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Buttery, tender peppermint snowball cookies with crushed candy canes and a powdered sugar coating, perfect for festive holiday treats.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
  • Yield: About 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to 65-68°F (about 227 g)
  • 0.5 cup powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) plus extra for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (about 240 g)
  • 3/4 cup mini candy canes, crushed into small bits (about 100 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Place mini candy canes in a sealed freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin or mallet until you have small peppermint bits; set aside.
  2. Add softened butter, 0.5 cup powdered sugar, and kosher salt to a food processor bowl.
  3. Pulse until the mixture is creamy, smooth, and fully combined.
  4. Add the all-purpose flour to the butter mixture and pulse until the dough resembles coarse crumbs with little pea-sized bits.
  5. Add crushed candy cane pieces and pulse just until the dough starts to come together; do not overmix.
  6. Scoop dough into small portions of about 20 grams (roughly 1 tablespoon) each and roll into smooth balls.
  7. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
  8. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to prevent spreading during baking.
  9. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  10. Bake cookies on the parchment-lined sheet for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the bottoms are just lightly golden.
  11. Immediately after baking, let the cookies cool on the pan for about 3 minutes.
  12. While still warm, gently roll each cookie in powdered sugar to create a sticky coating.
  13. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.
  14. Once cooled, roll cookies again generously in powdered sugar for the final snowy finish.

Notes

Use a kitchen scale for accurate measurements to ensure texture and consistency., Butter should be softened to 65-68°F; too soft or melted butter can cause cookies to spread too much., Double rolling in powdered sugar—first while warm and second after cooling—creates a classic snowy look., Cookies can be frozen as dough balls on a baking sheet for up to 24 hours, then stored in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months, and baked directly from frozen., Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks; sprinkle powdered sugar before serving to refresh appearance., If cookies spread too much, use slightly more flour, check butter temperature, and ensure adequate chilling time.

  • Author: mapps6841@gmail.com
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 2 hours chilling)
  • Cook Time: 15-17 minutes per batch
  • Category: Dessert, Cookies
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: Approximately 120 calories per cookie
  • Fat: 7 grams per cookie
  • Carbohydrates: 14 grams per cookie
  • Protein: 1.5 grams per cookie