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Mint Snowball Cookies are soft chocolate cookies coated in powdered sugar. They are inspired by traditional Russian tea cakes but with no nuts! They are rich with a hint of mint from Andes baking chips mixed into the dough.
Snowballs are an easy cookie to make and perfect for the holiday season – they are always on our Christmas cookie tray!
One of my all-time favorite holiday recipes is snowballs. You know, the cute little cookie balls coated in powdered sugar? They’re also known as Russian tea cakes or wedding cookies, but no matter what you call them, they are soft, sweet cookies that are irresistible.
These Mint Snowballs are a Twist on Russian Tea Cakes
I’ve always loved my mom’s snowball recipe and have used it to create lots of variations like these chocolate mint snowballs. They’re made like Russian tea cakes except they don’t have any nuts.
So, they’re perfect for holiday potlucks, parties, and cookie platters. You never know if someone has a nut allergy, so I always like to make a few different nut-free cookies. Plus, they keep well for up to five days, so you can make a big batch to have on hand or to give away.
The combination of chocolate and mint is perfection in these cookies. They’re rolled in powdered sugar for a finishing touch, making them perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter – make sure it’s softened
- Powdered sugar: I like powdered better than granulated because it gives the snowballs a soft texture. You will also use some to coat the snowballs after they’ve baked.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Use Hershey’s Special Dark for a rich chocolate flavor. Or, you can use Dutch process.
- Vanilla and salt: for flavoring
- All-purpose flour: use the spoon and level method to measure it!
- Andes mint chip pieces: Look for these chocolate mint baking chips in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.
Do snowball cookies need leavening? Nope! You skip the baking soda and baking powder for this recipe, so the cookies hold their round shape while they bake.
How to Make Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies
Mint Snowball Cookies are made just like Russian Tea Cakes without the nuts. Just mix, scoop, bake, and coat!
Cream: Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla with a mixer.
Mix: Add the flour and salt and keep mixing until the dough comes together. If you use a hand mixer, it will take about ten minutes. It will take less time with a stand mixer. The dough is ready when it’s no longer crumbly.
Scoop: To make the snowballs, scoop one tablespoon of dough for each and shape them into a ball. Place them on a prepared baking sheet.
Bake: Bake them until they are slightly brown on the bottom and no longer glossy on top, about seven to ten minutes at 350°F. Cool them on the baking sheet for five to ten minutes.
Roll: Place some powdered sugar in a bowl and, once the cookies are cool enough to handle, roll each of them in the sugar. I usually roll them again once the cookies are completely cool, so they have a nice even coating of sugar.
Baking Tips & Tricks
Measuring: Be sure to measure the flour using the spoon and level method! I can’t stress this enough – if you scoop or pack the flour, the dough may end up crumbly. Same goes for measuring the powdered sugar!
Storing: The cookies will keep well for up to five days in an airtight container. This makes them perfect for gifts or for cookie platters.
Freezing: If you want to make mint snowball cookies ahead and freeze them:
- Do everything except the coating step.
- Freeze the plain cookies in layers with wax paper, so they don’t stick.
- Once you thaw them, roll them in the powdered sugar, and they’re ready to serve.
FAQ
Why is my dough crumbly?
This is the #1 question I get with snowball cookies. A few reasons:
- Did you measure the flour and sugar properly? (Spoon and level)
- Just. Keep. Mixing! The dough DOES come together. It takes a long time with a hand mixer and faster with a stand mixer.
What can I substitute for the Andes Mint Chips?
You can also find mint chips that look like chocolate chips (but they’re green) in the baking aisle at Christmastime. Or, buy a package of Andes mints and chop them up – peppermint works great too!
Other Snowball Cookie Recipes
Or find ALL of my Snowball Cookie recipes HERE.
Mint Snowball Cookies Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I used Special Dark, use your favorite
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour measured correctly (spoon and level, do not pack)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup Andes mint chip pieces
- Additional powdered sugar for rolling (about 1 – 1 1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Preaheat oven to 350°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Stir in the Andes mint chip pieces. If dough is too soft, chill it until you can work it easily with your hands.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place on prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes until bottoms are just slightly brown and the tops are no longer glossy. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes, until you can handle them. Fill a small bowl with 1 cup powdered sugar and roll each cookie in the sugar until coated. Place on a rack to cool. (Once cookies are cooled, you may want to re-roll them in more powdered sugar.)
Recipe Nutrition
If you’ve tried my other snowball recipes, I think you will love this variation, too! If you’ve never tried making snowballs, you have to give them a try. They’re really simple and perfect for the holidays.
