Peppermint Snowball Cookies
Delight in these melt-in-your-mouth Peppermint Snowball Cookies, featuring crushed candy canes, pecans, and white chocolate. A festive, vegan-friendly holiday treat that's easy to make and perfect for sharing.
15 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup softened vegan butter unsalted, or dairy-free alternative
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ⅓ cup finely crushed candy canes
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans
- ¼ cup vegan white chocolate chips or chopped dairy-free white chocolate
For rolling and decorating cookies:
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely crushed candy canes
Instructions
Prepare Dry Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, finely chopped pecans, crushed candy canes, and white chocolate chips. Stir thoroughly to ensure an even distribution of ingredients. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar:
- In another large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened vegan butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed. Continue until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Add Extracts:
- Stir in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract, blending them well into the creamed mixture.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
- Gradually add the prepared dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, ensuring all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Chill the Dough:
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes. This step ensures the dough is firm enough to handle during shaping and baking.
Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease them with coconut oil or non-stick spray.
Shape the Cookies:
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Divide it into 15 equal portions (approximately 2 tablespoons per portion). Roll each portion into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each ball.
Bake the Cookies:
- Transfer the baking sheets to the preheated oven and bake for 12–14 minutes. The cookies are ready when their edges are lightly golden.
Coat in Powdered Sugar:
- While the cookies are still warm, gently roll each one in powdered sugar to create their characteristic "snowball" coating.
Cool and Decorate:
- Allow the coated cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, sprinkle additional crushed candy canes on top for an added festive touch.
Notes
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Ensure the candy canes and white chocolate chips used are certified gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.