Peppermint Snowball Cookies Recipe tastes like a buttery sugar cookie met a candy cane at a holiday party and decided to stay forever, and I bake them every December while my dog judges my sprinkle skills. This recipe works best for peppermint lovers who want a festive cookie that feels fancy but comes together in about 45 minutes total. I started making these for a cookie swap years ago, and they became the one recipe my friends request every single winter.

Why Choose This Peppermint Snowball Cookies Recipe

This Peppermint Snowball Cookies Recipe gives you a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie with crisp peppermint flavor and a pretty snowy finish. The centers stay soft, the outside stays delicate, and the peppermint crunch hits just enough without feeling like you chewed a whole candy cane.

You only need simple pantry ingredients plus crushed peppermint candies, so you avoid any complicated steps or specialty tools. The dough mixes quickly, chills briefly, and bakes in small batches, which makes this recipe perfect for gifting, parties, or late-night “taste tests.”

“These Peppermint Snowball Cookies disappear faster than any other cookie on my holiday trays, and my family now treats them as non-negotiable every December. ★★★★★”

Ingredients You’ll Need

Dry ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- Use a standard American all-purpose flour like King Arthur or Gold Medal.
- Spoon and level the flour so the cookies stay tender and not dense.
1/2 cup powdered sugar
- This sweetens the dough gently and keeps the texture soft.
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Table salt works too, but use a tiny pinch less since it tastes stronger.

Wet ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature
- Use real butter, not margarine, for the best flavor and texture.
- If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt to a tiny pinch.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Choose a real vanilla extract, not imitation, for better flavor.
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Peppermint extract tastes strong, so measure carefully.
- If you prefer a milder flavor, use 1/2 teaspoon and add more crushed candy.

Peppermint & coating

1/2 cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
- Use any brand you like; I often grab classic red-and-white candy canes.
- Crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin until you see tiny bits and some peppermint dust.
1 to 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, for rolling the warm cookies
- Sift this if it looks clumpy so it coats the cookies smoothly.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the peppermint dust from your crushed candies for extra flavor if you like.

Optional mix-ins & variations

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- Stir these into the dough for a peppermint chocolate snowball version.
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Swap out 1 tablespoon of the flour for cocoa powder for a light chocolate twist.

Equipment list

Large mixing bowl
Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Medium bowl for dry ingredients
Rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Baking sheets
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
Small cookie scoop or tablespoon
Wire cooling rack
Shallow bowl for rolling cookies in powdered sugar
Zip-top bag and rolling pin or heavy pan for crushing peppermint

Tips & Tricks

Soften the butter until it yields slightly when you press it but still feels cool, not greasy.
Chill the dough for 20 to 30 minutes so the cookies hold their round shape and do not spread.
Line baking sheets with parchment so the cookies bake evenly and release easily.
Crush peppermint candies very fine so sharp chunks do not hurt anyone’s teeth.
Roll the cookies in powdered sugar while they still feel warm so the coating sticks.
Give them a second roll in powdered sugar after they cool for that thick, snowy look.
Keep cookie size small, about 1 tablespoon of dough, so the centers bake through without browning too much.
Bake one test cookie first to check timing in your oven, then adjust by a minute if needed.
Use a light-colored baking sheet so the bottoms do not over-brown.
Store crushed peppermint in an airtight container so it does not clump from moisture.

How to Make Peppermint Snowball Cookies Recipe

Mix the dry ingredients

Add the flour and salt to a medium bowl.
Whisk them together until the salt blends evenly into the flour.
Set this bowl aside near your mixer so you can add it in stages.

Cream the butter and sugar

Place the softened butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything mixes evenly.

Add flavorings

Pour in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
Mix on low speed until the extracts blend into the butter mixture.
Taste a tiny bit of dough and adjust the peppermint extract slightly if you prefer a stronger or softer flavor.

Add dry ingredients and peppermint

Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed after each addition.
Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears so the dough stays tender.
Stir in the crushed peppermint candies and any optional mini chocolate chips with a spatula.

Chill the dough

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid.
Place the dough in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes until it feels slightly firm but still scoopable.
While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Shape the snowballs

Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms into a smooth ball.
Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Repeat with the remaining dough, and keep the tray of shaped cookies in the fridge if your kitchen feels warm.

Bake the cookies

Place one baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the bottoms just start to turn light golden and the tops look set but not browned.
Remove the sheet from the oven and let the cookies sit for 2 to 3 minutes so they firm up slightly.

Coat in powdered sugar

Pour 1 cup powdered sugar into a shallow bowl.
While the cookies still feel warm but not too hot to handle, roll each one gently in the powdered sugar until fully coated.
Place the coated cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.

Add a second snowy coat

After the cookies cool, roll them again in fresh powdered sugar for a thicker, snowy finish.
Add a teaspoon or two of the peppermint dust from your crushed candies into the sugar if you want extra peppermint flavor.
Arrange the finished Peppermint Snowball Cookies on a platter, or pack them into tins for gifting.

What to Serve with it?

Serve Peppermint Snowball Cookies with mugs of hot chocolate, peppermint mocha, or a simple cup of coffee for a cozy treat. Kids love them with cold milk or warm vanilla almond milk. Pair them with other holiday cookies like chocolate crinkle cookies or classic sugar cookies for a pretty dessert tray. I also like to tuck a few beside a bowl of fresh berries or sliced oranges to cut the sweetness a bit.

Storage Options

Store cooled Peppermint Snowball Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Place parchment between layers so the powdered sugar coating stays neat.
Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag or container for up to 2 months.
Thaw frozen cookies at room temperature, then roll lightly in fresh powdered sugar if they look dull.
Freeze unbaked dough balls on a tray, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 extra minutes.
Refresh day-old cookies by warming them in a 275°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes, then cool slightly before serving.