Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Thick and fudgy, these peppermint chocolate cookies are perfect for the holiday season. They’re double chocolate peppermint cookies, with chocolate chips and flavored with a hint of peppermint extract. The finished cookies are dipped or drizzled with white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy cane bits.
They are based on these fudgy inside-out cookies. It’s a perfect chocolatey, fudgy cookie.
These candy cane brownies are another great mint and chocolate combo!
About these cookies
- Easy to make – The cookie dough is easy to make, though it’s best made with a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream together the butter and sugar.
- Minimal chill time – Chill the sticky cookie dough for around 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats. Slightly chilled cookie dough makes for easier rolling of the cookie dough balls
- Double chocolate– the dough is thick, rich, and fudgy with a deep chocolate flavor. The addition of chocolate chips adds texture and extra chocolate flavor.
- Peppermint flavor – A little fresh peppermint flavor is the perfect pairing to rich dark chocolate.
- Melted white chocolate – Dipping the finished cookies in white chocolate gives the candy cane pieces somewhere to stick to on top of the cookies. It adds flavor and makes the cookies look amazing.
- Christmas cookies – The white chocolate and the red and white candy cane pieces make these the perfect holiday cookie.
The ingredients
These chewy chocolate peppermint cookies use only simple ingredients. Find the actual ingredients’ amounts in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.
- Butter. This can be salted or unsalted butter. Soften the butter to room temperature before using it. This means soft enough so that a finger pressed into the butter leaves an indentation, but not so soft that the butter is greasy.
- Granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar. A mix of brown and white sugar brings the right amount of moisture and chewiness to the cookie, with ever so slightly crisp edges.
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Peppermint extract
- All-purpose flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. This can be natural or dutch processed cocoa.
- Baking soda.
- Salt.
- Crushed candy canes
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk, or white chocolate chips.
- White chocolate
Equipment
Electric mixer. A handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment is helpful for beating the butter and sugar.
Method
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together then set these dry ingredients aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the room temperature butter and granulated sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric beater or the stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy.
Add in the egg and vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat on medium speed until combined.
Tip the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and fold them together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until nearly combined. There should still be flour streaks remaining. Add in the dark chocolate chips and continue mixing until combined.
Cover the bowl of dough and chill it in the fridge while you preheat the oven.
Baking
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use a cookie dough scoop or spoon, to scoop around 1.5 tablespoons of chocolate cookie dough for each cookie ball. Space the balls of dough around 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes until baked around the edges but the middles are still soft. The exact baking time will depend on your own oven.
Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool further.
Extra round cookies
If you would like to achieve the extra round cookie look for perfect cookies, you’ll need a circle cookie cutter or glass that’s bigger than your cookies.
Once the cookies are baked, and still hot from the oven, use the cutter or glass and place it over the hot cookie, then swirl it gently around the cookie. This will help form it into a perfect circle. The cookies need to be hot, and not over-baked for this to work.
Dipping the cookies
Add some whole candy canes into a Ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin or similar to bash down onto the candy canes to crush them into small pieces. Set these aside.
Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time. Once about ⅔ of the chocolate has melted, remove it from the microwave and stir it to further melt it and combine it.
Pour the melted chocolate into a ramekin or small bowl. This will make it easier to dip the cookies in deeper. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet.
When the cookies have cooled, take one at a time and dip half the cookie into the white chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place the cookie onto the parchment paper.
Sprinkle the white chocolate-covered tops of the cookie with a little bit of the crushed candy canes.
Continue with the rest of the cookies. Let the white chocolate firm up at room temperature for a couple of hours, or place the cookies in the fridge to speed up the process.
Storing
These delicious cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The baked cookies can also be frozen for up to three months, wrapped in plastic wrap or a freezer-safe bag. If you make a big batch of cookies that’s perfect to curb future cravings!
The unbaked cookie dough balls freeze really well too. Roll the dough into balls and freeze them in an air-tight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. They can be baked from frozen with no need to thaw but will need an extra couple of minutes of bake time.
Related cookie recipes
Looking for more cookie recipes to make over the holidays or bring to cookie swaps? These cookie recipes are perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange!
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Thick and fudgy, these peppermint chocolate cookies are perfect for the holiday season!
Ingredients
- 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 100g (½ cup) soft brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 125g (1 cup*) all-purpose flour
- 45g (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 130g (3/4 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2-3 candy canes
- 170g (6 oz) white chocolate
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together then set these dry ingredients aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer add the room temperature butter and granulated sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric beater or the stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Tip the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and fold them together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until nearly combined. There should still be flour streaks remaining. Add in the dark chocolate chips and continue mixing until combined.
- Cover the bowl of dough and chill it in the fridge while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a cookie dough scoop or spoon, to scoop around 1.5 tablespoons of chocolate cookie dough for each cookie ball.
- Space the balls of dough around 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes until baked around the edges but the middles are still soft. The exact baking time will depend on your own oven.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool further.
Extra round cookies
- If you would like to achieve the extra round cookie look for perfect cookies, you'll need a circle cookie cutter or glass that's bigger than your cookies.
- Once the cookies are baked, and still hot from the oven, use the cutter or glass and place it over the hot cookie, then swirl it gently around the cookie.
- This will help form it into a perfect circle. The cookies need to be hot, and not over-baked for this to work.
Dipping the cookies
- Add some whole candy canes into a Ziploc bag. Use a rolling pin or similar to bash down onto the candy canes to crush them into small pieces. Set these aside.
- Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring after each time. Once about ⅔ of the chocolate has melted, remove it from the microwave and stir it to further melt it and combine it.
- Pour the melted chocolate into a ramekin or small bowl. This will make it easier to dip the cookies in deeper. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet.
- When the cookies have cooled, take one at a time and dip half the cookie into the white chocolate. Let the excess chocolate drip off, then place the cookie onto the parchment paper.
- Sprinkle the white chocolate-covered tops of the cookie with a little bit of the crushed candy canes.
Notes
*The cup sizes given are for US cups. Note that these are smaller than metric cup sizes. For best results, use grams.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 211Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 97mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 2g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
Can the cookie dough be made a day ahead of baking?
Yes it can! Just cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge, or roll the cookies in advance and chill those 🙂
My friend requested a chocolate peppermint cookie and so I scoured the internet for recipes. I was so happy I landed on this one because it is the perfect balance of chocolate and peppermint! No modifications needed. I guiltily enjoyed the dough while baking as much as the finished product.