Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Posted Dec 05, 2022, Updated Feb 15, 2024
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These chocolate peppermint cookies have soft centers, chewy edges, and are rich and chocolatey. Mint chocolate cookies are easy to make in 10 minutes and don’t require any chilling – a simple and easy holiday cookie!
This chocolate peppermint cookie recipe is a delicious holiday treat for chocolate lovers.
A rich and chocolatey cookie dough is infused with peppermint extract and chopped peppermint bark. They are fudgy with soft centers and crisp edges and a crunchy sugary coating.
Chocolate mint cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients and don’t need to be chilled (although you can chill the dough if desired).
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well too, however I recommend tasting the dough to ensure that it’s salted to your liking. A vegan butter substitute and coconut oil also work well.
- Granulated Sugar. White granulated sugar or organic cane sugar both work well in this recipe.
- Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour, or use a gluten-free all-purpose baking to make them gluten-free.
- Peppermint/vanilla extract. I included what I believe is the perfect ratio of both extracts to make the most delicious cookies – feel free to adjust to your own tastes.
- Peppermint bark. The melty chopped peppermint bark makes these cookies so delicious. It’s easy to find peppermint bark during the holiday season at a grocery store (Ghirardelli makes squares and Hersheys makes bells), Trader Joe’s, Williams Sonoma, etc. If you would like to make these and it’s not the holidays, I suggest using another mint chocolate like andes chips (or chopped andes mints), chopped Fannie May mint meltaways or Frango mints, mint truffles, etc.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Let’s walk through this chocolate mint cookie recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F and lining 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, then set them aside.
Next, combine the dry ingredients (minus the sugar) together in a medium bowl.
Then, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined.
Next, beat in the eggs, vanilla extract and peppermint extract.
Then, beat the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until combined.
Next, add the chopped peppermint bark and beat on low speed until it’s evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Once the dough is made, you can choose to chill it for a while if you’d prefer to make the dough ahead of time before you’re ready to bake. Chilling is not required.
Use a 1 – 1 ½ TBS cookie scoop to measure out the chocolate peppermint cookie dough and then roll it into balls.
Put ¼ cup sugar into a small bowl and roll each portion of dough in the sugar. Place the dough balls on prepared cookie sheets evenly spaced, with at least 1 ½” between the cookies.
Then, bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-9 minutes.
Take the chocolate peppermint cookies out when they are just *BARELY* set, and starting to crackle around the edges. Let them sit on the baking pan for 2-5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
Store
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
You can freeze these chocolate mint cookies in one of two ways.
- Freeze the dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a large baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer to flash-freeze. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container to freeze for up to two months. To bake, remove dough from freezer and let it come to room temperature, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked cookies. Transfer baked and cooled cookies to an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw slowly at room temperature.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe FAQs
You know these cookies are done when the tops and edges are just barely set. Be very careful not to over bake – they have a short bake time of 8-9 minutes.
Absolutely, this recipe doubles very well. You can click on the “2X” button in the recipe card for ingredient measurements of a double recipe.
Yes, you can freeze these chocolate cookies for up to 1 month in the freezer if they are baked. However, I recommend freezing the dough balls, thawing and then baking them fresh for the best results..
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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup peppermint bark chopped
- ¼ cup sugar for rolling or sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined.
- Beat in eggs, vanilla and peppermint extract.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
- Add chopped peppermint bark and beat on low speed to combine.
- Use a 1 – 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out dough and then roll it into balls.
- Put ¼ cup sugar into a small bowl. Roll each ball in the sugar.
- Place on prepared cookie sheets evenly spaced, with at least 1 ½” between the cookies.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-9 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely set, and starting to crackle around the edges.
- Let them sit on the baking pan for 2-5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well too, however I recommend tasting the dough to ensure that it’s salted to your liking. A vegan butter substitute and coconut oil also work well.
- Granulated Sugar. White granulated sugar or organic cane sugar both work well in this recipe.
- Flour. I recommend using an unbleached, all-purpose flour, or use a gluten-free all-purpose baking to make them gluten-free.
- Peppermint/vanilla extract. I included what I believe is the perfect ratio of both extracts to make the most delicious cookies – feel free to adjust to your own tastes.
- Peppermint bark. The melty chopped peppermint bark makes these cookies so delicious. It’s easy to find peppermint bark during the holiday season at a grocery store (Ghirardelli makes squares and Hersheys makes bells), Trader Joe’s, Williams Sonoma, etc. If you would like to make these and it’s not the holidays, I suggest using another mint chocolate like andes chips (or chopped andes mints), chopped Fannie May mint meltaways or Frango mints, mint truffles, etc.
- Freeze the dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls and place them on a large baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer to flash-freeze. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container to freeze for up to two months. To bake, remove dough from freezer and let it come to room temperature, then bake according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze baked cookies. Transfer baked and cooled cookies to an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw slowly at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
