Take a bite of magical winter days with these incredible holiday season cookies—dark chocolate, white chocolate, and cocoa mix with the cool crunch of mint candy.
Winter is long and cold where I live, and it’s easy to fall into the winter doldrums. If it weren’t for certain holiday traditions that my family, friends, and I stick to every year, I would probably end up going to a Southern Hemisphere beach every December (and going bankrupt as a result). Of all the winter traditions, holiday baking is my absolute favorite.
Some years, I only bake a few specialty things, like a chocolate babka and a Swedish tea ring. Other years, I pull out all my cookie recipes and make a few dozen of many different cookies. I usually try a few new things, too. Last year, I tried my hand at a flavor combination that truly embodies the winter season: chocolate and peppermint. It was a hit!
These chocolate peppermint cookies are as beautiful as they are addicting. The flavor is rich with cocoa and dark chocolate intermingled with peppermint, a satisfying white chocolate coating on the outside, and the captivating crunch of crushed mint candy on top. If you’re looking for a cookie recipe to dazzle your holiday party guests, this is where your search ends!
How should I melt the chocolate?
I recommend using one of two options. The first is the simplest: put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and zap it in short intervals (15-20 seconds) at 50% power, stirring in between zaps, until the chocolate liquefies.
The other option for melting chocolate is to use the double boiling method. Bring a pot of water to boil, then set a metal bowl (big enough to fit snugly in the pot without touching the bottom) over the top of the pot. Put the chocolate inside the bowl and stir occasionally until the chocolate melts. What you want to avoid is using direct heat, so don’t be tempted to put the chocolate in a pot directly on a hot burner.
How do I store leftovers?
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container (Ziploc bags work). They can be left out at room temperature for up to 3 days before their quality starts to drop. You can also freeze them. I would recommend flash-freezing them by putting them in a single layer on a baking sheet and putting them in the freezer. Once they’re frozen, you can transfer them to a sealed freezer bag and not worry about them sticking together. They should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can then thaw them out in the fridge overnight or at room temperature.
Serving suggestions
Serve these cookies with the old holiday standby: a tall glass of cold milk. Or, if you can’t get enough chocolate in your life, make a mug of Rich And Creamy Hot Chocolate with your cookies.
These cookies go great on a holiday cookie spread! I like to display these dazzlers alongside Snowman Sugar Cookies, Cranberry Orange Cookies, and Snowball Cookies for a variety of colors and flavors.
The Best Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons whole milk
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
For Decorating:
- 1 cup white chocolate
- ¼ cup peppermint candies crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Put the softened butter and both types of sugars in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend together until smooth.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract to the bowl, then mix on high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Use the hand mixer to blend together. As you mix, slowly drizzle in the milk until everything is incorporated.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to measure out the cookie dough onto the sheet, and leave space between each scoop of dough to allow for expansion during baking. Bake for 10–15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. In the meantime, melt the white chocolate. Once the cookies have cooled for about 10 minutes, drizzle some of the melted white chocolate over the cookies. For a nice design, alternate between dipping them in the chocolate and drizzling the chocolate over them. Stick the crushed candy bits into the wet chocolate.
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