Chocolate peppermint cookies are rich, soft and chewy chocolate cookies filled with melty chocolate chips and sweet peppermint flavor. These peppermint chocolate cookies are topped with crushed peppermint candy. They’re the perfect easy to make holiday cookie.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
There are few things I love more than a soft and chewy chocolate cookie. My Chocolate Sugar Cookies, Almond Flour Chocolate Cookies, Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies, Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies and Turtle Cookies are few of my favorite chocolate cookie recipes from the blog. I know you’ll love these chewy peppermint chocolate cookies just as much because:
- They are quick and easy to make. All you need to do is mix the ingredients, chill for about 1- 2 hours, then scoop, bake and eat.
- Rich, fudgy and gooey cookies. If being super easy to make wasn’t reason enough, these fudgy chocolate and peppermint cookies taste like a cross between a brownie and a cookie. Make sure to check out my Brownie Cookies if you’re more in a brownie mood. Add peppermint extract and top with peppermint frosting.
- The perfect festive holiday cookie. These peppermint chocolate cookies are filled with rich chocolate flavor that’s perfectly balanced with sweet peppermint. They’re the most festive cookies that are perfect for cookie boxes.
Ingredients
This chocolate peppermint cookies recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Dry Ingredients: Gather all purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
- Wet Ingredients: Gather unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy.
Substitutions
These chocolate and peppermint cookies are as easy to make as they are delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions to make these chewy cookies if you need them.
- All Purpose Flour: Make these cookies gluten free by using a good 1-1 gluten free flour. I recommend using the one from Bob’s Red Mill. Measure the flour based off weight (240 g) rather than cup for cup.
- Baking Soda: Make sure the baking soda is fresh and in date.
- Espresso Powder: I love using espresso powder over espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor a bit more pronounce. However, feel free to use any good quality instant coffee powder in this recipe.
- Cocoa Powder: Any type of unsweetened cocoa powder works well in this recipe. I recommend Dutch processed cocoa powder for it’s deep chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: Salted butter can be used, just make sure to omit the added salt.
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar: Maple sugar would also work well to make these cookies refined sugar free.
- Egg: This recipe has not been tested without eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: This is more for background flavor and nicely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Peppermint Extract: I highly recommend using peppermint extract to get the full peppermint flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: Feel free to use any combination of chocolate chips or bars. Just make sure the chips or chopped pieces of chocolate are around the same size.
- Peppermint Candy: Unless you really want to crush some candy canes, I suggest using pre-crushed peppermint candy.
Variations
- White Chocolate Topping: Melt 8 - 12 oz. white chocolate with 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Whisk together until smooth and well combined. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the white chocolate. Sprinkle on crushed peppermint candy on top of the wet chocolate, set and enjoy.
- Peppermint Frosting: Cream together ½ cup (113 g) room temperature butter with 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract until smooth and well combined. Top each cooled cookie with a dollop of frosting and some crushed candy cane pieces.
How To Make
Learn how to make chocolate peppermint cookies in a few easy steps.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined. On low, cream in the cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract and peppermint extract one at a time until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until well combined.
- Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes - 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the chocolate chip chocolate cookie dough into balls and place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart. Top the cookies with the remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges are set and tops of the cookies are slightly puffed. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, reshape any cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly wider than the cookie. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, sprinkle and gently press on the crushed peppermint candy. Cool the soft and fudgy cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy. Alternatively, melt dark chocolate or white chocolate, drizzle on top of each cookie or dip half of each cooled cookie in the chocolate and then top the wet chocolate with the crushed peppermint pieces.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Prepare the fudgy chocolate cookie dough to the chilling step. Store the cookie dough covered in the fridge overnight or up to 2 days. For longer cookie dough storage, transfer to the freezer.
- Store: Place the double chocolate peppermint chocolate cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to one week. Cookies taste the best when enjoyed in 2 - 3 days.
- Freeze Baked Cookies: Make sure the chocolate peppermint cookies are completely cooled to room temperature. Individually wrap each cookie in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. The crushed peppermint won’t stay on top after freezing the cookies. If you plan on freezing baked cookies, don’t top the freshly baked cookies with the crushed peppermint candy. Instead, top the thawed cookies with melted chocolate or white chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on the melted chocolate.
- Freeze and Thaw Cookie Dough: Scoop the cookie dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet or large plate. Flash freeze in the freezer for 20 minutes. Remove the cookie dough balls and transfer to an air tight, freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookie dough in the fridge overnight.
M’s Expert Tips
- Measure the flour properly. I highly recommend using a food scale to get perfectly measured ingredients every time.
- Decide how much peppermint extract to use. Peppermint extract gives the chocolate cookies an infusion of peppermint flavor. If you prefer just a hint, use ½ - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. If you want a stronger peppermint flavor, I recommend 2 teaspoons.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Always use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix in the dry ingredients by hand. Make sure to mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
- Use your favorite chocolate chips. Dark, semi sweet or milk chocolate chips would all be delicious in these cookies. Peppermint baking chips from Trader Joes can also be used for even more peppermint flavor.
- Chill the cookie dough. Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Slightly under-bake the cookies. For chocolate cookies that are soft for days, the secret is to bake them until the edges are set and top are set.
- Give your cookies a “cookie scoot.” Within the first few seconds of removing the cookies from the oven, use a large biscuit cutter (wider than the cookies) to help shape any cookies back into a more round shape. Place the cutter over the cookies so the edges of the cookie are inside the cookie/ biscuit cutter. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape.
- Immediately top the hot cookies with the crushed peppermint candy. The cookies need to be hot when topped with the crushed candy cane pieces to they can melt just enough to stick to the cookie. If you wait too long, I suggest melting dark chocolate or white chocolate, drizzling the top of each cookie or dipping half of each cookie in the chocolate and then topping the wet chocolate with the crushed peppermint pieces.
FAQs
Do I have to chill the cookie dough?
Yes, this recipe for peppermint chocolate chocolate chip cookies needs to be chilled. Chilling the dough allows the flour to hydrate and prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Can I make these peppermint chocolate cookies smaller?
I find that a medium cookie scoop, with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough makes the perfect cookie. However, you can make a small (1 tablespoon) cookie if you like. Bake this size cookie for about 9 - 10 minutes. For a larger cookie, use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons, 45 ml) and bake for 11- 12 minutes.
What do these chocolate peppermint cookies taste like?
They taste just like a rich and fudgy chocolate cookie, with lots of melty chocolate chips and a lovely background flavor of sweet peppermint.
Other Holiday Recipes to Try
If you try this Chocolate Peppermint Cookies recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! - M
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Chocolate peppermint cookies are rich, soft and chewy chocolate cookies filled with melty chocolate chips and sweet peppermint flavor. These peppermint chocolate cookies are topped with crushed peppermint candy. They’re the perfect easy to make holiday cookie.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters
- 1 - 2 baking sheets
- 2 sheets parchment paper
- 1 medium (2 tablespoon, 30 ml) cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (60 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 - 2 teaspoons (5 - 10 ml) peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
- ¼ - ½ cup crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside for now.2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until the butter and sugars are well combined.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- On low, cream in the cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla extract and peppermint extract one at a time until smooth and well combined. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until well combined.¾ cup (60 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder, 2 large eggs, room temperature, 1 - 2 teaspoons (5 - 10 ml) peppermint extract , 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips
- Cover the cookie dough and transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes - 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C) for about 30 minutes before baking the cookies. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a medium cookie scoop (2 tablespoons, 30 ml), scoop the chocolate chip chocolate cookie dough into ballsand place them onto the lined baking sheet about 3 inches (8 cm) apart.
- Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 10 - 12 minutes until the edges are set and tops of the cookies are slightly puffed. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, reshape any cookies using a biscuit or cookie cutter slightly wider than the cookie. In a circular motion, gently nudge the edges back into a round shape. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, sprinkle and gently press the crushed peppermint candy to the hot cookie.¼ - ½ cup crushed peppermint candy
- Cool the soft and fudgy cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature and enjoy. Alternatively, melt dark chocolate or white chocolate, drizzle on top of each cookie or dip half of each cooled cookie in the chocolate and then top the wet chocolate with the crushed peppermint pieces.
Notes
Store: Place the double chocolate peppermint chocolate cookies in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to one week. Cookies taste the best when enjoyed in 2 - 3 days.
Chocolate or White Chocolate Topping: Melt 8 - 12 oz. white chocolate (or dark chocolate) with 1 teaspoon coconut oil. Whisk together until smooth and well combined. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the white chocolate. Sprinkle on crushed peppermint candy on top of the wet chocolate, set and enjoy.
Peppermint Frosting: Cream together ½ cup (113 g) room temperature butter with 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract until smooth and well combined. Top each cooled cookie with a dollop of frosting and some crushed candy cane pieces.
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