Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These soft Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are rich, chewy, perfectly minty, and made for the holiday season or any time you want the classic chocolate and peppermint taste!
Over the Christmas holiday, Matt and I were spending a few weeks in Michigan, and we were staying at Matt’s parents’ house. His dad wanted something chocolatey for dessert, and asked if we could make something.I knew that his mom wasn’t a big chocolate lover but that she did enjoy peppermint. At that moment, I decided to try something new… an experiment, if you will.
I took my double chocolate chip cookie recipe, and adapted it to add peppermint chips for a chocolate and peppermint dessert that EVERYONE in the house would enjoy!
Matt’s dad went to the store, and came home with a big bag of peppermint chips, and I got to work. This recipe was SO easy to make, and the whole batch was gone by the next day. That’s a win in my book!
If you’re someone who craves a rich, chocolate dessert (I’m looking at you, lovers of Chocolate Molten Lava Cake or Double Chocolate Chip Cookies) then these cookies will be right up your alley.
We’re giving my double chocolate chip cookies an upgrade and a festive twist. Made with cocoa powder, melty semisweet chocolate chips, and creamy peppermint chips, this easy cookie recipe delivers soft, fudgy centers with just the right hint of mint in every bite.
Perfect for Christmas baking, cookie exchanges, or anytime you’re craving a seasonal dessert, this chocolate peppermint cookie recipe comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients and bakes up beautifully every time.
Why You Should Make These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- 1. Soft, Fudgy Center: These cookies bake with lightly set edges and soft, tender centers. It’s the exact texture you want in a bakery-style chocolate cookie.
- Chocolate and Peppermint: The rich cocoa dough and chocolate chips pair perfectly with the cool, creamy flavor of peppermint chips for a classic holiday combination that never feels overpowering.
- One-Bowl Holiday Cookie Recipe: This recipe is made with straightforward ingredients and simple steps making these easy chocolate peppermint cookies perfect for busy holiday schedules or an anytime kind of treat!
Key Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter gives these cookies rich flavor and helps create soft, tender centers. Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level in the dough.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar : This combination creates the perfect balance of moisture and structure. The brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and chewy, while the white sugar helps the edges set nicely.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This is what gives the dough its deep, chocolatey base without making the cookies overly sweet.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: These sit perfectly in the dough and pair beautifully with peppermint for a classic chocolate-mint flavor.
- Peppermint baking chips: Mixed into the dough and pressed on top, these give the cookies their signature cool mint flavor and festive look. I love the Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips but any peppermint baking chips will do.
Substitutes for Peppermint Chips
If you can’t find peppermint baking chips, all hope is not lost. Any chocolate-mint candy can work. Just chop it into small pieces before mixing it into the dough.
Try one of these instead:
- Andes Mints (check out my Andes Mints cookies)
- Hershey’s Kisses – Mint Candy Cane Flavor
- Dove Chocolate Mint Chocolate squares
- York Peppermint Pattie minis (these have a stronger peppermint flavor)
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- Mint-flavored baking chunks or mint chips
Simply chop your candy into small pieces and fold them into the cookie dough in place of the peppermint chips.
Tools You’ll Need
- Cookie scoop – A #24 cookie scoop works perfectly for large, bakery-style chocolate peppermint cookies and helps keep all the cookies the same size. Using a scoop may also prevent you from over-working your dough, which makes for tough cookies.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Step One: Cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together.
Step Two: Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix just until combined.
Step Three: Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix.
Step Four: Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and peppermint chips until evenly distributed.
Step Five: Scoop the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet.
Step Six: Bake until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Immediately press a few extra peppermint chips onto the tops of the warm cookies for a festive finish and extra mint flavor.
Expert Tips
- Use softened butter, not melted. This helps the cookies stay thick and soft instead of spreading too much.
- Do not overmix the dough. Mix just until the flour and cocoa are incorporated to keep the cookies tender.
- Bake until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. The cookies will finish setting as they cool and this will give you a deliciously fudgy texture.
- Press extra peppermint chips on top while warm so they slightly melt and stick for a bakery-style presentation.
- If your cookies are spreading more than you would like, try chilling the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can prepare the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. Bake when ready. They will not spread as much as they do in the photos if you bake them straight from the fridge. For cookies like the photos, allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking.
If your cookies spread more than you would like there are a few things to try. The first step is to try chilling your dough before baking. If your kitchen is warm, your butter may melt and cause the cookies to spread.
If that doesn’t work, you may want to add an extra 1/8 cup of flour to the mix. Be sure when you measure your flour you are using the Spoon and Level method.
Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Absolutely. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls and bake directly from frozen. Add 1–2 minutes to the baking time.
You can, but it’s tough to get right. Peppermint chips give both flavor and texture while extract will only give flavor–and possibly more flavor than you intended that might easily overpower the chocolate. If you can’t find Andes Peppermint chips, I’d search for a similar candy substitute.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Peppermint Chocolate Cookies? If so, check out these other recipes I’ve selected just for you:
If you tried this Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Equipment
- #24 Cookie Dough Scoop
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup peppermint chips, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together ½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar until light and creamy.
- Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract into the cookie dough and beat again until just combined.
- Add 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips and ¾ cup peppermint chips until evenly distributed.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using a #24 cookie scoop (about 2 ½ tablespoons each).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes or until the edges set but the centers are still soft. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, press more peppermint chips onto the top of the cookies.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level in the dough.
- Brown sugar + granulated sugar : This combination creates the perfect balance of moisture and structure. The brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and chewy, while the white sugar helps the edges set nicely.
- Peppermint baking chips: I love the Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips but any peppermint baking chips will do.
- Use softened butter, not melted. This helps the cookies stay thick and soft instead of spreading too much.
- Do not overmix the dough. Mix just until the flour and cocoa are incorporated to keep the cookies tender.
- Bake until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. The cookies will finish setting as they cool and this will give you a deliciously fudgy texture.
- Press extra peppermint chips on top while warm so they slightly melt and stick for a bakery-style presentation.
- If your cookies are spreading more than you would like, try chilling the dough for 20–30 minutes before baking.
