If you like the mint and chocolate flavor combo, you're going to love these easy cookies. They have two kinds of chips and that homemade buttery flavor we love so much. The unbaked dough is great to freeze and have fresh cookies baked to order every time the craving hits!
I think you should add these simple but very delicious cookies to your holiday list. A spin from our favorite chocolate chip cookies, they have a balanced flavor of mint and semisweet chocolate.
Besides making them as part of your Christmas cookie tray, they are perfect for warm weather picnics or outdoor gatherings, and even for Easter brunch if you want to add something different.
About this recipe
- Flavor: the mint is there but it doesn't overwhelm the chocolate and the caramel tone of the cookies themselves. We use both mint extract and chips and it works much better than using just one of them.
- Easy to make: like any chip drop cookie, these are one bowl and take ten minutes in the oven.
- Make ahead: scoop the unbaked dough and freeze it if you need to bake ahead for the holidays. Then bake the cookies directly, without thawing them. Freshly baked cookies whenever you want!
Ingredients
The flavor is given by both mint extract and chocolate chips. The rest of the ingredients are simple pantry staples.
- Mint chips: they are green and have a great mint flavor. There are several brands, but I love to use Guittard mint chocolate baking chips. You can also use mint chocolate chips (not always available) directly instead of both mint and chocolate ones.
- Chocolate chips: the traditional semisweet chocolate chips that are used for cookies.
- Mint extract: I use peppermint extract from Simply Organic.
- Vanilla extract: my preference is always pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste, but vanilla essence also works and Baker's imitation vanilla flavor is a very good, less expensive brand.
- Unsalted butter.
- Sugars: both white granulated sugar and light brown sugar are used for this recipe. If you use dark brown sugar the flavor will still be great but the color will be darker.
- Egg: large, fresh.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking soda and baking powder: make sure they are active and haven't expired.
- Salt: I use kosher salt for my baking and recommend it. But I have baked with regular table salt with good results also.
It's a straightforward drop cookies recipe that doesn't need to be chilled if you don't want to. I sometimes leave the dough in the refrigerator for several hours or a day if, for some reason, I don't bake the whole batch right after I mix the dough.
- Soft butter and sugars. This should be well mixed with an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Butter at room temperature means it's soft but not melted or starting to melt.
- Eggs and flavorings. They are added one at a time so they can be well integrated with the rest of the ingredients. Vanilla and mint extract are added at this point.
- Basic batter. After adding the dry ingredients, the cookie dough is light brown in color, thick and smooth, with no traces of flour or egg.
- Mint and chocolate chips. Both are added at the end. I like to switch to a spatula for this final mixing.
Extra chips: you can add all the chips in the recipe to the cookie dough and leave it at that (image below, left), or manually add some of the mint and chocolate chips to the unbaked cookie ball before baking (image below, right). I find that the latter makes prettier cookies after they're baked and I'm all for that.
Chocolate chip cookies don't take long to bake, 10 minutes for regular-sized ones approximately.
If you like softer cookies the center will still be soft and you'll feel they're not done, but they are ready to be removed from the oven. They will become firmer as they cool.
If you like crisp cookies, let them bake for a minute or two longer, or even more, until they are a deeper golden brown and the center appears firmer. They will harden further as they cool, and will be crisper when you bite into them.
My 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.
- Size: you can make any size of cookies you want. For larger cookies, you need some extra minutes in the oven and the yield will be lower. For smaller cookies, it's the opposite, less baking time and more cookies.
- Storing: the baked cookies keep for several days in airtight containers or cookie jars.
- Freezing: the unbaked dough can be stored in the freezer: scoop the portions on the baking sheets (without touching but no need to leave much space between them) and freeze the pan until the dough is rock solid. Transfer them to airtight bags so you can remove the baking sheet from the freezer and use less space to store the pieces of dough. Bake directly, without thawing.
- Ice cream sandwiches: they are great with chocolate or vanilla ice cream as filling if you need a quick dessert. I suggest you take them out of the oven slightly under baked, about a minute early, so that they will be softer when you bite.
Related recipes you might like:
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Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you like the mint and chocolate flavor combo, you're going to love these easy cookies. They have two kinds of chips and that homemade buttery flavor we love so much. The unbaked dough is great to freeze and have fresh cookies baked to order every time the craving hits!
You can easily double or triple this recipe.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 medium cookies 1x
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon mint extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup mint chips (see Notes below for brands)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
- Butter baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Beat butter with both sugars in a large bowl until creamy. You can use the stand mixer or a hand-held beater.
- Add egg, vanilla and mint extracts and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and mix until a few dry spots remain. Don’t overbeat at this point.
- Add semisweet chocolate chips and mint chips and mix until no dry spots remain. I like to switch to a spatula for this part.
- Scoop portions of cookie dough and place them on the prepared sheets, spacing them two inches or so apart.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until edges are firm and cookies are golden but still soft in the center. It might take a minute or two more if your cookies are larger.
- Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Keep in tins or cookie jars.
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.
Mint chips: I used Guittard green mint chips and love them. Another brand is Mint chocolate chips from Olive Nation and also Andes Creme de Menthe chips.
Mint extract: I use peppermint extract and it's usually Simply Organic peppermint extract or Pure peppermint extract from Mc Cormick. There are others, like Wilton's Pure peppermint baking extract or this Mint chocolate chip extract from LorAnn that I never tried but am very intrigued by.
Chocolate chips: semisweet are the best and my favorite brands are Guittard's Semisweet baking chips and Ghirardelli semisweet premium baking chocolate chips. But any brand you normally use works just fine!
Green color: if you want to color the cookie dough (I never do), you can use green food coloring such as Americolor soft gel food color or Wilton leaf green icing color. Start with a very small amount, like a drop or two, and see how it goes. You can always add more but not substract.
Size: you can make any size of cookies you want. For larger cookies you need some extra minutes in the oven and the yield will be lower. For smaller cookies it's the opposite, less baking time and more cookies.
Storing: the baked cookies keep for several days in airtight containers or cookie jars.
Freezing: the unbaked dough can be stored in the freezer: scoop the portions on the baking sheets (without touching but no need to leave much space between them) and freeze the pan until the dough is rock solid. Transfer them to airtight bags so you can remove the baking sheet from the freezer and use less space to store the pieces of dough. Bake directly, without thawing.
Ice cream sandwiches: they are great with chocolate or vanilla ice cream as filling. I suggest you take them out of the oven slightly underbaked, about a minute early, so that they will be softer when you bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/20
- Calories: 197
- Sugar: 18.5 g
- Sodium: 70.3 mg
- Fat: 9.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.1 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 22.5 mg
Keywords: mint chocolate chip cookies
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Cookies! Who doesn't love them? Mint + chocolate = mouth happiness. Good stuff -- thanks.
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks John!
angiesrecipes says
These cookies sure look very tempting! Mint chips are an interesting addition.