You know that moment when you take a bite of something and it just tastes like Christmas? That's what happened the first time I made these peppermint chocolate chip cookies. Emily walked into the kitchen while I was pulling them out of the oven, and before I could even warn her they were hot, she grabbed one. The look on her face? Pure joy!
I've been making chocolate chip cookies for years (probably too many years to admit), but these peppermint ones have become our December tradition. The combination of crushed candy canes and chocolate chips creates this perfect sweet-and-minty thing that I honestly can't get enough of.
What makes these different from regular chocolate chip cookies? The peppermint extract adds this subtle minty flavor throughout, while the crushed candy canes give you these little bursts of intense peppermint. Plus, they look absolutely gorgeous with those red and white candy cane pieces baked right in. If you're planning a holiday cookie exchange this year, you might also want to check out my candy cane cookies for another festive option.
The best part? They're not complicated at all. If you can make regular chocolate chip cookies, you can definitely make these.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredients For Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- How To Make Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Storage And Reheating
- Tips For Perfect Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- FAQs About Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Recipes You May Like
- Time To Bake These Cookies!
- Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Why You Will Love These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ready in under 30 minutes from start to finish (because who has all day during the holidays?)
- Perfect balance of mint and chocolate without being overwhelming
- Soft and chewy texture with crispy edges
- Beautiful presentation with visible candy cane pieces
- Great for gifting - they stay fresh for days and look festive
- Kid-approved - Emily's friends go crazy for these every year
Ingredients For Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Here's what you'll need to make about 24 cookies:
Dry Ingredients:
- 330g (2 ¾ cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 226g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 200g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Mix-ins:
- 255g (1 ½ cups) chocolate chips
- 5 candy canes, crushed (about 75g)
- Extra chocolate chips for topping (optional but recommended!)
Equipment You'll Need:
- Food processor or blender (for crushing candy canes)
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Cookie scoop (I use a 3 tablespoon scoop)
A quick note about the candy canes - I learned this the hard way. Don't try to crush them by hand! Put them in a food processor or sealed plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Your hands will thank you.
How To Make Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Making these peppermint cookies is really straightforward. Here's my step-by-step process:
Prep Work
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (I always use parchment paper because cleanup is so much easier!)
- In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
Make The Cookie Dough
- Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. Mix on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until it's light and fluffy. This step is important - don't rush it!
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Then add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Mix until just combined and scrape down the sides of the bowl. (I always forget this step and then wonder why there are butter chunks in my cookies!)
- Add all the dry ingredients at once and mix on low speed. Stop when you still see streaks of flour - don't overmix! This is the key to soft cookies.
Add The Good Stuff
- Add the chocolate chips and crushed candy canes to the dough. Mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should look chunky and delicious at this point.
Shape And Bake
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto your lined baking sheets. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie because they will spread. If you want them to look extra pretty (which I always do for Christmas), press a few extra chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball.
- Bake for 11 minutes. This is where trust comes in - the cookies will look slightly underdone when you take them out. That's exactly what you want! They'll continue to bake on the hot pan as they cool.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Try not to eat them all while they're still warm (I've failed at this multiple times).
The timing on these is really specific. I once baked them for 13 minutes thinking "a little extra won't hurt" and they came out hard as rocks. Stick to 11 minutes!
Storage And Reheating
Store your peppermint chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They'll stay soft and chewy for up to 5 days.
Want to freeze them? No problem! Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. They'll keep for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave them at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Here's a trick I love - you can also freeze the cookie dough balls! Place them on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. When you want fresh cookies, bake them straight from frozen, adding just 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time. It's perfect when you need warm cookies RIGHT NOW.
If your cookies do get a bit hard (it happens), pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds. They'll soften right up.
Tips For Perfect Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
After making these probably 50+ times, here's what I've learned:
About The Peppermint Flavor:
- Start with ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract. You can always add more next time, but you can't take it away! I learned this when I accidentally added a full teaspoon once and Emily refused to eat them (she said they tasted like toothpaste).
- Use fresh candy canes. Those dusty ones from last Christmas? They won't taste as good.
- Crush the candy canes into small pieces, not powder. You want some texture!
About The Texture:
- Don't overmix the dough after adding the flour. Mix just until the streaks disappear.
- Make sure your butter is softened but not melted. It should leave a slight indent when you press it.
- Use a cookie scoop for even-sized cookies that bake uniformly.
For The Best Results:
- Weigh your ingredients if possible! Baking is chemistry, and measuring by weight is way more accurate than cups.
- If your cookies are spreading too thin, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking.
- Rotate your baking sheet halfway through baking for even browning.
Variations To Try:
- Add white chocolate chips instead of regular chocolate chips for a different look
- Use dark chocolate for a more sophisticated flavor
- Add ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch
- Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies for extra pizzazz
Can you use salted butter? Sure! Just leave out the 1 teaspoon of salt from the recipe. I usually use unsalted because I like to control the salt level myself.
FAQs About Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yes! Freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months and bake from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Absolutely! Simply omit the crushed candy canes and increase the chocolate chips to 2 cups. The cookies will still have a delicious peppermint flavor from the extract.
Yes, mint extract works as a substitute, though peppermint extract has a sweeter, more traditional holiday flavor. Start with ¼ teaspoon of mint extract as it can be stronger.
Make sure your butter is softened but not melted, and don't skip chilling the dough if it feels too soft. Also, be sure your baking soda is fresh and you're measuring flour correctly (preferably by weight).
Recipes You May Like
If you're loving these festive peppermint cookies, you'll definitely want to try:
- Candy Cane Cookies - Another peppermint favorite that's become a holiday staple in our house
- Christmas Peanut Butter Blossoms - The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate in cookie form
- Gingerbread Men Cookies - Perfect for decorating with kids (Emily and I make these every year!)
Time To Bake These Cookies!
These peppermint chocolate chip cookies have honestly become one of my favorite things about the holidays. They smell amazing while they're baking, they taste even better, and they make your kitchen feel so festive.
The combination of chocolate and peppermint is just perfect - not too minty, not too sweet, just right. Plus, they're way easier than they look, which is always a win in my book!
Whether you're baking for a cookie exchange, making treats for neighbors, or just want something special for your family, these cookies deliver every single time. Trust me, make a double batch. They disappear fast!
Don't forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can find it next time you're planning your holiday baking!
Happy baking!
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
- Cookie scoop (3 tablespoon)
Ingredients
- 330 g all-purpose flour 2 ¾ cups
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 226 g unsalted butter softened, 1 cup
- 200 g brown sugar 1 cup
- 150 g granulated sugar ¾ cup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 255 g chocolate chips 1 ½ cups
- 5 candy canes crushed, about 75g
- extra chocolate chips for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a small bowl combine all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt.
- Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to cream softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time then add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until almost combined (there should still be streaks of flour). Then add the chocolate chips and crushed candy canes and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix the dough because it will make the cookies tough.
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheets (be sure to adjust the baking time if your cookies are smaller/larger). If desired press extra chocolate chips onto the tops of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake cookies for 11 minutes then cool on the baking sheet. The cookies will still look slightly raw when they come out but will continue to bake as they cool.
