Sometime between December 1st and now I was hit by a severe craving for chocolate and peppermint, and friends this is rare as I expressed in my 5-Ingredient Peppermint Mocha Frappe post. I used to be a chocolate-mint hater but now we have a growing love affair. Thankfully this recipe satisfies my deepest chocolate peppermint cravings, perhaps just as much as a double scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Ughghghg, so good.
It is Christmas after all so that means it’s time for baking. I come from a long line of bakers, my mom, aunts and grandmothers included. My Grandma Sally makes a mean peanut brittle, my aunts are pie extraordinaires, and my mom taught me the art of making the perfect peanut butter blossom. All of these things ring Christmas to me so it’s natural for me to hover around the kitchen a bit more in December. It’s in my blood.
These cookies may look a little complicated but they’re actually very simple. Just 30 minutes from start to finish and prepared all in one bowl. I hate having to get out loads of ingredients and multiple bowls just as much as the next person so this cookie has been whittled down to the bare bone necessities.
However, it doesn’t lack that perfect cookie texture, or luscious chocolate peppermint flavor one bit. Ask my coworkers who literally downed the whole batch by 10 a.m. after I dropped them in the break room. I guess you could say they were a little popular. I think Santa would approve.
I ate my cookie as is but I bet they’d also be great frozen and dipped in milk like Thin Mints (oh my gosh those are so good). I also suspect they’d make the perfect partner to hot cocoa or crumbled into a vanilla or mint milkshake (that would be the end of me). The possibilities are endless.
Simple factor: 30 minutes from start to finish; prepared using 1 bowl
Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened // 1 stick equals 1/2 cup)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp natural peppermint extract
- 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or whole-wheat pastry)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 candy cane (finely crushed)
- 1/3 cup dark, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
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In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for about 1-2 minutes. Add egg, peppermint extract and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as you go to ensure even mixing.
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Add flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder to a sifter and sift gradually over the wet ingredients mixing as you go. Mix until well combined.
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Add chocolate chips and stir in with a mixing spoon and then chill in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
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Form the dough into small balls (heaping 1 Tbsp) and place 1.5 inches apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Press the tops down and then top with a few more chocolate chips (to indicate what's inside).
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Bake for 10-12 minutes - the edges should start to dry but the tops will still be slightly soft looking. Let set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes more but sprinkle crushed candy cane on immediately.
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Transfer to a cooling rack to rest until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh for up to a few days or freeze for several weeks.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 12 cookies)
- Calories: 210
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 1.4g
- Sugar: 17g
- Protein: 2.3g
NOTE: Don’t forget to check out our FREE Downloadable E-Cookbook to benefit Charity:Water! It’s a delicious project for a great cause. Consider it our holiday gift to you.
There’s nowhere in the recipe you add the candy canes ?
Hi Kelly, see step 6.
Delicious, easy to make. If using salted butter, just leave out the salt. Can be rough on a non-Kitchen Aid mixer. If you make more than 1 dozen, the recipe yields way more than said – I made the 2 dozen recipe and ended up with 3, and made 3 dozen recipe and ended up with nearly 5! I threw the extra in the freezer – easy solution! Looking forward to weeks of tasty treats!
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips, Erin! We’re so glad you enjoy them!
Really Yummy cookies! I would probably add about a quarter teaspoon more of peppermint extract. I wasn’t sure when to add the candy cane bits but I think it turned out best when we put the crushed up bits on top before baking.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sarah. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
These are delicious! I didn’t change a thing!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Debi. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
I don’t have peppermint extract. I realize the cookie won’t taste pepperminty, but do you think it would turn out chocolatey? Still planning on putting candies on top.
We haven’t tried it, but that should work! Let us know how it goes!
My daughter asked me where I was hiding the cookies! LOL. I have peppermint oil and use 2 dashes. I made the “mistake” of topping the dough balls with candy cane prior to baking
I froze the dough for 2 days and baked 3 as a test straight from the freezer. Mistake – they spread a LOT, so will thaw it more. Of course, the candy canes melted into the cookie. But no matter! The edges where crispy and the middle was soft. Delicious! I will try to make it with GF flour, vegan butter, and flax egg for my next attempt so others can eat them too!
I make these with cup4cup gluten-free flour as measured in the recipe, replacing 1 Tbsp of the flour with 1 Tbsp tapioca starch to get them extra crisp and chewy. They’re the first to disappear from the dessert tray at our holiday gatherings.
We’re so glad to hear you enjoy them, Vy! Thanks for sharing about the GF modification as well! xo
Hi Dana! Quick question. Do you think your DIY Gluten free flour mix would work well for these cookies? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lori, We haven’t tried it, but others have and had success with it! Let us know if you give it a try!
I tried it and it worked beautifully! The cookies were delicious and a hit at my house!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful peppermint cookies. My family loves them, and I’m sure the people I am gifting them to will also love them. Perfect amount of peppermint to chocolate. If you’re a peppermint chocolate fan these are a win! I also reduced the sugar and still turned out amazing!! Thank you!!!
Whoop! We’re so glad your family enjoyed them, Melanie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Want to start out by saying that I did make 1 change – instead of chocolate chips I had some white chocolate/peppermint chips that I used. I was hoping the peppermint wouldn’t be too overwhelming with them and it wasn’t.
These are super yum.
They have the consistency of a perfect chocolate chip cookie. Slightly crisp on the outside, nice and chewy inside. They chocolate flavor is powerful but the peppermint (equally powerful) balanced it.
I was worried the candy cane might not stick to the tops when they hardened completely but I checked them this morning and it is staying in place.
Super happy I tried this recipe – these will be part of my cookie holiday gift packages.
Love the modification, Jessica! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo
Lovely cookies. I would say that they are almost more of a cookie/brownie, maybe due to the baking powder. I am curious as to how they would turn out without the baking powder. I use a tbsp to measure them out before flattening and I find I get more like 20-22 cookies per batch. I was able to double the recipe and had no issues. Also, 9-10 minutes was the perfect amount of baking time for me, maybe mine were on the smaller side.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Lauren!
Dana, I’m making these yummy treats again! They are the first recipe I ever made of yours. Which convinced me that I needed to try more. I have and it’s hard to make choices now on what to make next!
What a problem huh,
Lynda🎄
xoxo!
Great flavors…I would add a little more sugar next time to the dough.
Can I freeze the dough and bake it the next day? Thanks!
Yes, that should work. Make the dough, form into balls, and freeze. Then stick in the fridge the night before to slightly thaw and bake as instructed! They might need to bake slightly longer, so watch for preferred texture! Let us know how it goes!
Not positive this answers the question but I had these in the refrigerator (not freezer) for 48 hours before I made them and it was totally fine. I let them warm up on the counter for an hour before scooping them out. Zero issues.
Delicious and chewy! I doubled the recipe but cut the sugar to less than a cup with a few packets of stevia. I increased the mint extract by 1/4 tsp. The double batch made approximately 38 cookies….on the smaller side (I used 1 tbs scoop to make balls). I baked for approx 8 mins and they are perfect. Will be my go to recipe for chocolate Peppermint cookies at every Christmas baking with my girls ❤️.
Thanks for sharing, Aga! We’re so glad you and your girls enjoyed them =)
I made this recipe today for a cookie exchange. It was incredible. I did not have candy cane or peppermint extract. I mixed the chocolate base with salted caramel chips and it was perfection! Very easy to reproduce. This recipe will be used for years to come. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kim! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Will this recipe work with bleached flour? Is there a specific reason for the non-bleached flour?
That should work! We just prefer unbleached personally.
These are absolutely delicious And the flavors are perfect! As a peppermint chocolate chip fan, I could down a batch very easily. This recipe is also very easy to change to get a totally different cookie. I switched peppermint extract for vanilla, and topped The cookies with heath toffee chips, and it was perfect! Easy, fast, delicious and versatile!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Leah! Thanks for sharing! xo
Your page is my go-to for dessert recipes, and this one did not disappoint!
I made them gluten-free (with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 flour) and dairy-free (with Miyoko’s Vegan Butter). I used allergen-free dark chocolate chips from Enjoy Life. They turned out SO good!
I appreciate being able to change the serving number and have ingredients calculated out. I made 48/4 dozen, and actually probably could have made the cookies bigger because I ended up with a little over 6 dozen. I don’t mind the extras and I’m bringing them to a cookie exchange. I’m sure they’ll go over well there!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Amanda! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Oh my— these cookies are delicious! The chocolate chips made them ooey gooey.. loved this recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is an absolute wonder. The cookies are like a whoopie pie texture with just the right balance of chocolate and peppermint. I didn’t change a single thing but made the recipe for 8 dozen. I ended up with approximately 12 dozen cookies so I think the recipe as written is for a generous dozen; not that I’m complaining, mind you, I got to eat a whole bunch of yum myself with plenty to spare for gifts! I think this is going to be my new holiday cookie of choice!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Kelly! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
I just tried making these with the metric conversions and they came out very dry and crumbly. Has anyone else had this experience? I’m not sure what happened, but would love to try again. I’m thinking maybe more butter and less flour/cocoa powder? Trying to get it right for an office treat xx.
We also had the same issue while trying to make this tonight! They are currently baking, but they don’t look too promising. Recipe was followed perfectly. They are SO crumbly and dry.
Any fixes for this issue?
Hmm, we double checked the metric measurements and didn’t see anything that looked off. Another reader mentioned adding a tablespoon of water (or you could use non-dairy milk) and that fixed the issue for them. We will reassess this recipe and see if there are any modifications that need to be made.
Hi! Could I use a flax egg as a replacement for an egg to make this vegan? Thanks!
We haven’t tried it, but another reader mentioned doing so with success. Let us know if you give it a try!
I had the same issue…came out very crumbly and hard to mold together into balls because it kept falling apart. I re-read the recipe several times just to make sure I wasn’t missing some additional water that should be added. I just pulled the first batch out of the oven. I’m hoping once it sets it will turn out just fine, but am skeptical. Any advice would be helpful!
Hmm, we aren’t sure what’s causing that. But adding a splash of almond milk might help!
I’ve been into baking a lot lately and mastered the art of baking loaves, pastries, breads, etc. For some reason, every time I baked cookies they turned out too salty (despite using unsalted butter), burnt or otherwise a failure. Maybe I’m just not good at following instructions… BUT I gave this recipe a try today and for the first time they came out PERFECT! Not over or underbaked with the perfect balance of chocolate and mint. The only substitutes I made were to add more mint extract for the lack of candy canes and to also add almond extract and vanilla extract for personal preference. I’ve regained my confidence to try and bake other types of cookies. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Ellen! Thanks for sharing!
How long can I chill the dough before baking the cookies? I was hoping to make the dough tonight and five days later bake the cookies. Would that be fine?
One option would be freezing to keep fresh. Make the dough, form into balls, and freeze. Then stick in the fridge the night before to slightly thaw and bake as instructed! They might need to bake slightly longer, so watch for preferred texture!
I actually got nearly 3 dozen cookies from the 1 dozen recipe using a 1T scoop. I made 3 batches using a different chocolate chip (semi-sweet, dark, and bittersweet). Both the dark and bittersweet chips are much larger than the regular semi-sweet. I preferred the bittersweet but would chop them up to better the chances that each cookie has some chips within. I’d also use a bit less peppermint extract as it seemed to overwhelm the chocoate flavors.
I wanted to make a peppermint cookie this season and found this recipe while searching the web. I have made several double batches. First I bought peppermint oil and candy canes and Starlight mints. Knowing that many candy canes do not have much flavor I test tasted both candies and went with the mints and discarded the flavorless canes. I also looked at a couple of recipes to see how much oil versus batter would result in a good, but not overpowering mint flavor. I used 1/4 tsp. for a double batch. I also purchased the mini bittersweet chocolate chips and used these in the first batches. Later, I used the standard size chocolate chips. I could not see the point of topping the cookies with a standard chip but did so in the first two batches. I later omitted these as they are covered by the crushed candy. I prefer the mini chips. They don’t get in the way when making the well in the top of the cookie and the smaller chips give more of a chocolate flavor. 1/4 tsp. of the oil was perfect for a double batch . I crushed the mints while they were still individually wrapped, then I placed them in a plastic bag. This worked well. My heavy glass mug worked better than the tack hammer or rolling pin to mash the mints. I culled out the larger pieces and crushed them a second time. Large remains were used on ice cream. I chilled the dough overnight and worked in batches keeping the dough cold. I used a medium, level ice cream scoop for the balls. I wet a folded paper towel with olive oil and rubbed the bottom of my rounded, all metal tbsp, with it and used that to make the impression into the cookie top. I cleaned the scoop and bowl with the oiled paper towel keeping the fragments of cookie dough from going down our drain and into our septic system. When making cookies with sugar topping, such as Snickerdoodles, I always have leftover sugar/cinnamon mixture. This too makes a great bowl cleaner. These cookies are five stars! I gave 99% of them away or I would have eaten way too many. They freeze well. Jeanette
I made these for a family holiday dinner and to give away as Christmas presents and they were a HUGE hit at the dinner. So much so that my husband’s uncle took all the leftovers.
Yay! We’re glad to hear that, Samantha!
Used a flax egg and vegan butter, but otherwise followed your directions. Everyone loved them. Thank you Dana ~ once again!!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Kristin!
Thanks for this! I was wondering how to make this vegan :)
We’d recommend either a flax egg or applesauce!
No modifications. Came out great.
Like this cookie right from the freezer. Nice needed chocolate cookie for Christmas.
I made these with a few changes I used Cacao powder and Cacao nibs and doterra essential peppermint oil and canna butter , they were great
I used about 1/3 cup of the Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips in place of the chocolate chips. They were excellent but, next time I’ll use 1/2 a cup or more. They could also be substituted for the chopped up candy canes in the recipe. They’re easier to handle and sprinkle on top.
I love the flavor of these cookies. But I can’t figure out why mine came out dry and crunchy. Even at 8 minutes in the oven they are still crunchy. Not sure what I did wrong
I made this using flax eggs instead of regular eggs and using earth balance for butter. I also don’t like candy canes so i didn’t use them or peppermint oil and I used vanilla instead of the peppermint oil. My husband said these were the best “vegan” cookies I have ever made. If my son wasn’t allergic to peanut butter I could see using peanut butter chips instead as another good option.
Thanks for sharing your changes, Martha! We’re so glad you enjoyed them :D
I didn’t flatten the cookie enough, so it came out a little rounder / fluffier and the texture was more cakey than chewy. Any suggestions on what I might have done wrong?
Hi Jessica! It sounds like a bit too much flour was added? You can also press the cookies down with a fork prior to baking to help them spread out a bit more.
Thanks for the tip! I’ll try cutting back on the flour when I back them again this weekend. I wonder if my measuring cups are not accurate of if the flour is too packed in when scooping from the bag since it does settle.
Any suggestions to make a egg free version of these? Thank you!
Hi! I’d recommend either a flax egg or applesauce!
Hi, this cookies are amazing ?everybody like them. My question is I can change peppermint extract for vanilla for make only double chocoate chip? Or maybe put more vainilla? Thanks for youe help.
I made these twice–the first time I accidentally put a whole cup of butter (2 sticks) instead of a 1/2 cup! I made them again the right way, and I have to say I liked the buttery ones better. They came out more crispy than chewy, which I’m usually not into, but they were light and almost wafer-like, which was super delicious, and the chocolate flavor was more intense. And the dough was the most delish cookie dough ever! Great recipe! A whole extra stick of butter might be overkill, but try it with another 1/4 cup if you like them nice and crispy–so good!
Sooooo tasty! We’ll be adding these to our yearly Christmas cookie list!
These are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly as is and they turned out perfectly. I definitely baked them the minimum amount of time and they are so soft and chewy with the perfect amount of chocolate chip melty-ness. I used just a normal sized tablespoon and ended up with 2 dozen cookies. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
I made this last night and it was ok. I think it needs a little more peppermint. Although I’m sure there’s a fine balance because peppermint can be overwhelming. But in my case, I think it can definitely use more. I also used 3/4 light brown sugar instead of white granulated sugar. I think next time I’ll use 1 cup of dark brown sugar. Overall, it was ok. This gave me a great starting point. Thank for sharing.
I was drawn to this because of the “one-bowl” factor. I needed 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange. I changed the number of cookies to 24, thinking I’d make it 3 times. (Bowl size is a limiting factor.) I had two big bowls going anticipating 24 each. I was gratified that the first bowl actually made about 40 cookies! I used the heaping tablespoon for sizing the cookies. I am very happy with these. Of course I had to sample one – can’t take them to the party if I don’t! They are delicious.
awesome!!!
Once again, an amazing recipe. I subbed a flax egg and earth balance for a vegan cookie. I rolled them in powdered sugar to give it the peppermint “crackle” effect since I didn’t have peppermint candies on hand, and doubled the extract. I could have eaten the whole batch! These will be my go to dessert for all things peppermint chocolate. Thank you Dana!
These cookies are our Christmas tradition now. Delicious
I’m terrible in the kitchen, but this is the one thing I make every year and my kids LOVE them. Don’t know what I’d do without this recipe! This year I want to try to use Oat flour because I bought too much on amazon and don’t know what the heck to do with it. Any ideas on what I should change to use oat flour? I read various things onlince ranging from more liquid to tapioca something and I need some cooking experts to give me some advice! Thanks in advance!!
I literally just made these, was a little gun shy bc I had failed at making Thanksgiving pumpkin cupcakes (had expired baking powder and used too much pumpkin puree). I’ve been craving chocolate and peppermint lately in a way that Starbucks’ Peppermint white mocha nor Baskin Robbins’ peppermint chocolate ice cream could quell and I was on a budget, thankfully most of these ingredients I already had. It was pretty easy/straightforward to make, I got a little nervous when my batter was a tad thick during the mixing process. It didn’t affect it because these cookies came out deliciously. Next time(they were so good I’ll definitely make again) I’ll add a little more peppermint and mix some dark chocolate with the semi sweet chocolate. Thanks for this delicious, festive treat!!!
Ahhhh so good! I made these for Christmas and they are perfect! Dana, you are amazing!!
I don’t have peppermint extract but u have peppermint EO. Have you tried it with that? Any idea how many drops to add to the batter?
but I*
I tried making these cookies last night for an office event and I found that the batter/dough came out really dry. I needed to add milk to make it a bit stickier.
Is this normal for those who have tried the recipe?
It was a little dry. But when I started scooping it after putting in the fridge, it was actually nice and moist. I also think if it was more wet then it’ll turn out flat. It is a breadier(?) though.
I substituted vegan butter and a vegan egg and they worked great. Not chewey or gooey at all but very soft, and cakey. I left them in for 14 minutes but they probably needed longer because of the vegan substitutes. They came out not cracked at all and didn’t spread as much as I expected but beautiful cookies! I also used 3 candy canes total for 25 cookies and preferred the coarser to finer crush. Loved this recipe, they were perfect for a holiday cookie swap. I will definitely be baking these again!
Hi!
I would love to try and make these for a Christmas, but vegan (due to egg allergy). Is there a specific egg alternative you recommend for this recipe?
Thank you,
Brie
Hi Brie! You can use a flax egg in place of an egg! Merry Christmas!
Just made these over the weekend and they were wonderful. I wanted to be sure the crushed candy canes pieces would stick so I melted some Hershey’s candy cane kisses, drizzled them over the top and then sprinkled on the cc crumbs. I thought it was cute and yummy. Just an idea. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
My version of these cookies. Well I couldn’t add a picture. ☹️ They turned out adorable. I doubled the recipe and I’m so glad I did! ? Yummy! ??
Hi Robyn! If you share your photo on Instagram using the hashtag #MinimalistBaker, we’d love to see what you baked up!
Can you suggest a vegan modification?
Hi Katie! You can use vegan butter and replace the egg with a flax egg and use dark chocolate chips!
Wow! These are my new favorite cookies. The only change I made was doubling the peppermint extract (as I love me some mint). Otherwise made them exactly as directed and they are amazing. Thank you!
These cookies look really really good and I love chocolate and peppermint together! The only thing is I’m vegan, and I was hoping you could make this cookie with a vegan recipe… If you already have one of those or decide to create one, please let me know!
Looks like others have had success subbing the egg with a flax egg or applesauce and the butter with Earth Balance or coconut oil. That’s what I plan on doing. Good luck!
Hi,
I made these cookies last Christmas and they were SOO good. Needless to say, I am making them again this season!
Quick question, I see it says parchment lined sheets. I have purchased silicone baking mats since last year, would you think these would work well or would parchment be best?
Thanks!
To make vegan, can I use a flax egg or will it change the texture too much??
Hi Jessica! That should work! Looks like others have tried it and have had success with it!
I just made these cookies and I can’t get my hands of them!! They have wonderful flavor and texture! So fast to make! Absolutely fantastic!!
I made this recipe for the first time and I CAN’T stop eating them! Absolutely fantastic!
These look yummy. Have you frozen these after baking?
These are delicious! And quite simple to make. My daughter (age 4) loved crushing and sprinkling the crushed peppermints/candy canes on top. Thank you for the recipe and beautiful pictures.
Glad your daughter loved them, Stephanie!
Can this recipe be doubled!?
Hi! Yes it can!
5 stars – These are AMAZING! And they’re EASY to make! One bowl; very little mess!! They are chewy, rich, and refreshing! It’s amazing how well the peppermint crush sticks when you put it on while they’re hot. This is my FAVORITE cookie EVER and will be my go to recipe! THANK YOU!!! ( I made a double recipe; used a non-rounded tablespoon amount per cookie; got 53 cookies; used 4-5 crushed full size candy canes)
Hi!
I have a quick question – I recently found out I am allergic to gluten. Now that the crying phase is over, I’m ready to test out some gluten free stuff. Could you sub the all purpose flour in recipes like this for your diy blend, or will it just not give the same result?
Thanks!
Hi Eloise! We haven’t tried it, but others have and had success with it!
I think I made about 6 batches of these last Christmas. They are so easy to make and insanely addictive. I don’t usually like chocolate peppermint things but these are AMAZING! Cant wait to make them again this year.
Amazing. I make them with gluten free flour and they are excellent. I’ve made these several times and they always turn out great.
Meant to leave 5 starts, it wasn’t working
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I have made this recipe twice and have gotten excellent results (yummy cookies).
Just made a double batch tonight for an Xmas party tomorrow- used whole wheat pastry flour (slightly less than the recipe called for to compensate for the density) and cut the 1 1/2 cups of sugar to 1 1/4 in an effort to make them slightly less unhealthy without losing any of the taste. Baked for 11 minutes, and ended up with 32 cookies. They’re very rich — I intended on splitting only one with a friend, but ended up eating a second all by myself (chocolate-peppermint is my weakness) and am very full after one and a half cookies. Fresh from the oven and with a glass of milk, they were delicious. Very chocolatey and minty. I’m sure these will join the long list of holiday treats prompting my New Year’s diet resolutions! ;)
I just made these, they are beautiful, easy to make & delicious ?! Thanks for the recipe!! Merry Christmas!!
Oh ya! I added 1/4 cup more sugar too!
I just finished the last batch. These were delicious! So luscious and satisfying. I did make a few adjustments of my own.
First of all I used all organic ingredients including the candy canes which I found at whole foods (the only place with organic candy canes). Also, I doubled the recipe since I made them for a bake sale. In addition I made them ALMOST vegan. I used coconut oil instead of butter. I simply dislike chocolate chips so I omitted them and added 2 squares of bakers chocolate (not 2 bars, 2 squares broken from one bar). I melted them with the coconut oil before the first step. I also added about 3 or 4 tbsp almond milk at the end because it was so thick I couldn’t really mix it well enough. I followed all the rest of the directions including the addition of cocoa powder. However, I found that 2 crushed candy canes wasn’t enough. I used 3 for the first batch and crushed 2 more for the last batch. I used about 1/2 tsp crushed cane for each cookie.
TIP! I don’t know about regular candy canes but the organic ones got super sticky really fast. So don’t crush them too far ahead of time. You basically want to crush them and get them on the cookie right after. But! You have to sprinkle the crushed cane on the cookie immediately after you pull them out of the oven, so try to time it right.
I feel a bit sorry for the people at the bake sale because they are going to want more! Lol!
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
These are fabulous! I didn’t have peppermint extract so I crushed up and extra candy cane and put it in the mix before baking it then more on top after! Big hit at our Christmas dinner!
I bought these exact cookies from Trader Joe’s. They were so good I decided to copy them. This recipe is the exact same! Made them this morning. Thank you!
Made these with 1/2 cup sugar, and I used vanilla instead of peppermint because I didn’t have that, and I crushed 2 candy canes and added them into the dough which brought me the delicious peppermint flavor I love so much! Thank you for the fabulous super easy recipe!
These were amazing! I made them for a cookie swap. Great flavor and texture. I used bittersweet chocolate chips. Perfect cookie for the holidays.
So I just made these cookies last night! I converted the recipe so it would be 100% vegan though! I used ground flaxseed and water combined in place of the egg (1 Tablespoon flaxseed and 3 tablesoons water for 1 egg). I used Earth Balance original in place of the butter. And then Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips since they are free of dairy! Now for some reason when I mixed everything together, it was super dry and crumbly! I followed the directions exactly, so not sure what happened! However, I decided to add plain coconut milk into the mixture until it was wet enough and actually stuck together. I also chilled it in the fridge for a little over an hour, and then baked them for 10 minutes. They ended up turning out fantastic!! Super delicious and soft! I fooled a bunch of non-vegans too, they couldn’t believe it when I told them they were vegan! Major win! Thanks so much for the recipe!! By the way, I’ve made quite a few of your recipes and they always turn out amazing! I don’t know why I was worried about these turning out! I did make quite a few changes though! And only my second time baking cookies ever! SO happy! Will make them again for sure!
I just baked these, and they are so easy to make and taste so good!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Hey I made these cookies and the flavor was delicious yet my cookies turned out dry. I followed everything and still turned out dry do you know anything on how to make them more chewy or gooey ?
Maybe bake a little less time next time!
Should the cocoa powder be unsweetened?
Yes, I always use unsweetened cocoa powder.
Very good for as simple as they were, wished they were a little chewier but still good. I suppose you could cook them a tad less to keep them softer after they cool, so you may need to experiment with time. If you’re concerned about the calories, then you shouldn’t be eating a cookie, just kidding, but seriously, these are large cookies and can be broken in half or just do what I did and make them smaller. I made a double batch and got 4 dz cookies perfectly sized, just note that you’ll need double the candy canes for garnish, unless yours are larger than mine were, mine were pretty skinny. These were a great addition to my holiday cookie platter, thanks!
Made these last night for a cookie exchange – they’re delicious and the perfect chewy Christmas cookie! I think I’ll be making these in the future with my daughter for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve!
These are delicious! The name says it all — chewy, chocolately, minty. I was concerned because the batter seemed dry and it was hard to scoop them onto the baking sheet, but I missed the step about chilling the batter. So I’m just going to have to make another batch tonight, lol!
I am was looking for a chocolate candy cane oatmeal cookie and found this one. If I add oatmeal (and maybe mix in th crushed candy cane), should I make any other adjustments?
I made these minus the chocolate chips and candy canes (didn’t have any) and they taste just like thin mints but chewy!!! Best recipe for mint cookies that I have ever found. Easy and addictive
These were so good! Definitely plan on making these this Christmas season. I made them with Pamela’s artisan blend gluten free flour and they turned out perfect. I did not put the dough in the fridge, but cooked immediately after mixing everything together. I cooked them for 13 minutes and they came out wonderful. Perfect texture. Next time I’ll double the mint extract for a stronger mint flavor.
Can’t wait to make these!! Any advice to make these gluten free?
I used a gluten free flour blend (Pamela’s artisan blend) and it worked perfectly. I’d imagine most all purpose gluten free flours would do just fine – except the bean based ones, unless the bean taste doesn’t bother you.
Just made them with 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend, and they are sublime!
I adore this recipe. It has been our family’s go-to cookie recipe this holiday season. I have one happy husband and 2 happy toddlers :) I’ve made many of your recipes and they are always great! Thanks for sharing!
Loved these! I accidentally got some extra peppermint oil in the batter, which was fine. However, I added the crushed candy canes also to the batter, and I think that was a little too much. It cooked fine, though. So if you’re a peppermint fan, don’t be afraid to add them to the cookie dough as well:)
These came out so great! I ground the peppermint candies almost into sugar and went very generous with it on the cookies right out of the oven. I also baked them for only 9 minutes. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much for this post. I am a mint chocoholic.
I made a few adjustments (I doubled the mint, used unsweetened cocoa powder, omitted all the chocolate chips and added two mini candy canes to the batter) and I STILL found them incrediblely chocoaltey and satisfying! Having all the sugar coming from two mini candy canes and 3/4 c sugar left them not cloyingly sweet but perfectly hinting at sweetness. The mint combo is everything. Cheers!
So good! Easy to make. I made them three times because it was close to Christmas. I put more peppermint extract in the batter, and more chocolate chips in the batter. That made it taste even better and made it easier for me to make. I will save this recipe and make it again next Christmas.
Thanks Lana! Glad you enjoyed them.
I forgot to mention that the dough was really dry so I added a tablespoon o water and that worked great! I only wish I had doubled the recipe because this recipe did not make as many cookies as I would have liked. Otherwise so very good!
Dana, Thank you!
Your recipe rescued me. My attempt at peppermint bark was a fail (2nd year in a row). The dark chocolate layer separated from the white chocolate layer (again). So the white chocolate layer with candy cane chunks became a gift for my Mom, who loves that combo. The dark chocolate layer got chopped into chunks and added in lieu of the chocolate chips to this recipe. The cookies were just wonderful. Soft and chewy with crispy edges and a sprinkle of festive white chocolate chunks, dark chocolate chunks and candy cane pieces that softened into a gooey, crunchy, pepperminty topping. I packaged them up for the gift bags that were originally supposed to contain the peppermint bark. I think it’s time to give up on making the two-layer bark. I will be relying on this recipe every Christmas instead.
These cookies are delicious! I’d recommend chilling them for at least 30 minutes in the fridge as mine tended to spread out. I always found that leaving them as balls, not flattening them out prior to baking, resulted in a nicer shape. I will definitely make these again!
Does it matter if the flour is not unbleached?
No, the two are totally interchangeable. Unbleached just has a little less processing.
Hi! These look wonderful! Do you have a suggestion for an egg replacement to make them vegan?
Hey Jill, You can find an egg replacer at the grocery store. You can also typically sub 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce for one egg in most baking recipes.
This was my question too!
I’d sub pumpkin puree!
About 14, if you make them smaller than a tablespoon, you’ll have to watch your cook time.
Double check the specifics for this, but for many years *because of my son’s egg allergy) I successfully substituted a mix of unflavored gelatin and water. I believe I poured the Know Unflavored Gelatin packet on a cup of warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then 2 tablespoon of that mix equaled one egg. Google it because my measurements or time might be off.
How many cookies does one batch make approximately?
I made these today but the cookies were drier. I think the dough was in the freezer for about 20 minutes instead of 10. My 9 months old needed attention so I lost track of time. What is the reason of putting the dough in the freezer?
To firm the dough up a bit.
The perfect cookie for the holiday season! Absolutely loved the recipe. I did not have any peppermint extract so I replaced it with vanilla extract and they turned out just fine and still pepperminty with the candies on top.
This is the first review I have ever written for a recipe – I really had to for this one. These cookies are simply the bomb. Took 2 dozen to a cookie exchange & they were all gone before the exchange could even take place! My new easy holiday go-to cookie. Chocolatey, pepperminty, YUM.
Mahalo from Oahu!
Ah, thanks Christina! So glad you liked them. xoxo
I made these for a baking contest at work at won!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
hi Dana! will the consistency and chewiness change much if i use vegan butter instead of regular unsalted butter?
Not at all!
My son has aspergers and is VERY picky about food. He typically doesn’t enjoy sweets, however, he LOVED these cookies. It was fun for me to find a treat he likes! Thank you!!!!!
Thank you for the recipe! This past Christmas I baked for the first time and I gave them as a surprise for my family at our Christmas Eve meal. They loved them and I will make them again this upcoming Christmas! They were a little difficult, but your recipe is awesome. I was very nervous using a recipe I found on the Internet, but you are one of the good ones.
Keep making tasty treats and posting your recipes!
-Cecelia (Sincerely Grateful)
So wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Cecelia!
What a great recipe! Had a large bunch of fresh mint and replaced the candy canes with chopped fresh mint. Yum! So glad I found your site!
Literally just made these for my little brother; he loves it! Even better than mom’s chocolate chip cookies, he said. I’m quite sad I didn’t have peppermint candy on site, otherwise I would have definitely sprinkled some on top of the cookies like you did!
Mine were a little cakier and fluffy than they were chewy, but I think that’s because I didn’t squish them flat enough! Either way, I’d eat them.
I can’t wait to start on some of your vegan and gluten free recipes, too! You’re my favorite foodie, and I’m not a vegan or gluten free eater in any form or fashion.
Hi!
I made these last night. Damn good!!
I changed the recipe a bit because it has been pouring in Toronto and I didn’t feel like leaving the house to go to the grocery store.
I used mint chocolate chips and subbed half the butter for coconut oil (because I didn’t have enough butter). I didn’t use peppermint oil (didn’t have it).
I’d like to try it again with just coconut oil.
Thanks!
Kids that I nanny asked if we could make mint cookies last week (beginning of June in Texas, so decidedly not winter) because they love mint and had extract already. I was reluctant, because I think of mint foods as belonging only at Christmas time. I’m so glad that we made them! Very delicious, and the hint of mint made the cookie treat quite refreshing.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Hilary!
CHERRY-MINT CHOCOLATE
Come try our flavorful invention that resembles a before or after dinner mint with a burst of cherry zest. This is pure delight for your taste bud.
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I have had these bookmarked forever and finally made them during the holidays. YUM!! Thanks so much for all of the great recipes you share!
As close as possible to my favorite chocolate chip peppermint holiday cookies at the Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort! Now a New Year’s tradition!
Lovely Web site, Stick to the wonderful work. Thanks for your time!
its awesome
I’ve baked these cookies 3 times within a month. They’re completely wonderful.
In case anyone’s wondering, these can be made vegan by respectively swapping Earth Balance and a flax egg. The semi-sweet chips will need to be swapped, too, but with my “strict vegetarian and not so strict vegan” diet, I tend to leave them.
This recipe is perfect just how it is, but I tweak a couple things according to my taste. For those who are wondering, but don’t want to risk experimenting, I can share my adjustments: Instead of 1 candy cane, 6-7 mini canes work well. I double (plus some) the peppermint extract. I add 1/4+ vanilla extract. Also, I form the cookie dough into balls, keeping the spherical shape after adding the chips. They bake fluffier this way, and turn out more cake-like, which I very much like.
I’m not typically a cookie-person, but I can’t get enough of these!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to make these!
I came across this recipe online last night and made a double batch immediately. I followed the recipe exactly (only doubled), with the exception that I used dark chocolate chips and did not add extra chocolate chips to each cookie on the baking sheet. The cookies turned out beautifully and they are absolutely delicious. My only comment is that they are very sweet/rich. Not a bad thing at all, but for me a smaller cookie (more like a heaping teaspoon sise, than a heaping tablespoon) makes the perfect single serving.
Thanks for this great (and very easy) holiday cookie recipe! I will definitely be making these again.
Thanks for sharing, Liz!
:) These look great, love the photos :)
CHERRY-MINT CHOCOLATE
Come try our flavorful invention that resembles a before or after dinner mint with a burst of cherry zest. This is pure delight for your taste bud. :)
These look great! I really want to make them for the holidays. Any tips on the best way to make them vegan?
You are a godsend for a new vegan! I have made 4 of your recipes and they were all excellent . Is there any way I can order your “31 Meals” in book form? I love a physical book in my hands to pour over at night and I have 3 relatives who would devour that book and do not have internet devices.
Thanks
Kelly
I loved making these! For my first time making cookies, these turned out really well, so I’m super happy :) Thanks for the recipe!! It’s really delicious.
I made these today for a family party and they were a huge hit!!! My new favorite holiday cookie. I wonder how they’d be with a flax egg to make them vegan. I doubled the chocolate chips too because we’re chocoholics :)
Love to hear it. Thanks Emily!
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I made several of the Minimalist recipes for the holidays this year. This one was a hit for sure! My sister kept going after these cookies and asked me for the recipe :) Very delicious! If I’m going to indulge on anything over the holidays it might as well be these!
These are quite possibly the best cookie ever! I brought these to a cookie swap today, they were the big hit. They were even the favorite of my friend’s 2-yr-old! Making a double batch tomorrow so I can enjoy some with my husband, yum!!
This makes my cookie-loving heart glad. Cheers!
I made these and they ended up coming out very fluffy and cakey? I’m not sure what I did wrong, I used the correct amount of ingredients and followed the procedures. Nevertheless, I did get a very chocolately-peppermint product and they are so yum! Why do you suspect the reason is for them being cakey?
Hmm, perhaps a bit too much flour was added? It’s hard to know! Glad you still liked the final product, though :D
These look amazing I cannot wait to try them! This recipe only makes 12 cookies? Does it double easily? I have a large family :)
Yes, it doubles very easily. Hope that helps! And good luck, Alyssa.
What storage suggestions do you have for these cookies? Freeze after baking? Etc. I want to make these but store them for a holiday party and for Xmas. Any help is appreciated!
Thank you
I would recommend freezing the formed UNBAKED cookies already formed into discs. You really want them as fresh as possible and freezing after baking will leave them dry. Hope that helps!
Hi there! Can you suggest an adjusted cook time and/or temperature from frozen? Thanks!
Hi, i love your recipe however i was wondering how to make them taste more peppermint-y? Would i need to add more essence to the mix? I tried putting a glaze on top of some water and peppermint essence but that didn’t even give me the stronger peppermint taste i was after. I like things like mint slice (hopefully u know that wat that tastes like) and so yeah.
These are delicious! But I recommend using two eggs, they turn out more cakelike and softer. Thanks for your recipe!
Hi, this question might sound stupid, but I’m just curious. What is the purpose of putting the batter in the freezer for 10 minutes?
When you chill batter the cookies stay a bit puffier when you bake them. If the butter is fully melted you end up with a denser cookie.
Someone actually took a ridiculous amount of time to break down the changes for all the individual ingredients…if you’re curious: http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2013/12/the-food-lab-the-best-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
Can I make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight? Will it still be as delicious?
Yes! Just make sure you cover it.
What a great recipe! I was a bit alarmed by the calories, so cut sugar to 1/2 cup, withheld the chocolate chips, and folded the candy cake into the batter instead. Also, I doubled the mint because I love that flavor. Still came out delicious. Will make again :)
They look delicious – very similar to the ones from Bon Appetit a few years ago, minus the chocolate drizzle. In that recipe, the chocolate drizzle helped adhere the crushed candy canes to the top of each cookie… For those who’ve made these, how well do the crushed bits stick to the finished cookie? I could see getting irritated if they just fell off the moment you picked one up to eat it. Thanks! and I have loved the Minimalist since forever – but thought you weren’t really a baker. I’m delighted to see this blog!
I found they adhere fairly well as long as the cookies are still very hot. The candy canes melt on.
My candies did not adhere well at all! Last sheet of cookies, I put them on before baking and it worked better. The candies only melted enough to stay in place. I also put candies into the batter, so all in not lost ;-)
WOW! I made these tonight and they are divine. I didn’t have enough dark chocolate chips so I used half dark and half white and they are perfect. Thank you so much for a great recipe that comes out exactly as pictured. Btw your photographs are fantastic ~ Happy Holidays:)
…P.S made these for my students and so good had to make again tonight for colleagues…so easy and yum, thanks for a great recipe :) :)
These look like my absolute all time favourite kind of cookie, YUM!
These look great, love the photos! Yum :-)
Clever & very fun photos ~ the cookies look great!
I am all about the chocolate-peppermint combo at the time of year, and what better way than in a straight forward cookie! Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow! These look fantabulous! I think I am going to have to make a vegan version asap.
How did the vegan version turn out?
what did you do?
This is one of my favorite cookie recipes and I make I vegan all the time ? just substitute vegan butter for the regular stuff and a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 2-3 tbsp water) for the chicken egg!
Oh my, these are just so beautiful. The photography is amazing and I want to bite my screen. Seriously. So good!
Oh my, this- and your whole site- is amazing, thank you so much! I am going to make these for my class this week :)
Uhhhhh, these look amazing! Chocolate + peppermint are a perfect combo!
I love peppermint and chocolate! These cookies look highly addictive!