Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies

It’s February, which means BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE! This month I have a couple of great new chocolate recipes to share with you, beginning with these Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies.

February always seems like the perfect month for chocolate – in part because of Valentine’s day (really, is there any other acceptable V-day treat??), and in part because it’s still winter, still cold, and still dark out most of the time. Hand me the chocolate, please.

Chocolate Mint – Decadent and Refreshing

I absolutely love a deep, dark, chocolate cookie. Full disclosure – I think Oreos may actually be my favorite cookie of all time. I know that’s a controversial thing for a baker to say, but I’m standing behind it – the Oreo can’t be beat.

Except maybe by these cookies. They are the closest I’ve come to an Oreo-like flavor, though they’re softer and denser than an Oreo (and don’t have the creamy filling). They’re darkly, richly chocolate. To get that deep dark chocolate flavor, I used my favorite – Dutch cocoa powder. You could use regular baking cocoa in this recipe, but it won’t be nearly as decadent.

To counter that dense chocolate flavor, I added a touch of mint extract for freshness. The combination of mint and chocolate is another one of my favorite things, so it was a natural choice. (But if you’re not a mint fan, these cookies would be just as delicious without it.)

This is a quick recipe to toss together. They don’t require much prep time, and no chill time. Just cream the butter & sugars, add the eggs and vanilla, and mix in the dry ingredients. Then form the dough into balls, roll in powdered sugar, and bake!

I added a heart-shaped chocolate to the top right after baking – you can do the same or skip them. I used these Dove dark chocolate hearts, but any chocolate heart-shaped (or not heart-shaped) candy will do. If you can find mint-flavored ones, so much the better, but regular chocolate will do just fine.

Whip up a batch of these cookies for your Valentine, your Galentines, your co-workers, your neighbors, your mail carrier, or just to treat yourself. You won’t be sorry.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies

A rich chocolatey cookie with a healthy dose of mint, rolled in powdered sugar and topped with a chocolate heart. A perfect treat for your Valentine.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time8 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Mint Cookies, Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies

Servings: 22 Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 c flour
• 3/4 c dutch cocoa powder*
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp espresso powder
• 1 c butter, softened
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 c brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp mint extract
• powdered sugar, to roll cookies in
• 22-24 heart-shaped chocolates optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light & fluffy – about 2 minutes.
• Add eggs, vanilla, and mint, and mix until combined.
• Mixing on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all dry ingredients are mixed in well.
• Put powdered sugar in a small bowl. Then, using a medium cookie scoop, two spoons, or your hands, roll dough into balls (about 1-1 1/2 in) and then roll in powdered sugar. Make sure balls are thickly covered in powdered sugar. Place on prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, or until edges start to look dry and centers are set.
• Remove from oven, and place a heart-shaped chocolate in the center, pressing down to flatten slightly.
• Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5-10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Notes

*I used Dutch cocoa powder (cocoa processed with alkali), but you can use regular baking cocoa if you prefer. The cookies just won’t be quite as decadent.

Also, feel free to leave out the espresso powder if you don’t have it or don’t like it. You can’t taste it in the finished product – it just enhances the dark chocolate flavor.