cool peppermint and dark chocolate is simply irresistible. They look beautiful on a holiday platter, packed with nostalgic charm, and they have that perfect tender, sandy texture that makes them impossible to eat just one. They’re a guaranteed hit that feels special but is surprisingly simple to master.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for the dough), plus 1 extra cup for rolling
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
The quality of your butter is the star here. I always use real, unsalted butter for the best flavor and texture. The peppermint extract is crucial—make sure it’s extract, not oil, unless you’re experienced with oils, as they are much more potent. The combination of peppermint and vanilla creates a perfectly balanced, bakery-style mint flavor. For the chocolate, you must use mini chocolate chips. I made the mistake of using standard-sized chips once, and they poked through the dough, making the cookies hard to roll and causing them to flatten. The mini chips distribute evenly and ensure every bite has a little chocolate. Don’t skip this detail; it makes a huge difference.(See the next page below to continue…)