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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are a quick 20 minute treat with rich chocolate flavor, cool peppermint, and crunchy candy cane bits, making them an easy favorite during the busy Christmas season.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
- Ready In: 20 minutes
- Serves: 24 cookies
- Main Ingredients: all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, instant espresso, coarse salt, cold unsalted butter, cubed, sugar
- Why You'll Love It: Double chocolate chip peppermint cookies are packed with candy cane bits and chocolate chips. They are the perfect Christmas cookie!
It’s my favorite time of year, the start of baking season. Haley here from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen, and I am so excited to share these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies with you.
When the holidays arrive the baking list gets long fast, but I always nudge these to the top. They come together quickly, bake up with chewy edges and soft fudgy centers, and the mix of chocolate chips and peppermint flavor makes them feel like the perfect Christmas cookie.
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Easy holiday baking that comes together in minutes with simple dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
- Rich chocolate flavor paired with cool peppermint makes every bite feel festive.
- Family friendly and fun since kids can help crush peppermint candy and press the top of the cookies into candy cane bits.
- Great for gifting during the holiday season since they travel well and stay fresh at room temperature.
- The ultimate Christmas cookie if you love peppermint chocolate cookies or anything loaded with chocolate chips.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All purpose flour adds structure and keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder creates that deep chocolate base. Regular cocoa powder works well.
- Sugar helps with sweetness, moisture, and chewy edges.
- Cold unsalted butter brings richness and helps create a thick, tender cookie.
- Egg and egg yolk add moisture and help bind the dough for perfect cookies.
- Pure peppermint extract gives clean peppermint flavor without overpowering.
- Semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate add melty pockets of chocolate.
- Milk chocolate or white chocolate chips add sweeter balance and extra flavor.
- Peppermint candies or candy canes provide crunchy texture on top of the cookies.
- Espresso powder is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Coarse salt and baking soda help with lift and flavor.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Prepare your baking sheets. Line prepared baking sheets with parchment paper or a parchment lined baking sheet and set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. Break up any lumps for an even mix.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl or with an electric mixer beat cold cubed butter with the white sugar until light and fluffy. This creates the base for chewy edges.
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and pure peppermint extract. The dough will look smooth.
- Combine the mixtures. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until a soft dough forms. Use a measuring cup or kitchen scale if needed to check consistency.
- Fold in the chocolate. Add semi sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips. Stir until evenly distributed.
- Shape the dough. Scoop cookie dough balls and gently press the top of the cookies into crushed peppermint candy. Place them in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake the cookies for ten to twelve minutes. The centers will look soft. Let them sit a couple of minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to finish setting on the wire rack. The tops will look glossy with melted chocolate and candy cane bits.
Expert Tips and Substitutions
- Crushing candy canes works best when sealed in a bag and broken with a measuring cup or rolling pin.
- If you prefer a stronger peppermint flavor you can add an extra drop of peppermint extract but taste as you go.
- White chocolate chips or peppermint chips can be swapped in for a sweeter holiday twist.
- If using melted chocolate as a drizzle on top, let the cookies cool first and use an offset spatula for smooth lines.
- For thicker cookies chill the dough for fifteen minutes before baking.
Storing and Making Ahead
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freeze baked cookies in a single layer, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to three months.
- Freeze unbaked cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, then store and bake directly from frozen, adding a couple of minutes of bake time.
- These cookies are great for making ahead during the holiday season since the texture stays soft.
FAQs
Yes, baked cookies freeze well in a single layer before being transferred to a freezer container. You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough balls and bake them straight from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the bake time. Both versions keep their chewy edges and peppermint flavor for up to three months.
Dry cookies usually come from too much flour or baking too long. Measure flour with a kitchen scale or spoon and level method, and check them a couple of minutes early.
Peppermint extract has a cleaner, sharper flavor, while mint extract leans more like spearmint. For the best cookies stick with pure peppermint extract.
Chilling is optional for this recipe since the dough holds its shape well. If you prefer thicker cookies you can chill the dough for fifteen to twenty minutes before baking. Chilled dough spreads a little less and gives the cookies a slightly puffier texture.
Let the cookies cool completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Adding a small piece of bread or a marshmallow in the container helps maintain moisture. Avoid over baking since the centers should look soft when they come out of the oven.
Similar Recipes
If you enjoyed these cookies, try a few more holiday favorites:
- Soft Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl Cookies
- Easy Royal Iced Sugar Cookies
- Easy Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
- Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cranberry Buttercream
Enjoyed these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies? Leave a quick review and tell us how they turned out.
Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12 mini candy canes, or three regular sized candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl with a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and peppermint extract. Beat until combined, 1 minute. Scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball. Slightly flatten the ball and press the top of the dough into crushed candy cane bits. Repeat with remaining dough and place on prepared cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are firm and the center is still soft. Let cool on the cookie sheets 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze baked or unbaked dough for easy holiday baking.
- More help: For detailed tips, spice guidance, and step by step photos, scroll back up to the full post.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I plan on making these tomorrow. They look and sound really good. One question though- with only 1+1/4 cup of flour, it sounds like it won’t make too many.
Can you tell me about how many this recipe makes?
Thanks in advance, Halley!
This recipe makes 24 cookies. Although it’s not as much flour, when you add the other ingredients, it’s still quite a bit of batter. Enjoy!
Hi! These cookies are absolutely wonderful! I was wondering if it’s possible to freeze them for a later date? Thanks!
Yes, you can freeze these cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Enjoy!
Are you able to make these ahead and chill the dough? If so, does it need to sit out before baking?
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough. You don’t have to let it sit out before baking. Enjoy!
This was delicious! I only wish I added more peppermint extract and maybe a little more chocolate chips. Otherwise 10/10 in my book. Also crushing candy Canes with a meat tenderizer is so much fun! Lol
Definitely make sure you crush the candy canes all the way! Like a fool, I was lazy and just used big pieces instead of crushing them properly, and the candy canes melted and hardened into sharp shards which cut my tongue. They were sooooo delicious but so dangerous! I kept eating them and kept getting more injured. My family wouldn’t touch them, and the lacerated tongue prevented me from being able to convince them to push through the pain. I’m trying them again today though, because the flavor was amazing but I need to protect my family and friends!
Oh no! I hope your next batch is better. Even if you have a few sharp pieces, the edges should melt in the oven when baking. You must have used some hard candy canes.
Worked out perfect ! Ended up substituting coffee for espresso and vanilla extract for peppermint extract. Mixed the mix at the end with my hands to get the right consistency to form the balls. Then continued as it says to flatten them and dip in candy canes.
Must watch the oven, and gently lift a cookie to check for doneness just as instructed, set on the perimeter and soft still in the middle. With dark cookies, hard to tell as you can burn them easily. My oven was exactly 12 minutes
Question – I’m making these for the first time today and surprised to see you’re supposed to use chilled butter. Usually you use butter at room temperature. Will the cold butter cream well?
Hi, Sara! Yes, cold butter works just fine. The butter is cubed so it creams well with the sugar. Enjoy!
Great cookies! First time I made them but will be a regular from now on!
This is also my second year making these. Absolutely delicious! I doubled it this year because they disappeared quickly last Christmas! Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
What would happen if you add bits of crushed candy cane IN the dough?
They would probably melt a little and may alter the shape of the cookies, but they should be fine.