Peppermint chocolate chip cookies are as festive as they are delicious. Loaded with dark chocolate chips and crushed candy canes, these holiday cookies are as soft and chewy as your favorite chocolate chip cookie!
As a former pastry chef, I’ve baked countless holiday cookies—like toffee chocolate chip cookies and chocolate pecan cookies, but these peppermint chocolate chip cookies remain a family favorite! They’re soft, chewy, and perfectly balanced with just the right hint of peppermint, melty chocolate chips, and crunchy candy cane pieces.
Ideal for cookie swaps, gift boxes, or a festive treat at home, the dough can even be prepped ahead for stress-free holiday baking!
Try our mint chip macarons, mint chip cake, or Andes mint brownies if you love peppermint desserts!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Substitutions
Candy canes: Put the candy canes into a ziplock bag and smash them into pieces with a mallet or rolling pin. If you can’t find candy canes, peppermint candy like Starlight Mints or peppermint chips are great alternatives!
Chocolate chips: I love using finely chopped chocolate bars for gooey pools of chocolate, like in my miso chocolate chip cookies. Feel free to use regular or mini chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate chips!
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars. In a stand mixing bowl or with an electric hand mixer, cream the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Mix in the wet ingredients. Add the room-temperature egg and vanilla extract and mix until just combined.
Step 3: Mix in the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt until almost combined, then mix in the dark chocolate and candy cane bits until combined.
Step 4: Scoop and bake! Scoop the cookie dough with a cookie scoop onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and freeze it.
After baking, press more peppermint pieces and chocolate chips on top, then cool on a wire rack before enjoying.
Secrets to Bakery Style Results
Smash the candy canes for even distribution. Place the candy canes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy object. This will create evenly sized pieces that mix better into the dough without the mess of breaking them by hand.
Avoid candy cane pieces on the bottom and edges. Move any large pieces away from the edges and bottoms of the dough balls. Candy canes near the edges can melt too much during baking, making the edges of the cookie run.
After baking, top with more peppermint. For extra holiday flair, press a few extra crushed candy canes onto the top of the cookie dough balls right after baking for a festive, bakery-style finish!
How to Store and Freeze
Store any leftover cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To freeze, transfer the frozen dough balls to an airtight container or freezer bag and keep them for up to 1 month. After this time, the candy canes tend to melt and disappear into the cookie dough.
FAQs
If you can’t find candy canes, you can use peppermint baking chips, bark, or candies.
Definitely! Add 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cookie dough with the vanilla extract.
This can happen when too much flour is used. That is why I always recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy!
We hope you love this recipe! For more Christmas dessert ideas, check out our easy-to-make gingerbread cake, sugar cookie cake, or Christmas cookie bars!
More Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cool room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate bar or chocolate chips, plus more for topping
- 1/4 cup candy canes, crushed in small peices, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars. Cream together the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- Mix in the wet ingredients. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.1 (50 g) large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda until almost combined then fold in the chocolate chips and candy cane pieces until just combined.2 1/4 cup (270 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 3/4 cup (90 g) chopped dark chocolate bar or chocolate chips, 1/4 cup (40 g) candy canes
- Scoop and chill the cookie dough. Scoop the cookie dough into 2 tbsp balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the cookies in the freezer for a minimum of 3-4 hours, or until frozen solid. Overnight will yield the best flavor!
- Preheat the oven. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Bake the frozen cookies spaced at least 2 inches apart for 9-10 minutes. They will look pale and still underbaked when you pull them out but will continue to bake and firm up while cooling.
- Decorate with extra candies. Press more candy cane pieces and dark chocolate chips to the tops. Then let the tray cool completely on a wire rack before removing and enjoy!
- Store leftover baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store the frozen cookie dough balls in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 1 month. After this time, the candy canes start to melt and disappear into the cookie dough.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
Delicious cookies. I am waiting on another batch to rest/harden. I’m excited for my boys’ cookie exchange tomorrow. Thank you 😊.
I had a hard time rolling the cookies. The dough was too dry. Any suggestions if what I did wrong?
Hi Kelsey! Sounds like you had too much flour in the dough, I recommend weighing your ingredients for accuracy. If you don’t have a scale, spoon measure the flour!
I am not really a fan of the chocolate -pepermint combo, but I enjoyed these and liked that the peppermint wasn’t hit-you-over-the head strong. Mine spread more than I would like, despite following the directions including chilling overnight and checking oven temp with not one but two thermometers. But since these are slightly underbaked, they were still chewy and not crispy.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them Claire! Next time I would check to make sure your butter wasn’t too warm and softened (which can cause them to spread more in the oven). I like to stick a thermometer into the center of the butter stick- it should be between 64-68F!
I use this recipe all year as my go to chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Yay! So happy to hear that Sarah!