Soft and thick chocolate cookies drizzled with white chocolate and topped with crushed candy canes? Yes please! These homemade dark chocolate peppermint cookies deserve to be front and center on your Christmas cookie plate!
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It all begins with a rich dark chocolate cookie. It's the kind of chocolate cookie that could probably satisfy a craving for brownies because they're just so thick and chocolatey. A subtle hint of peppermint gives these cookies a little something extra.
And while these cookies are amazing all on their own, we like to go all out for the holidays, so we won't stop there! On top of each chocolatey cookie we'll add a drizzle of white chocolate and sprinkle the melted chocolate with crushed candy canes. These deliciously festive cookies are even more delicious than they are beautiful!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Dutch Cocoa - Dutch-process cocoa powder gives these dark chocolate cookies their rich chocolate flavor. It can be found in the baking aisle at your local grocery store next to the natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
Brown Sugar - Light brown sugar is paired with white sugar to add additional moisture and flavor to the cookie dough, helping to create a soft cookie.
Peppermint Extract - Peppermint extract adds a hint of minty flavor to the chocolate cookies. Mint extract can be substituted, though it will have a slightly different (but still delicious) flavor compared to peppermint extract. If you prefer, you can replace the peppermint extract with 2 teaspoons (8 grams) of vanilla extract.
White Chocolate Melting Wafers - Melting wafers create a smooth, pourable consistency that's perfect for drizzling over cookies. Do not substitute white chocolate chips, which are very difficult to melt smooth and will firm up too quickly.
Candy Canes - Candy canes add a beautiful and minty garnish atop these cookies. Peppermint candies can be substituted. See FAQs below for how to crush candy canes.
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.
Special Equipment
In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and spatula), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.
- A stand mixer or electric hand mixer for mixing the cookies dough.
- A 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop for scooping cookie dough balls before baking (optional but helpful).
- A pastry bag and small, round piping tip for piping melted white chocolate onto cookies (or a spoon for drizzling white chocolate).
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Make the cookie dough. In a medium bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add egg, milk, and peppermint extract to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
Step 4: Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, blending until combined.
Step 5: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the cookie dough in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 7: Use a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoons to scoop balls of cookie dough. Place cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
Step 8: Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for 10 minutes or until the cookies are flattened with slightly puffed centers. Let the cookies cool completely.
Step 9: Melt the white chocolate wafers in a small bowl in the microwave on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Add the melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip. Pipe or drizzle melted white chocolate in thin, back-and-forth lines across a cookie.
Step 10: Sprinkle crushed candy cane bits onto the white chocolate. Repeat until all cookies are decorated.
Recipe Tips
For the best cookie texture, be sure to properly cream your butter and sugar.
For perfectly round cookies, place a round cookie cutter over each cookie on the baking tray and swirl them around inside it immediately after baking, when they're still hot from the oven.
The melted white chocolate firms up quickly, so be sure to have your crushed candy canes ready to go so that you can quickly decorate the cookies before the white chocolate hardens. It may be best to drizzle one cookie and sprinkle with candy cane bits before moving on to the next cookie rather than drizzling chocolate onto several cookies before adding candy cane bits.
Recipe FAQs
The simplest way to crush candy canes for topping cookies is to place the candy canes into a plastic bag and seal the bag while removing the air. Place the bag of candy canes onto a sturdy surface, like a wooden cutting board, and beat the candy canes using a mallet or rolling pin. For finer bits of candy cane, use a rolling pin to roll over the crushed bits still inside the bag, breaking them into even smaller pieces.
Storage Instructions
Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freezing: These cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the cookies without decorations, then defrost and decorate before serving.
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Recipe
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop (optional but helpful)
- Pastry bag and small, round piping tip (or a spoon for drizzling white chocolate)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract*
- 1 cup white chocolate melting wafers
- 2 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
Make the cookie dough.
- In a medium bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer), cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, milk, and peppermint extract to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture blending until combined and stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the cookie dough in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Use a 1 ½ Tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoons to scoop 1 ½ Tablespoon balls of cookie dough. Place cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies.
- Bake the cookies, one tray at a time, for 10 minutes or until the cookies are flattened with slightly puffed centers. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the cookies.
- When the cookies are completely cooled, melt the white chocolate wafers in a small bowl in the microwave on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Add the melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
- Working quickly (since the chocolate will firm up as it cools), pipe (or drizzle) melted white chocolate in thin, back-and-forth lines across a cookie. Sprinkle crushed candy cane bits onto the white chocolate. Repeat until all cookies are decorated.
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