Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are soft, delicious, and full of holiday flavor with cocoa, chocolate chips, and just the right amount of peppermint! These cookies are the perfect combination of flavors for celebrating the holidays! They bake up chocolatey and festive, then get topped with extra chocolate chips and crushed candy canes while still warm.
We love making these for Christmas cookie trays, holiday parties, neighbor gifts, and cookie exchanges because they’re simple but feel extra special. The peppermint topping adds the prettiest crunch and makes every cookie look ready and beautiful for the holidays.
For more festive cookies, try our Peppermint Crunch Cookies and Peppermint Sugar Cookies.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- A Christms Delight: Great for Christmas cookie trays, parties, and gifting.
- Extra Easy: Quick to scoop, bake, and decorate while warm.
- Peppermint Extract Adds Holiday Flavor: A little goes a long way and gives the cookies that classic chocolate peppermint taste.
- Toppings Go on While Warm: Extra chips and crushed candy canes stick best right after the cookies come out of the oven.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter softened (1 cup): Adds richness and helps create a soft cookie texture. See How to Soften Butter.
- Granulated sugar (1½ cups): Sweetens the cookies and helps them bake with tender edges.
- Eggs (2): Binds the dough together and give the cookies structure.
- Peppermint extract (¼ teaspoon): Adds the classic peppermint flavor that pairs so well with chocolate.
- Vanilla extract (2 teaspoons): Adds warmth and balances the peppermint and cocoa.
- All-purpose flour (2 cups): Gives the cookies structure.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (⅔ cup): Adds rich chocolate flavor and color.
- Baking soda (¾ teaspoon): Helps the cookies spread slightly and bake evenly.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate chips semi-sweet, milk, or both (2 cups): Adds melty chocolate bites throughout the cookies.
- Crushed candy canes, peppermint puffs, or peppermint crunch baking chips (¼ cup): Adds peppermint crunch, color, and a festive finish.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.
BATTER. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, peppermint extract, and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
BAKE. Scoop cookies (using a medium cookie scoop) out onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.
DECORATE. Top with additional chips as soon as they come out of the oven, as well as crushed candy canes.
Transfer to a cookie rack and let cool.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use softened butter so the dough creams together smoothly.
- Measure the peppermint extract carefully since a little goes a long way.
- Fold in the chocolate chips gently so they stay evenly mixed throughout the dough.
- Add extra chips and crushed candy canes right when the cookies come out of the oven so they stick.
- Make-ahead tip: scoop the dough ahead and refrigerate or freeze the dough balls, then bake and top when ready.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips semi-sweet, milk, or both
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes peppermint puffs, or peppermint crunch baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, peppermint extract, and vanilla and mix until fluffy.
- Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop cookies (using a medium cookie scoop) out onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Top with additional chips as soon as they come out of the oven as well as crushed candy canes.
- Transfer to a cookie rack and let cool.
Notes
- Use softened butter so the dough creams together smoothly.
- Measure the peppermint extract carefully since a little goes a long way.
- Fold in the chocolate chips gently so they stay evenly mixed throughout the dough.
- Add extra chips and crushed candy canes right when the cookies come out of the oven so they stick.
- Make-ahead tip: scoop the dough ahead and refrigerate or freeze the dough balls, then bake and top when ready.
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- Log form: Divide the dough into two sections and form each section into a log shape. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap and store them together in a freezer Ziploc. Thaw before shaping and baking.
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- Cookie dough balls: Place cookie dough balls together on a baking sheet and freeze. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer Ziploc. Bake them directly from the freezer; just add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Freeze scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer Ziploc bag. Bake them directly from the freezer; just add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Log form: Divide the dough into two sections and form each section into a log shape. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap and store them together in a freezer Ziploc. Thaw before shaping and baking.
Cookie dough balls: Place cookie dough balls together on a baking sheet and freeze. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer Ziploc. Bake them directly from the freezer; just add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
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This recipe was first shared November, 2023.
Your cookies you made looks good and love bake
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I am so happy with how delicious and festive these turned out!
Yay!! So happy to hear that!