Remember those mint chocolate chip ice cream cones from your childhood? Well, I turned that same amazing flavor into cookie form, and honestly, they're even better than I imagined!
These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with the perfect amount of minty freshness. I've been making these every December since Emily was seven (she's twelve now), and they've become our go-to Christmas cookie. The combination of peppermint extract with mint chips and Andes candies creates this amazing flavor that's refreshing but still feels like a real treat.
What makes these cookies special is how easy they are to make. We're talking basic ingredients you probably already have, plus a quick trip to grab some mint chips. No chilling required, no fancy techniques – just mix, scoop, and bake.
Last week, I brought these to a holiday potluck, and three different people asked me for the recipe before I even got my coat off! If you're looking for more festive cookie ideas, my Peppermint Snowball Cookies are another crowd favorite that pairs perfectly with these.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredients You'll Need for Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How to Store Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Tips for the Best Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
- Recipes You May Like
- Final Thoughts on Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why You Will Love These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Super quick to make – From start to finish, you're looking at about 30 minutes. That's faster than running to the bakery!
- Perfectly soft and chewy – The secret is in not overbaking them. Pull them out when the centers still look slightly underdone, and they'll finish cooking on the pan.
- Customizable mix-ins – Use all mint chips, all chocolate chips, all Andes candies, or mix them up like I do. There's no wrong answer here.
- Gorgeous presentation – Those Andes pieces on top? They make these cookies look bakery-quality without any extra effort.
- Great for gifting – These cookies hold up beautifully in tins and look festive enough for any holiday cookie exchange.
- Kid-approved – Emily and her friends go absolutely crazy for these. They disappear faster than I can make them!
Ingredients You'll Need for Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here's what you need to make these amazing cookies. I always double-check my pantry before starting because nothing's worse than getting halfway through and realizing you're out of something!
Dry Ingredients:
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour (spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off – don't pack it!)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened slightly but still cool – this is important!)
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract (don't skip this – it's what makes these cookies special!)
Mix-Ins:
- 1½ cups mint chips, chocolate chips, and/or chopped Andes candies (I use a combination of all three for the best flavor)
A quick note about the Andes candies – they're my absolute favorite part of these cookies, but they do melt while baking since they don't have stabilizers like chips do. That's actually what makes them so good though! The melted chocolate creates these amazing pockets of rich, minty goodness.
How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Making these cookies is so straightforward that Emily can do it almost entirely by herself now. Here's exactly how it works:
Prep Your Workspace
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Don't skip preheating – I learned this the hard way when my first batch came out weird because the oven wasn't hot enough.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This makes cleanup SO much easier, and the cookies won't stick.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Give it a quick whisk to make sure everything's evenly distributed.
- Set the bowl aside while you work on the wet ingredients.
Create the Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars for 1-2 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Scrape down the bowl as needed – you want everything well combined.
- Add the egg and peppermint extract and beat until everything's mixed together. The dough should look smooth and creamy.
- Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Don't overmix here! Stop as soon as you don't see any more flour streaks.
- Fold in 1 cup of your mint chips, chocolate chips, or Andes candies. Save that remaining ½ cup for topping the cookies later – trust me on this!
Shape and Bake
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough and place them a couple inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. I use a cookie scoop for this because it makes them all the same size.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges just start turning golden brown and the center still looks slightly underdone. This is KEY! Underdone centers = perfectly chewy cookies.
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through if your oven has hot spots (mine definitely does).
The Finishing Touch
- While the cookies are still warm, press the remaining ½ cup of mix-ins into the tops. This makes them look absolutely gorgeous and gives you extra minty goodness in every bite.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets placed on wire racks. They'll firm up as they cool.
Pro Tip for Perfect Round Cookies
Want bakery-perfect round cookies? Here's what I do:
Option 1: Right when they come out of the oven, place a round glass or bowl upside down over each cookie and gently swirl it in circles. The cookie edges will bump against the glass and create a perfect round shape. This only works when they're super hot though!
Option 2: Use the back of a spoon to gently push the edges inward while they're still hot. This gives you those clean, professional-looking edges.
How to Store Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Emily and I have never actually had them last that long though!
If you want to keep them longer, store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Just let them come to room temperature before eating for the best texture.
For freezing baked cookies, layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you're ready to eat them.
Want to make the dough ahead? Scoop it into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. They'll keep for up to 3 months, and you can bake them straight from frozen – just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
Tips for the Best Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Don't skip the peppermint extract – The mint chips alone won't give you enough minty flavor. The extract is what really makes these cookies taste special.
Use cool butter, not melted – Your butter should be slightly softened but still cool to the touch. Too-soft butter makes cookies spread too much and lose their shape.
Try different mix-in combinations – My favorite is half mint chips and half chopped Andes candies, but all chocolate chips work great too if you want less mint intensity.
Don't overbake – Seriously, pull them when the centers look slightly underdone. They'll keep cooking on the hot pan, and you'll end up with perfectly chewy cookies instead of dry ones.
Make them festive – Add a drop of green food coloring to the dough for St. Patrick's Day or Christmas. Emily loves when we make them bright green!
Double the batch – These freeze beautifully, and you'll thank yourself later when you want fresh cookies without any effort. (Who are we kidding – they probably won't make it to the freezer!)
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies FAQs
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Yes! Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.
Yes, but they'll taste like regular chocolate chip cookies. The peppermint extract is what gives them their signature minty flavor along with the mint chips.
Make sure your butter is only slightly softened and still cool (not melted or too soft). Also, don't skip chilling the dough if your kitchen is warm.
Recipes You May Like
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies – Perfect when you want just a few cookies without making a huge batch
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies – Another minty favorite that looks gorgeous on a holiday cookie tray
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies – A fresh, fruity alternative if you want to switch up the flavors
Final Thoughts on Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are hands-down one of my favorite cookie recipes. They're simple enough for a weeknight treat but impressive enough for holiday parties and cookie exchanges.
The combination of soft, chewy texture with that refreshing peppermint flavor just works. Plus, they look absolutely beautiful with those Andes pieces melted on top!
Try these out next time you're in a baking mood. Make sure to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it when December rolls around and you need something festive to bake!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and both sugars for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add egg and peppermint extract and beat until combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add 1 cup of mint chips/Andes/chocolate chips (the rest will be reserved for topping the cookies).
- Scoop 2-tablespoon portions of dough and place them a couple inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown and the very center is still slightly underdone. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through cooking time, if necessary. See note about shaping cookies. While the cookies are still warm, use the remaining ½ cup mix-ins and nestle pieces into the tops of the cookies (this makes for a prettier cookie).
- Place the baking sheets on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool completely.
