These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are soft, brownie-style cookies with a rich chocolate flavor and a cool hint of peppermint. They bake up soft in the center, slightly crisp around the edges, and are perfect for the holiday season.
Each cookie is filled with chocolate chips and topped with crushed candy canes for a festive finish perfect for the holidays.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Soft and brownie-like with a rich chocolate flavor
- Peppermint flavor that is subtle without being too strong
- These peppermint chocolate cookies are perfect for the holiday season
- Works well with chocolate chips, peppermint chips, or crushed candy canes
Ingredients in Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- unsalted butter, melted
- vegetable oil
- egg
- light brown sugar, packed
- white sugar
- vanilla extract
- pure peppermint extract
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Crushed candy canes (for topping)
How to Make Chocolate and Peppermint Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, and vegetable oil.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough using a #40 cookie scoop and place onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Gently press the tops of the cookie dough balls to slightly flatten them.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will be soft and brownie-like when they come out of the oven.
- Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies over the warm cookies immediately after removing them from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Quick Tips
- Mix only until the dry ingredients are combined to keep the cookies soft and brownie-like.
- Use room temperature ingredients for the smoothest cookie dough.
- Add crushed candy canes right before baking so they melt slightly into the tops.
- When packaging cookie trays, keep these cookies in a separate container so the peppermint flavor does not overpower the other cookies.
- Add a ½ teaspoon of espresso powder to enhance the rich chocolate flavor.
Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
For freezing, place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
Here are a few more chocolate and holiday cookies you may enjoy:
- Snowball Christmas Cookies - Soft, buttery cookies rolled in sweet powdered sugar. A classic melt-in-your-mouth Christmas treat.
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies - Large, bakery-style cookies with ground oats and plenty of melted chocolate.
- Chocolate Dipped Cookie Dough Balls - Sweet, bite-sized dough truffles coated in melting chocolate.
- Christmas Cookie Butter Cookies - Rich, soft butter cookies with a gentle vanilla flavor. Simple, cozy, and perfect for holiday baking.
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars - Thick, soft sugar cookie bars topped with creamy frosting. Festive, easy to slice, and great for sharing.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Soft, brownie-style chocolate peppermint cookies filled with chocolate chips and topped with crushed candy canes. A festive and easy holiday cookie.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter - melted
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- ½ cup light brown sugar - packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Crushed candy canes - for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cocoa powder, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, and vegetable oil.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough using a #40 cookie scoop and place onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Gently press the tops of the cookie dough balls to slightly flatten them.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will be soft and brownie-like when they come out of the oven.
- Sprinkle crushed candy cane over the warm cookies immediately after removing them from the oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Notes
Notes
- Add crushed candy canes while the cookies are warm, so they stick.
- Do not overbake. The cookies will be soft and will firm as they cool.
- Add a ½ teaspoon of espresso powder to enhance the rich chocolate flavor.
- Store separately from other cookies to keep the peppermint flavor from transferring.
- Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 76mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
Linda says
A hit with my family! The only change I made was go use gluten free flour.
Will definitely make again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Dana says
I'm so happy that your family liked these cookies! 🙂