Mint Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies Recipe
Mint Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies are a delightful twist on classic snowball cookies, featuring a refreshing mint flavor and mini chocolate chips. Soft, buttery, and coated generously in powdered sugar, these cookies are perfect for festive occasions or any time you crave a cool, sweet treat.
- Author: Ella
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mint extract (or peppermint extract)
- Green food coloring (gel food color works best)
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
For Coating
- Additional powdered sugar for coating
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside for easy removal of cookies.
- Cream butter and sugar: Beat the softened unsalted butter with sifted powdered sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for the dough.
- Add dry ingredients and flavoring: Gently mix in the all-purpose flour, salt, and mint extract just until combined to form a soft dough without overmixing.
- Color the dough: Gradually add green gel food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach your desired shade of minty green.
- Incorporate chocolate chips: Stir in the mini chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough for bursts of chocolate in every bite.
- Shape cookies: Scoop out about one tablespoon of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place the dough balls spaced on the prepared cookie sheet.
- Chill dough: Cover the cookie sheet and refrigerate the dough balls for at least 30 minutes to help cookies hold their shape during baking.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking.
- Bake cookies: Bake the chilled dough balls for 7 to 8 minutes. The bottoms should be only very lightly browned; avoid overbaking to keep them soft.
- Cool briefly: Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet to set before handling.
- Prepare coating station: Line another baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it liberally with powdered sugar. Transfer the warm cookies to this sheet and dust them with additional powdered sugar.
- Cool completely: Let the cookies cool fully to room temperature to allow the coating to adhere properly.
- Final coating: Fill a small bowl halfway with powdered sugar. One at a time, drop each cooled cookie into the bowl and roll it around to coat completely in powdered sugar, creating the traditional snowball effect.
- Storage: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for up to four days to maintain freshness and softness.
Notes
- Using gel food coloring helps achieve vibrant green color without affecting dough consistency.
- Be careful not to overbake; the cookies should stay soft and lightly browned.
- Refrigerating the dough before baking helps maintain the snowball shape and prevents spreading.
- If you prefer a stronger mint flavor, you can increase the mint extract slightly, but avoid overpowering the cookie.
- These cookies pair beautifully with a hot cup of tea or coffee for a cozy treat.
Keywords: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, Snowball Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Mint Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Powdered Sugar Cookies