Soft, fudgy, and surprisingly easy, these peppermint chocolate cookies strike a perfect balance between rich dark chocolate and bright crushed peppermint—ideal for the holidays. The dough comes together quickly and can be baked right away, refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for longer storage so you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want.
Fudgy and minty
Mint and chocolate are a classic pairing, and these cookies push that flavor combination into bold, satisfying territory. The cookie base is deeply chocolatey and fudgy, while the crushed peppermint adds fresh, cooling bursts throughout.
This dark chocolate peppermint cookie is simple to make and makes a festive addition to holiday cookie trays or gift boxes. Crushed mint candy mixed into the dough (and optionally sprinkled on top) gives each bite that unmistakable holiday touch.
The peppermint stays pleasantly soft after baking, and a bit of mint extract enhances the overall flavor without becoming overpowering.
- Easy to make: a one-bowl recipe that can be chilled for a few days before baking.
- Flavor: both chocolate and mint are distinct and complementary; adjust the mint extract to taste.
- Freezing: scoop and freeze portions to bake later, for fresh cookies on demand.
- Great for gifting: festive, travel well, and make a beautiful addition to holiday boxes.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities appear in the recipe card below. Use high-quality chocolate and unsweetened cocoa for the best results.
- Chocolate: choose a dark or semisweet chocolate you enjoy; it defines the cookie’s flavor.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: any familiar brand works well.
- Cocoa powder: use unsweetened cocoa to deepen the chocolate taste.
- Crushed peppermint candy: crush whole candy canes or buy pre-crushed pieces for convenience.
- Mint extract: peppermint extract is recommended, but use your preferred mint flavor and adjust the amount to taste.
- Brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar will both work.
- Baking soda: be sure it is fresh for proper rise and texture.
Steps to make peppermint chocolate cookies
- Melt the chocolate: start with chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or use a double boiler. Heat in short bursts, stirring frequently so it melts smoothly without scorching.
- Electric mixer: use a mixer to cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar, then beat in the eggs. Finish adding the dry ingredients with a spatula or at low speed so you don’t overwork the dough.
- Melted chocolate: add the melted chocolate while still warm but not starting to set, so it blends evenly with the butter mixture.
- Dry ingredients: add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined so the cookies remain tender. The dough should be thick.
- Add-ins: fold in the semisweet chocolate chips so you get pockets of melty chocolate throughout each cookie.
- Crushed candy: stir most of the crushed peppermint into the dough and reserve some to sprinkle on top before baking for a bright, festive look. You can also mix it all into the dough for simplicity.
Baking
Baking sheets: lightly butter the baking sheet or use parchment if you prefer—both methods work. If you butter the sheet, cookies will spread slightly differently than on parchment.
- Leave space between cookies: place dough portions about 1½–2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
- Doneness: remove the cookies when the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft; they continue to set as they cool.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
For a more vivid appearance, sprinkle extra crushed peppermint over the cookies right after they come from the oven. Reserve a small amount of the peppermint if you prefer to top the baked cookies instead. Avoid adding so much that the mint overwhelms the chocolate.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the full recipe first and have ingredients at the right temperatures and tools ready; this streamlines the process.
- Baking time: ovens and pans vary. The times provided are a guideline—check cookies a minute or two before and after the suggested bake time until you learn how your oven performs.
- Chocolate: using better-quality chocolate and cocoa noticeably improves the cookie flavor.
- Chilling: the dough can be chilled for several hours or up to 48 hours. Chilled dough produces slightly more compact cookies but the difference is small.
- Freezing: scoop dough onto a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then transfer portions to a freezer container. Bake frozen scoops as directed; they may need an extra minute or two.
- Extra candy: sprinkle additional crushed peppermint after baking or reserve some to top the cookies for a prettier presentation.
- White chocolate: drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies before adding extra crushed peppermint for a nice variation.
Related recipes you might like:
-
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
-
Fudgy Mint Brownies
-
Chocolate Walnut Cookies
-
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment and a rating. If you run into problems, let me know so I can help troubleshoot. You can also subscribe to the blog newsletter for more recipes and tips.
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Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup crushed peppermint candy cane
- extra crushed candy cane, for sprinkling before baking
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter or spray a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
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Melt the chocolate: place 8 ounces semisweet chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in short 10–15 second bursts, stirring until smooth, or melt over a double boiler. Avoid scorching.
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Beat 1 cup unsalted butter with ¾ cup white sugar and ½ cup brown sugar for about 3 minutes until creamy.
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Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl as needed.
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Add the melted chocolate, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon mint extract; mix until smooth.
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Sift or whisk together 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until combined; do not overbeat.
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Fold in 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and ⅔ cup crushed peppermint candy. At this point you can bake the cookies or chill the dough for up to 48 hours.
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Scoop portions onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
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Optionally sprinkle extra crushed candy on top before baking for a brighter appearance.
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Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain slightly soft.
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Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to finish cooling completely.
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Store cookies in an airtight container or cookie jar.
Notes
Chocolate: better chocolate and cocoa deliver better flavor.
Chilling: dough can be chilled for several hours or up to 2 days; chilled dough yields slightly firmer cookies.
Freezing: freeze scooped dough on a sheet until firm, then transfer to a container; bake from frozen and expect an extra minute or two of baking time.