These chocolate peppermint cookies are the ultimate winter dessert. They’re chewy with a perfect crispy edge and just the right balance of chocolate and peppermint.
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It’s officially December which means it’s time for all things peppermint! I make this chocolate peppermint cookie recipe probably once a week or alternate with my gingerbread cookies and looooove all of the festive smells in my kitchen!
They’re perfectly chewy (anyone else hate crunchy cookies?!) and neither the peppermint nor the chocolate is overpowering.
These are the perfect Christmas dessert for a cookie swap, Christmas Eve, or just when you feel like doing some Holiday baking.
How to make this recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until well combined. Beat in all remaining wet ingredients.
Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flours, don’t scoop straight from the bag! Mix until well combined.
Add to the fridge for 10-15 minutes. This will make the dough easier to scoop and give the flavors a chance to mingle.
Use a medium cookie scoop or a spoon and use your hands to roll into balls. Sprinkle the tops lightly in crushed candy canes (try not to go overboard, we’ll add more later!)
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 11-15 minutes. With my oven, the cookies do best at 12 minutes, but all ovens are different. The cookies will continue to harden as they cool, so let them sit and cool before eating or adding the melted white chocolate. If you want the cookies to stay chewy, 11-12 minutes is ideal.
As soon as they come out of the oven, I use one of these round cookie cutters to spin around the cookie (use one that is slightly larger than the cookie) to get perfectly even circles. You aren’t cutting the cookie, just spinning it in the cookie cutter to make a perfect circle. This only works when the cookies are soft, so act quickly!
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals and stirring between each interval. Drizzle on top of the cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Enjoy!
How to tell when they’re done
With darker cookies like these, it can be hard to tell when they’re done because you can’t base it off of when the edges are golden brown.
You’ll know they’re done when the candy canes have melted, the tops are crackly and the cookies are an even circle cookie shape. They will continue to harden as they cool, so avoid leaving them in the oven for too long even if they appear really soft.
How to keep them chewy
To keep these cookies soft and fresh for as long as possible, allow them to cool completely and then store them in an air tight container at room temperature for about 3-4 days.
I like to microwave them for 5-10 seconds before eating if they’ve been sitting out for a few days. It makes them nice and warm and chewier on the inside!
FAQ’s
High quality dairy free white chocolate is unfortunately hard to come by! The one I used melts really well and tastes great when drizzled on the cookies, but I personally was not a fan of how it tasted raw. If you find a brand you love, leave a comment and let us know!
Be sure to use peppermint extract, not peppermint flavor. Peppermint flavor is diluted and won’t yield quite the same end result. If you can only find peppermint flavor, I’d suggest using a smidge extra so the flavor really comes through.
Substitutions & Variations
With the white chocolate drizzle on top, these cookies are technically double chocolate, but you can make them triple chocolate by adding in ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter. I prefer them without, but they are delicious both ways!
To make these cookies vegan, you can sub the egg for a flax egg or use another kind of egg replacer. The texture will be quite different if you omit the egg, but still delicious!
Try these next!
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Double Chocolate Cookies
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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
Dry:
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (I used gluten free, regular works too)
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Wet:
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½-1 tsp peppermint extract (I used 1, but use ½ if you prefer a softer peppermint flavor)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup butter (I used Earth Balance sticks)
Topping:
- 2 crushed candy canes
- 4 oz melted white chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until well combined.
- Beat in all remaining wet ingredients.
- Add in the dry ingredients, making sure to spoon and level the flours, don't scoop straight from the bag! Mix until well combined.
- Add to the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Use a medium cookie scoop or a spoon and use your hands to roll into balls. Sprinkle the tops lightly in crushed candy canes (try not to go overboard, we'll add more later!)
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-15 minutes. With my oven, the cookies do best at 12 minutes, but all ovens are different. The cookies will continue to harden as they cool, so let them sit and cool before eating or adding the melted white chocolate.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, I use one of these round cookie cutters to spin around the cookie (use one that is slightly larger than the cookie) to get perfectly even circles. You aren't cutting the cookie, just spinning it in the cookie cutter to make a perfect circle. This only works when the cookies are soft, so act quickly!
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals and stir between each interval. Drizzle on top of the cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Enjoy!
Amanda McNeal
I made the vegan variation of this recipe for a cookie exchange. These cookies took the top prize matched up against all the non GF, non-vegan competition. Thanks for the recipe!
Claire Cary
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for the feedback Amanda! If you don’t mind leaving a star rating with your next review, that would be great 🙂
Olivia
These are so delicious. I’m going to a cookie swap soon and they will be a hit. I can not even tell these are gluten and dairy free.
Claire Cary
Thanks Olivia! I hope everyone loves them 🙂