Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
If your favorite part of the holidays is that first bite of something sweet and minty, these peppermint chocolate chip cookies are about to become your new go-to. Soft, chewy, and loaded with melty chocolate and crushed peppermint, they are simple, festive, and ready to brighten the holidays.
There’s something so comforting about a warm kitchen, a stack of Christmas movies on VHS, the scent of peppermint and chocolate in the air, and the perfect holiday cookie recipe.
These peppermint chocolate chip cookies are a minty twist on my classic chocolate chip cookies made with rich semisweet chocolate chips and the festive addition of crushed candy canes for delicious peppermint flavor.
The cookies are so easy to make, even Clark Griswold couldn’t mess them up.
So what are you waiting for? Tie on your apron, turn up the Christmas tunes, and bake up some peppermint cheer this holiday season!
If you ho-ho-hope for all things chocolate peppermint, check out my chocolate peppermint cookies, chocolate peppermint cupcakes, and chocolate peppermint cake.
How to Make Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy.
Step 2: Chill the cookie dough. Scoop the cookie dough with a large cookie scoop. Press additional chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Prep and preheat. Preheat the oven and line baking pans with silicone mats or parchment paper.
Step 4: Bake the cookies. Bake the cookies for about 13 to 14 minutes. Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle with additional crushed candy canes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
Courtney’s Expert Cookie Baking Tips
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough to create uniform-sized cookies.
- Press additional chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls for extra taste, texture, and for a bakery-quality appearance.
- Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough. Chill helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and helps create the chewy texture.
- The cookies bake up a little misshapen due to the crushed candy canes. As they melt, they cause the cookie to spread more in certain areas. After testing, I found if you pull the cookies out of the oven at 12 minutes, use the back of a spoon to gently form the cookies into circles, and bake the cookies for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, you can create a rounder cookie shape.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle them with additional crushed candy canes. The heat of the cookies will help the candy canes to stick without melting the candy too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use a medium cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoons) to make the cookies smaller. Bake the cookies for about 11 to 13 minutes. The yield of the recipe will double.
For this recipe, I recommend placing the peppermint candy in a resealable storage bag and crushing it with the bottom of a saucepan or a rolling pin. You can use a food processor if you prefer – just pulse the candy a few times so it does not become a powder. We want small candy cane pieces.
Sure! For this recipe, you can use white chocolate, semisweet chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate chips.
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Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (330 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking soda
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 2 cups (360 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120 g) crushed peppermint candy
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup (180 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 g) crushed peppermint candy
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined and smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until the cookie dough forms. Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy designated for the cookie dough.
- Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) to portion the cookie dough and place the cookie dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet pan. Press the additional semisweet chocolate chips into the cookie dough balls. Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line baking sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Place the chilled cookie dough balls on the prepared baking pans, allowing room for spreading. Bake the cookies for about 13 to 14 minutes until the cookies are golden-brown on the edges and slightly underbaked in the center. Note: The cookies bake up a little misshapen due to the crushed candy canes. If you want round cookies, pull the baking pan out of the oven at 12 minutes, use the back of a spoon to gently form the cookies into circles, and bake the cookies for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Immediately when the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the additional crushed peppermint candy. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cookies in an airtight container or storage bag at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the portioned cookie dough in an airtight container or storage bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To use, remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and bake as directed.
- Freezer: Store the portioned cookie dough in an airtight container or storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To use, thaw the cookie dough for 1 hour and bake as directed. Store baked cookies in an airtight container or storage bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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