Soft, fudgy, and very easy to make, these cookies combine chocolate with crushed peppermint and are perfect for the holidays. They come together quickly and can be baked immediately or the cookie dough can be refrigerated or frozen for several days or weeks.
Mint and chocolate are some of my favorite flavor combinations by far. The holidays always include the popular fudgy mint brownies and the mint chocolate chip cookies, but I wanted chocolate cookies with mint in it, something more potent.
In come these super simple double chocolate peppermint cookies that are great for the holiday season.
The addition of crushed mint candy is just what was needed. The mint bits stay soft even after the cookies are baked and the flavor is enhanced by some mint extract. The result is fantastic in flavor and adds some festive spirit if you choose to gift them or make them part of a holiday dessert platter.
About this recipe
- Easy to make: a one-bowl recipe that can be made ahead and chilled for a few days.
- Flavor: both the chocolate and the mint flavor shine on their own and also together. You can adjust the peppermint to your palate.
- Freezing: you can have the scooped cookie portions frozen and bake them when needed.
- Great for gifting: they are great year round of course, but are especially pretty as Christmas cookies as they travel well and have a festive flavor.
Ingredients
- Chocolate: the better the quality, the better the outcome. I love dark chocolate, like Ghirardelli Intense 72% cacao bar or Green & Black Organic 70% cacao bar. But you can use less intense ones for a sweeter cookie, like Ghirardelli Semi sweet Premium Bar.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: any brand you already use works fine. I usually use Ghirardelli semi sweet Chocolate chips and Hersheys semi sweet baking chips.
- Cocoa powder: make sure it's unsweetened. I usually use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder, Valrhona Pure Cocoa powder and Hersheys natural unsweetened cocoa.
- Crushed peppermint candy: you can crush your own candy canes or buy them already crushed which is way easier. I only used Atkinson's Mint Twists crushed candy and love it. It stays soft to the bite after it's baked.
- Mint extract: I use Simply Organic peppermint flavor or Nielsen Massey pure peppermint extract.
- Vanilla - I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
- Unsalted butter.
- Sugar: we use both white, granulated sugar and brown sugar (light or dark) for this recipe.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking soda: make sure it's not expired.
- Salt: I use kosher salt for my baking, but table salt also works.
Easy steps
- Melt the chocolate: always start with chopped chocolate in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until it's fully melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chopped chocolate not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch.
- Electric mixer: it's what I use to cream the butter, sugars, and eggs before adding the flour mixture and add-ins, which I do with a spatula. A stand mixer with the paddle attachment also works, and make sure you mix at low speed after adding the dry ingredients.
- Dry ingredients: don't overmix or over beat at this point so the cookies don't get tough after they're baked. The final chocolate cookie dough will be thick (image 4).
- Add-ins: the chocolate chips are added to the cookie dough. The crushed candy I like to add most of it to the dough and then sprinkle some more on top of the cookies before baking so they are more colorful (images 7 and 8). But you can just add them all to the dough if you want to make it simpler.
- Baking sheets: I butter the cookie sheet lightly and don't use parchment paper. But you can if that's what you normally bake cookies on.
Top tips
- Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Chocolate: the better the chocolate and cocoa powder you use, the better the flavor of the cookies. The brands I use can be found in the ingredients list and in the Notes section in the recipe card, below.
- Chilling: I usually bake them directly but have chilled the dough for several hours and up to 2 days. There is not much difference in my experience. They're a tad more compacted, but not very noticeably. So use the refrigerator as a way to make the cookie dough ahead if you need to.
- Freezing: you can easily freeze the scooped cookie portions and bake them later. Put the scoops on a baking sheet and pop it in the freezer. When the dough is rock solid you can transfer them to a plastic bag or freezer container so it frees up the baking pan and space in the freezer. Bake them directly as instructed in the recipe. They might take an extra minute or so.
Related recipes you might like:
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Soft, fudgy, and very easy to make, these cookies combine chocolate with crushed peppermint and are perfect for the holidays. They come together quickly and can be baked immediately or the cookie dough can be refrigerated or frozen for several days or weeks.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 35 medium 1x
Ingredients
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup white, granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup crushed peppermint candy cane
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- Extra crushed candy cane, for sprinkling before baking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Butter or spray a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate: always start with chopped chocolate in a microwavable or glass bowl. You can use the microwave (short 10-15 second spurts stirring well between each one until it's fully melted) or a double boiler with the bowl containing the chocolate not touching the water. In both cases, make sure it doesn't scorch.
- Beat butter with both sugars in a large bowl for about 3 minutes, until creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl each time.
- Add the melted chocolate, the vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Sift the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) before adding them to the butter mixture, or have them measured and sift as you add them.
- Don’t overbeat at this point. Simply mix well with a spatula or beat at the lowest speed until no streaks of flour remain.
- Add the chocolate chips and crushed candy cane. Mix well. At this point, you can bake the cookies or cover the bowl and refrigerate the cookie dough for a day or two.
- Scoop portions on the prepared baking sheets making sure they're separated 2 inches from each other.
- Sprinkle with additional crushed candy bits if you want to. They look prettier after they're baked.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are dry but the centers are still soft.
- Let cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes and carefully remove from the sheets and let cool completely on the cooling racks.
- Store in an airtight container or cookie jar.
Notes
Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Chilling: I usually bake them directly but have chilled the dough for several hours and up to 2 days. There is not much difference in my experience. They're a tad more compact, but not very noticeable. So use the refrigerator as a way to make the cookie dough ahead if you need to.
Freezing: you can easily freeze the scooped cookie portions and bake them later. Put the scoops on a baking sheet and pop it in the freezer. When the dough is rock solid you can transfer them to a plastic bag or freezer container so it frees up the baking pan and space in the freezer. Bake them directly as instructed in the recipe. They might take an extra minute or so.
Chocolate: the better the quality, the better the outcome. I love dark chocolate, like Ghirardelli Intense 72% cacao bar or Green & Black Organic 70% cacao bar. But you can use less intense ones for a sweeter cookie, like Ghirardelli Semi sweet Premium Bar.
Semisweet chocolate chips: any brand you already use works fine. I usually use Ghirardelli semi sweet Chocolate chips and Hersheys semi sweet baking chips.
Cocoa powder: make sure it's unsweetened. I usually use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder, Valrhona Pure Cocoa powder and Hersheys natural unsweetened cocoa.
Crushed peppermint candy: you can crush your own candy canes or buy them already crushed which is way easier. I only used Atkinson's Mint Twists crushed candy and love it. It stays soft to the bite after it's baked.
Mint extract: I use Simply Organic peppermint flavor or Nielsen Massey pure peppermint extract.
Vanilla - I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chocolate peppermint cookies
angiesrecipes says
They look thick and chewy. Perfect!