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
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- 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.
- 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.
- Add chocolate chips and stir in with a mixing spoon and then chill in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
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.
I love peppermint and chocolate! These cookies look highly addictive!
Uhhhhh, these look amazing! Chocolate + peppermint are a perfect combo!
Oh my, this- and your whole site- is amazing, thank you so much! I am going to make these for my class this week :)
Oh my, these are just so beautiful. The photography is amazing and I want to bite my screen. Seriously. So good!
Wow! These look fantabulous! I think I am going to have to make a vegan version asap.
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.
Clever & very fun photos ~ the cookies look great!
These look great, love the photos! Yum :-)
These look like my absolute all time favourite kind of cookie, YUM!
…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 :) :)
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:)
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.
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 :)
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.
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?
These are delicious! But I recommend using two eggs, they turn out more cakelike and softer. Thanks for your recipe!
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.
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!
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.
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 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 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!
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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!
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.
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
These look great! I really want to make them for the holidays. Any tips on the best way to make them vegan?
:) 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. :)
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!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe! I can’t wait to make these!
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!
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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!
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!
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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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!!!!!
hi Dana! will the consistency and chewiness change much if i use vegan butter instead of regular unsalted butter?
Not at all!
I made these for a baking contest at work at won!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
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
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.
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.
How many cookies does one batch make approximately?
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.
Does it matter if the flour is not unbleached?
No, the two are totally interchangeable. Unbleached just has a little less processing.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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:)
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!
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!
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.
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
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?
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!
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!
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!
Should the cocoa powder be unsweetened?
Yes, I always use unsweetened cocoa powder.
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!
I just baked these, and they are so easy to make and taste so good!! Thank you for the amazing recipe!
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!
These were amazing! I made them for a cookie swap. Great flavor and texture. I used bittersweet chocolate chips. Perfect cookie for the holidays.
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!
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!
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 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!
Oh ya! I added 1/4 cup more sugar too!
I just made these, they are beautiful, easy to make & delicious ?! Thanks for the recipe!! Merry Christmas!!
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! ;)
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I have made this recipe twice and have gotten excellent results (yummy cookies).
Amazing. I make them with gluten free flour and they are excellent. I’ve made these several times and they always turn out great.
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