These Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are fudgy, rich, and loaded with cool mint flavor. This easy drop-cookie recipe can be made in 20 minutes, making it perfect for holiday baking and Christmas cookie exchanges.
Chocolate and peppermint is easily one of my favorite flavor combinations at Christmas. I love peppermint bark, but I don't always want to make candy. If you have been reading My TX Kitchen for a while, you know how much I love my drop cookie recipes! I took everything I love about that classic holiday flavor and packed it into a festive Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie that is the perfect addition to your Christmas baking lineup.
Fair warning, these might be the most chocolatey cookies I have ever had. My family loved them, but just to be safe I took a batch to my neighbors to ask, 'Are these too chocolatey to publish?' They verdict was that they loved them. If you are looking for a rich, fudgy cookie mixed with peppermint crunch, this recipe is for you.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft, chewy chocolate cookie base.
- Festive holiday flavors in a simple drop cookie.
- No chilling required.
- Quick and easy recipe, ready in about 20 minutes.
- Perfect for Christmas baking or holiday cookie trays.
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Ingredients you'll need
- Unsalted Butter - Use room temperature butter so it creams easily in stand mixer.
- Granulated and Brown Sugar - This recipe uses a combination of sugars to help the chocolate cookies stay soft and chewy.
- Vanilla Extract - Don't skip the vanilla. I've also substituted brewed coffee in place of the vanilla with good results.
- Eggs - The recipe uses large eggs plus one additional egg yolk. The extra yolk adds richness and helps to keep the cookies soft.
- All-Purpose Flour - Tested with unbleached all-purpose flour. Be sure to carefully measure your flour by spooning and leveling it to avoid adding too much.
- Cocoa Powder - Tested with Hershey's Cocoa Powder. Fluff, spoon, and level cocoa powder rather than packing it into the measuring cup.
- Baking Soda - Helps the cookies rise during baking.
- Salt - Table salt balances the sweetness.
- Peppermint Baking Chips - I prefer to Andes Peppermint Crunch bars cut into pieces. I've also tested this recipe with fancy peppermint sprinkles, Andes baking chips and Ghirardelli Peppermint Chips.
- Chocolate Chips - I use Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips for this recipe. I find including some chocolate chips along with the peppermint results in the best flavor. Using all peppermint chips resulted in the mint flavor being too strong.
How to make
- Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
- Carefully add sifted dry ingredients to butter mixture. Stirring just until combined. Fold in peppermint crunch and chocolate chips.
- Scoop cookie dough into balls and place on baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet until they are set. Then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe tips for best Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugars thoroughly. Beat the mixture for 2-3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. This incorporates air into the dough which helps prevent the cookies from being too dense.
- Measure flour and cocoa powder correctly. Avoid scooping directly with the measuring cup, which packs the dry ingredients down. Instead, spoon the flour and cocoa powder into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Packing either of these ingredients will result in a dry cookie.
- Scrape the bottom of the bowl. After folding in the chips, do a quick mix by hand to check the bottom of the bowl. There always seems to be a little butter that gets stuck down there in this recipe. You want to mix that into the dough.
- Add the dry ingredients slowly. Cocoa powder is very fine and tends to want to fly out of the mixer. Mixing low and adding a little bit at a time will save you from getting cocoa powder all over your kitchen. You can even do this by hand if you prefer.
- Don't skip sifting the dry ingredients. This helps the dough stay smooth by sifting out any clumps in the cocoa powder.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan. The chocolatey cookies are very soft when they first come out of the oven. Let them finish setting on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. If you try to move them to a wire rack too early, they will likely break.
Variations
Andes Mint Cookies: Use Andes mint baking chips in place of the peppermint crunch for a smooth mint chocolate chip cookie.
Triple Chocolate Cookies: Use a combination of semi-sweet, milk, and white chocolate chips in place of the peppermint crunch.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serving: Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet until they can easily be handled, about 10 minutes. These festive cookies are a great addition to gift boxes, Holiday dessert boards or your next Christmas cookie exchange.
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Best if eaten within 5-7 days.
Can I freeze these cookies? Yes! Freeze baked cookies in freezer safe container, best if used within 2 months. Let cookies thaw at room temperature.
📖 Recipe
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup peppermint baking chips*
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the eggs, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Beat until well blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Fold in peppermint and chocolate chips with mixer on low or by hand.
- Drop by rounded teaspoons onto parchment-lined or lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. The edges should look set/crinkly but the center will still look soft. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire baking rack to continue cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope y'all enjoy these fudgy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
Alaine
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Alaine says
These cookies are addicting! The extra egg yolk helps them to stay nice and soft.