Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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Crisp edges + moist centers, bursting with peppermint flavor and topped with crunchy candy cane pieces. The best chocolate peppermint cookies: deep, decadently rich chocolate cookies that taste like brownies with a peppermint twist!

Stack of chocolate peppermint cookies with one bitten this recipe

Rich & Chocolatey Candy Cane Goodness: Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Cue the Christmas recipes! Anyone having a holly, jolly holiday season? This year, we’re gonna kick off festivities with a most decadent, truly satisfying, and deliciously indulgent chocolate peppermint cookies recipe! Imagine rich chocolate cookies spiked with fresh peppermint goodness and topped with beautiful, crushed candy canes. Let’s bake this!

How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

The trick to making the holiday season go easy is to make recipes that are secretly easy while looking oh-so impressive. These chocolate peppermint cookies are the perfect example of that!

Firstly, preheat the oven to 350°F. Then, grab your favorite cookie sheet and line it with lightly greased foil or use a nonstick cookie sheet like the one you see in my photos.

Baked holiday dessert on table with plated full of crushed candy canes

Now, add flour, cocoa powder, and salt to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk these dry ingredients together until well incorporated.

Then, add butter, cane sugar, brown sugar, egg of choice, peppermint, vanilla extract and maple syrup to a large bowl. Whisk these wet ingredients together until well mixed.

Two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies – whisking wet and dry ingredients

Once the wet and dry ingredients are ready, it’s time to combine them! Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients bowl.

Whisk the wet and dry ingredients together, then switch to folding the thick chocolate peppermint cookie dough together.

Two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies – making cookie dough 

Next, fold in the chocolate chips. Voila, you’ve just made your chocolate peppermint cookie dough!

Two photos showing How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies – folding chocolate chips into dough

Once the chocolate peppermint cookie dough is done, it’s time to scoop the dough into balls.

Grab a cookie scoop to scoop and drop balls of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet.

dropping balls of cookie dough

Bake Until Almost Done

Next, mostly bake the chocolate peppermint cookies. We’ll reserve the last two minutes of baking for our final festive touch.

Top with Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes

Carefully remove the cookie sheet out of the oven.

Then, press roughly crushed peppermint candy canes onto the tops of all chocolate peppermint cookies.

Angled photo of chocolate peppermint cookies on a cooling rack with a red backdrop

Bake Just Until Cooked, But Not Until the Candies Melt!

Carefully place the cookie sheet bake into the oven and bake! I recommend baking for just 2 minutes to get the candies to stick to the cookie, but not melt.

Enjoy the best Chocolate Peppermint Cookies!

Cool, then enjoy the best ever chocolate peppermint cookies!

Storing

If storing, make sure to cool your chocolate peppermint cookies completely. Then, store cookies into an airtight container in a cool, dark environment to avoid spoiling.

closeup shot of dough

The Best Chocolate Peppermint Cookies: Ingredients & Substitutions

Dry Ingredients

  • Flour: feel free to use all purpose flour or oat flour
  • Cocoa Powder: make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder. Raw cacao powder will also work
  • Baking Powder: make sure your baking powder is fresh, not tightly-packed, and ready to bake!
  • Salt: you can leave out the salt if you’re watching your salt intake. If not, the salt adds a little twist that heightens the sweet & rich flavors of chocolate and peppermint

Wet Ingredients

  • Butter: can be swapped with vegan butter or coconut oil
  • Sugar: use cane sugar or coconut sugar
  • Brown Sugar: brown sugar can be substituted with coconut sugar
  • Egg: use your egg of choice!
  • Peppermint Extract: try this organic peppermint extract—it truly has the purest, brightest peppermint flavor
  • Vanilla Extract: use pure vanilla extract, not imitation for the best flavor
  • Maple Syrup: use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup to avoid an artificial taste

Add-in & Topping Ingredients

  • Chocolate chips: you can use white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips for an extra tasty treat!
  • Crushed peppermint candy: candy canes will work too! Make sure to only roughly crush candies to avoid melting 
holiday dessert on a festive table

FAQs about Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Why are the candy canes on top of my cookies all melted together?

The crushed candy cane bits are too small or the cookies were baked too long. Candy tends to melt in heat. To solve this, crush larger bits of candy canes (this will take longer to melt), and/or make sure the cookies aren’t over-baking.

Why are my chocolate peppermint cookies so flat?

The cookies were probably flattened a bit too much before baking. Next time, flatten the cookies less. Otherwise, a hot kitchen can lead to the cookie dough over-softening before baking. To fix overheat raw dough, place in the freezer to chill until firm, about 10-30 minutes.

Why are my chocolate peppermint cookies so round?

Use an oven thermometer to make sure the temperature in your oven is as hot as it’s supposed to be. Your chocolate peppermint cookies may not have: 1) received sufficient heat in the oven to “melt” into a nice, medium-thick cookie, 2) or, you didn’t flatten the cookie enough for your desired thickness. Next time, flatten the cookies more.

Why are my chocolate peppermint cookies crumbly?

  • If your chocolate peppermint cookies are crumbly, make sure they haven’t been left on the counter too long after the dough is prepared before baking—this will cause dryness & crumbly texture.
  • Also, make sure to press any loose bits of dough together on the dough balls before baking for tightly packed edges.
  • Lastly, make sure to avoid any substitutions and skimping on any wet ingredients. Everything in this recipe is carefully measured out for perfect cookie texture.

Why can’t I taste the peppermint in my cookies?

Your peppermint might be expired, spoiled, or the brand is not great. I’ve tried a variety of peppermint extracts, and the cheaper they are, the less potent and enjoyable the flavor. Here’s the one I recommend.

Is there a way to make the peppermint less strong?

If the peppermint flavoring in these chocolate peppermint cookies is too strong, you can make another batch with half of the peppermint extract listed in the recipe.

More Recipes Like Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tools You Need

Ornaments and candy canes with baked goods on red tablecloth

Pepper-Mint to Be!

You know I only say these things for your amuse-mint. 😉 Last one, I promise! It’s truly such a joy to share in these sweet moments with you and your loved ones. <3 If you make & enjoy my recipe, please leave a comment, or take a pic and share on Instagram or Facebook. It means so much to me. ‘Til our next sweet adventure…

Sending you all my love and maybe even a dove, xo Demeter ❤️

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chocolate peppermint cookies on a cooling rack

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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Description

The BEST chocolate peppermint cookies: deep, decadently rich chocolate cookies with a candy cane twist!

 

Ingredients

Scale

Tools Needed

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour or oat flour
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • ½ cup melted, unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
  • ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons cane sugar or coconut sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 egg of choice, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Add-ins

  • 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips

Topping

  • 3–5 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy (candy canes)
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly greased foil, or use a nonstick cookie sheet. Set aside for later.
  2. For the Dry Ingredients: Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
  3. For the Wet Ingredients: Add butter, cane sugar, brown sugar, egg, peppermint, vanilla, and maple syrup to a large bowl. Whisk until well mixed.
  4. Combine: Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl. Whisk as long as you can, then switch to stirring and folding with a rubber spatula until well mixed and no flour patches remain. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Cover the bowl and chill in the freezer for 15-25 minutes, or until chilled and firm throughout. The dough is ready when it’s cold even in the center and just-slightly soft enough to scoop.
  6. While the dough is chilling, prepare the peppermint candy. Crush candy into medium-small pieces—not too small to avoid melting candy. Pour crushed candy into a small, shallow rimmed bowl or plate.
  7. Once the dough is chilled, scoop and drop balls of cookie onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a spoon, flatten cookies about halfway. Repeat for all cookies, spacing them evenly apart. Cookies will spread a bit during baking.
  8. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Mine took 12 minutes.
  9. Remove cookie sheet from oven and place on a heatproof surface. Carefully press crushed candy cane pieces and a few chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie.
  10. Place the cookie sheet back into the oven and bake for 2 minutes.
  11. Cool cookies on the sheet for about 10 minutes, then using a heatproof spatula, transfer directly onto a cooling rack. Enjoy!

 

Equipment

Notes

Storing Instructions: store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Freezing Instructions: store cookies in a freezer-friendly container in the freezer for 1-3 months. Allow to thaw at room temperature or heat until just warm before serving.

How to make Vegan: use coconut oil or vegan butter, organic cane sugar or coconut sugar, a flax egg, and vegan chocolate chips.

How to make Gluten Free: use gluten free oat flour. Keep everything else the same.

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

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It’s nice to meet you! Erik and I love sharing healthy recipes that are easy & approachable. I love cozy movies, chocolate, big hugs, and being out at sea.

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