This chocolate peppermint cookies recipe is Christmas in cookie form. Rich chocolate, cool peppermint, and a crunchy candy cane topping, all in a soft cookie that looks as good as it tastes. They are the cookies that disappear first from every cookie box I have ever packed.
I made this chocolate peppermint cookies recipe for the first time with a bag of candy canes left over from the tree. I crushed them over the warm cookies mostly to use them up, and they turned out to be the whole point. The candy melts just slightly into the chocolate and gives every bite a cool crunch. Now I buy extra candy canes on purpose.
Quick facts: This chocolate peppermint cookies recipe takes 20 minutes of prep and 12 minutes of baking, and makes 24 cookies.
If you love Christmas cookies, my gingerbread cookies recipe is another holiday favorite. Save these cookies to your Christmas Cookies board on Pinterest.
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
- Easy but impressive. No decorating skills needed.
- Soft and rich. A chocolate base that keeps the mint from feeling heavy.
- Festive. Crushed candy canes make every cookie look like Christmas.
- One bowl, fast bake. A great last-minute Christmas cookie.
- Gift ready. They hold up well in a tin, so they are perfect for gifting and cookie swaps.
Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup crushed candy canes, for topping
Ingredient Notes
- Peppermint extract: Measure exactly. A little extra can make the cookies taste like toothpaste. Do not swap it for mint extract, which tastes different.
- Cocoa powder: Sift it if it looks lumpy, because lumps stay lumpy in the dough.
- Candy canes: Crush them in a zip bag with a rolling pin. Keep the fine pieces for sticking and the bigger bits for crunch.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
This chocolate peppermint cookies recipe comes together in one bowl and bakes fast, so it is a great last-minute Christmas cookie.
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Sift the cocoa if it looks lumpy, because lumps stay lumpy in the dough.
Step 2: Cream the butter and sugars
Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
Step 3: Combine and add the chocolate
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4: Scoop
Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
Step 5: Bake
Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set but the centers still look soft.
Step 6: Top with candy canes while hot
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still hot, sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the tops and press them in gently. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. The cookies firm up as they cool.
Why This Recipe Works
Chocolate and peppermint work because they balance each other. The cocoa is deep and slightly bitter, and the peppermint lifts it so the cookie never tastes heavy. The candy cane topping does two jobs: it adds crunch, and it melts slightly on the warm cookie so it sticks instead of falling off. Putting the candy on after baking, not before, keeps it from melting into sticky puddles in the oven. Using both peppermint extract in the dough and real candy on top gives two layers of mint flavor.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Do not overbake. They should look slightly underdone in the center when you pull them out, because they set on the hot pan.
- Measure the peppermint extract carefully, because a little extra can make the cookies taste like toothpaste.
- Add the candy while the cookies are hot, so it sticks. Cool cookies will not hold it.
- Store them away from plain cookies, or everything will start tasting like mint.
- Do not taste the raw dough. The FDA warns that raw flour, dough, or batter can make you sick, because cooking and baking is what kills bacteria in flour and raw eggs.
Variations
Double chocolate peppermint cookies
Add an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips and drizzle cooled cookies with melted white chocolate. It looks beautiful and tastes even richer.
Peppermint bark cookies
Press a small square of peppermint bark into the top of each warm cookie instead of crushed candy. It melts into a minty cap.
Gluten free version
Swap the flour for a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend. The cookies come out just as soft, so no one will know.
What to Serve With Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Serve them with cold milk, hot chocolate, or coffee. They look wonderful on a holiday cookie tray with my gingerbread cookies recipe and my peanut butter fudge recipe. My dutch apple pie recipe is another Christmas favorite in our house, and my pumpkin bars recipe is the other bake that always goes in the holiday cookie box with these.
How to Store Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Keep them in a separate container from other cookies so the mint does not spread. They freeze well for up to 2 months: freeze in a single layer first, then stack with parchment between layers, and thaw at room temperature. You can also freeze scooped dough balls (without the candy) for up to 2 months.
Final Thoughts
This chocolate peppermint cookies recipe is the easiest way to make Christmas taste like Christmas. Rich, cool, crunchy, and gone in minutes. Make a double batch, because one is never enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use peppermint extract instead of candy canes?
Yes, but the candy topping is what gives the crunch. If you skip it, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the dough.
Why do my cookies taste too minty?
Too much peppermint extract is the usual cause. Measure it exactly and do not swap it for mint extract, which is stronger and tastes different.
Can I make this chocolate peppermint cookies recipe ahead of time?
Yes. Scoop the dough onto a tray, freeze until firm, then store in a bag for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes, and add the candy canes right after baking.
Why add the candy canes after baking?
Candy canes melt in the oven and turn into sticky puddles that stick to the pan. Pressing them onto hot cookies as they come out lets them soften just enough to stick, with the crunch intact.
Do the candy canes get sticky?
They can in humid weather. Store the cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers, and keep them in a cool, dry place.
Why are my cookies flat?
The butter may have been too soft, or the dough was warm. If your kitchen is warm, chill the scooped dough for 15 to 20 minutes before baking.
How big should the cookies be?
A 2 tablespoon scoop makes about 24 cookies, about 3 inches wide. Use a smaller scoop for bite-size cookies and bake 1 to 2 minutes less.
Can I make them without chocolate chips?
Yes. They are still rich from the cocoa. Skip the chips, or swap in white chocolate chips or peppermint baking chips.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Sift the cocoa if it looks lumpy, because lumps stay lumpy in the dough.
- Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges look set but the centers still look soft.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still hot, sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the tops and press them in gently. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. The cookies firm up as they cool.
Notes
Add the candy canes while the cookies are hot.
Measure peppermint extract exactly.
Freeze scooped dough up to 2 months.
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