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Soft and butter-y Peppermint Meltaways are a delicious holiday cookie topped with a peppermint glaze and crushed candy canes!
Be sure to try my Peppermint Sugar Cookies and Double Peppermint Crunch Cookies if you love our Peppermint Meltaways.
All Things Peppermint
Christmas means a lot of different things to different people. To me, amongst many other things, it means PEPPERMINT everything.
Peppermint cocoa, Peppermint popcorn, Peppermint brownies… Add peppermint into any dessert recipe, and I promise, it’ll feel like Christmas time to you too!
I think today’s recipe for Peppermint Meltaways is the perfect way to start off this special time of year. They’re super soft and are full of peppermint flavor. And true to its title, they magically melt away in your mouth – just like Cotton Candy!!
These cookies are a soft, shortbread-butter cookie that literally melts away in your mouth. And this particular recipe is peppermint-flavored making them perfect for Christmas!
How To Make Peppermint Meltaways
- DOUGH. In a large bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon peppermint extract. Beat until creamy, scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour and cornstarch; beat on low until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 60 minutes.
- SHAPE + BAKE. Shape rounded tbs of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1-2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
- DECORATE. For glaze, in a small bowl, combine 1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 TB butter, ¼ tsp peppermint extract and milk (enough to reach desired consistency). Mix in for coloring. Drizzle over cooled cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy.
Note: These cookies keep their shape really well and don’t spread very much in the oven. If you don’t want such a rounded top, simply press them down the dough balls a but before putting them in the oven.
Tips + Storing Info
3 Easy steps to change this recipe to fit other holidays, or any regular day:
- Change out the flavor extract to something else such as vanilla, almond, orange or lime.
- Match the flavor with a food coloring to add.
- Top them off with a coordinating sprinkle or crushed candy of your choice.
For more peppermint candies you can try chopped up Peppermint Hershey Kisses or chopped Andes White Chocolate Peppermints. Both are delicious and are softer than the crunch of a candy cane.
To FREEZE, we suggest freezing the cookies before baking them. After forming the dough balls, place them in layers, separated with parchment or wax paper, in an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 6 months. Allow the dough to thaw a bit before baking them and adding the toppings as directed in the recipe.
STORE in an air-tight container, these cookie should last 4-5 days.
More Great Holiday Cookies:
Peppermint Meltaway Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp butter softened
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 2-3 drops food coloring red, if deisred
- candy canes or hard peppermint candy, crushed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon peppermint extract. Beat until creamy, scraping down sides of bowl. Add flour and cornstarch; beat on low until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 60 minutes.
- Shape rounded tbs of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1-2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.
- For glaze, in a small bowl, combine 1½ cups powdered sugar, 2 TB butter, ¼ tsp peppermint extract and milk (enough to reach desired consistency). Mix in for coloring. Drizzle over cooled cookies and sprinkle with crushed candy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adapted from Land O Lakes
I made these for the treat tray i gave to teachers this year. Everybody loved them.
I decided on this recipe for a cookie exchange. Given the amount it says it would make, i **doubled** the recipe to be sure i had 60 cookies. I only got 43 🙁 so I had to make another batch. I was using a 1 Tbsp. Measuring sPoon. Also, i expected the cookie to be a little softer and not as coarse. Taste is fine, but i think a touch more of peppermint in the dough would help give them more Flavor.
These cookies made my day my family really enjoyed this Christmas Thanks, Kristyn! Great work and keep it up!
Awe, thank you so much for sharing that!
I need to try these immediately!
We love mint and these are great! They melt in your mouth! Perfect dessert for feeding guests!
Loving all things peppermint!
So, do I!! Hope you give these a try!
Oh my favorite! Anything with peppermint;)
Me too!! Thank you so much!
I’ve never had meltaways before and I love peppermint! I’m gonna have to try these. I’m wondering if the soft puffed peppermint candies would be better (to my taste)for topping though but since I don’t know what the cookies taste like as is I’m hesistant to change anything first time baking.
Those will be ok. Since, they’re just on the glaze, they can be soft or hard. You’ll love these, since your a peppermint lover. Enjoy!
My first batch stayed in ball shape…by the looks of yours they shouldn’t do that! I flattened out the second batch but just wondering why they would stay in ball shape when baking? Very good cookies still 🙂
I love how festive these are, and my daughter would love them too!