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Experience the festive delight of chocolate peppermint cookies, perfect for holiday celebrations or cozy evenings at home. These rich, fudgy cookies are loaded with peppermint bark and topped with a sprinkle of crushed candy canes. Easy to make and irresistibly delicious, they combine the best of chocolatey decadence and seasonal cheer. Bake a batch to share or savor them with a warm cup of cocoa!
When it comes to holidays, you can never have enough cookies - from chocolate sugar cookies to sand tart cookies to chocolate blossom cookies.
But one of my favorite combinations is peppermint and chocolate. I love it so much I make a peppermint yule log every Christmas eve. I also share cookies with friends and family every year and these chocolate peppermint bark cookies are by far the most popular.
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Why You Will Love These Cookies
- Holiday flavor - The combination of rich chocolate and refreshing peppermint embodies the festive season.
- Perfect for sharing - Great for cookie swaps, dessert platters or a cozy snack with hot cocoa.
- Freezer friendly - Bake these cookies, freeze them, and enjoy whenever you like!
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter - Provides richness and a soft, chewy texture. Room temperature ensures even mixing with the sugars.
- Sugars - Granulated sugar adds sweetness and contributes to the cookie's slight crispness on the edges. Dark brown sugar enhances the chewiness and adds a subtle molasses flavor for depth.
- Eggs - Binds the ingredients and add structure. Room temperature eggs incorporate better into the dough.
- Peppermint extract - Gives a refreshing, cool mint flavor without overpowering the chocolate.
- All-purpose flour - The base structure of the cookies. Measuring by weight ensures accuracy for the perfect texture.
- Dark cocoa powder - Intensifies the rich chocolate flavor with a slightly bittersweet edge.
- Baking soda - Acts as a leavening agent, creating a soft, tender texture with a slight lift.
- Salt - Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate and peppermint flavors.
- Peppermint bark - Adds a festive and creamy mint-chocolate element with visual appeal.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips - Bring pockets of gooey, rich chocolate to each bite.
- Crushed candy canes - Adds a crunchy texture and festive decoration with a burst of peppermint.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can change up the ingredients if need. Some substitutes include:
- For slightly less peppermint flavor, replace the peppermint extract with vanilla extract.
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend for gluten-free cookies instead of all-purpose flour.
- Swap with dark cocoa powder with natural cocoa powder for a milder chocolate taste.
- Replace the peppermint bark with chopped white chocolate and a few drops of peppermint extract for a similar creamy mint flavor.
- Use semisweet or milk chocolate chips for a sweeter flavor, or dark chocolate chunks for a more intense chocolate experience instead of bittersweet chocolate.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Step 1: Beat softened butter and sugars on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add eggs and peppermint extract, increase to medium-high, and beat until light and thickened, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl as needed.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Mix dry ingredients into wet on low speed until just combined.
Step 5: Add peppermint bark and chocolate chips to the dough. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Scoop 2-tbsp portions, roll into balls, and place 3 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 7: Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden but centers are soft. Use a circle cookie cutter to swirl cookies into round shapes immediately after baking.
Step 8: Sprinkle with crushed candy canes and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.
Secret to Perfectly Round Cookies
While these cookies are amazing, they do spread due to the excess cocoa powder. But there is still a way to make round cookies.
Opt for a large circular cookie cutter. Right after taking the cookies out of the oven, position the cutter around each cookie (ensuring it's larger than the cookie) and quickly rotate it. This swift spinning motion helps to even out any irregular edges.
If you need a visual, just watch this video.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the dough can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before scooping and baking.
You can substitute chopped white chocolate with a few drops of peppermint extract or use Andes mints for a similar flavor.
Yes, simply omit the peppermint extract, peppermint bark and candy canes for classic double chocolate cookies.
PS if you love peppermint, you can't go wrong with these chocolate peppermint blossoms.
Because of the cocoa powder, these cookies do spread. Chilling the dough helps alleviate some of these but they'll still spread. That's where the cookie cutter technique comes into plate to make them round.
Keep the cooled cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.
For longer freshness, freeze the cookies in a single layer initially, then transfer them to a freezer bag, and they'll stay good for up to 3 months.
How to Freeze Cookie Dough for Later
If you don't want to bake the cookies right away, you can freeze for later no problem. Just follow these steps:
- Place dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Form the dough into balls and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer the sheet to the freezer and let it chill for 30 minutes.
- After they have firmed up, store them in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze for a maximum of 3 months.
- When ready to bake, follow the original baking instructions but extend the baking time by a couple of minutes.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. You want your butter and eggs to be the same temperature as everything else so it easily combines.
- Measure the flour by weight so you get the exact amount needed.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough before baking. Chilled dough results in thicker cookies with a better texture.
- A cookie scoop is best for consistent cookie size, ensuring even baking.
- Use a round cutter to gently swirl cookies into a uniform shape right after baking.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps them set without becoming too firm.
Other Recommended Cookies
If you’ve tried these chocolate peppermint cookies or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (245 grams)
- 1 ¼ cup dark cocoa powder (106 grams)
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups peppermint bark, chopped
- 1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes for topping
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the softened butter and sugars together, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and peppermint extract, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until the mixture lightens and begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Add the chopped peppermint bark and chocolate chips and mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out 2 tbsp-sized portions and gently roll into a ball with your hands. Place 3 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. You want the edges to be golden brown but the middle should still be soft. As soon as they come out the oven, take a round cookie cutter and put it over the cookie and swirl it around so it becomes round.
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes over top. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. You want your butter and eggs to be the same temperature as everything else so it easily combines.
- Measure the flour by weight so you get the exact amount needed.
- Refrigerate the cookie dough before baking. Chilled dough results in thicker cookies with a better texture.
- A cookie scoop is best for consistent cookie size, ensuring even baking.
- Use a round cutter to gently swirl cookies into a uniform shape right after baking.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. This helps them set without becoming too firm.
Gina says
These were AMAZING!
Ryan says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Sally says
Is there supposed to be baking powder in addition to baking soda in this recipe? The ingredient list does not show any but the instructions for blending dry ingredients do.
Ryan says
Sorry no baking powder in this one. Thanks for catching it. Updated.