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Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are soft and chewy with chocolate chips and peppermint chips. This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe dressed up for Christmas: soft and chewy cookies with tons of chopped peppermint bark. You’ll make them to put on cookie platters but want to keep them all for yourself!
One of the many things I love about chocolate chip cookies is that there are about a gazillion ways to switch them up to create something new. For the holidays, there’s no better twist than these chocolate chip cookies with peppermint chips! Peppermint Bark Cookies are one of the BEST holiday cookies you’ll ever make.
- It’s one of our favorite base cookie dough recipes – so you KNOW it’ll be successful. It makes the best candy cane cookies!
- Chilling the dough for at least an hour is the key to making cookies that don’t overspread and have the best texture.
- You can use any kind of peppermint candy, peppermint bark, or peppermint chips you can find at the store.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: I always start with a half cup unsalted butter that’s been melted
- Sugar: I love to use granulated sugar AND light brown sugar
- Egg: Always use large eggs
- Vanilla extract: Always use pure vanilla extract. If you want you can also add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to make the cookie dough peppermint flavor.
- Salt: Omit if using salted butter.
- Chocolate chips: You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips, or even dark chocolate. Chips or chocolate chunks work.
- Peppermint chips: You can use peppermint Chips, peppermint Baking Chips, or chopped peppermint bark. I do not recommend candy cane pieces or crushed candy cane for these cookies.
Want to make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies? You can add peppermint pieces to my double chocolate chip cookie recipe or swap the mint for peppermint in Double Chocolate Mint Cookies.
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How to Make Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cream the melted butter with both kinds of sugar in a large bowl. You can use a mixer or just do this by hand.
- Once the mixture is smooth, add the eggs, baking soda, salt and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Slowly add the flour and stir just long enough for the dough to come together. If you notice flour building up on the sides of the bowl, stop to scrape it down.
- Slowly mix in the chocolate chips and peppermint pieces.
- Make cookie dough balls with a cookie scoop, scooping two tablespoons of dough. Place them on a baking sheet and then cover and chill them for at least one hour.
- When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cold dough balls on it spaced two inches apart. Bake the cookies for 11 to 15 minutes or until the tops are no longer glossy. Cool them on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing them.
Variations
- Add some peppermint extract for extra flavor.
- Guittard makes peppermint chips that look like white chocolate but have peppermint flavor.
- If you can find them, Andes makes Peppermint Baking Pieces that work great in this recipe.
- Chopped peppermint bark is also a great addition – that’s what you see in these photos.
- Wilton has peppermint crunch sprinkles you could use also!
- I don’t recommend using candy cane pieces or chopped candy canes – they’ll melt.
- Make white chocolate chip peppermint cookies by using white chocolate chips instead, or use a mix of dark and white chocolate chips.
Expert Tip
You can double the recipe (or even triple it) by just doubling everything in the recipe (even the baking soda). That way you can get more cookies for a holiday cookie exchange or just because these are so darn good.
FAQs
They’ll be light golden brown and no longer glossy in the center.
When the cookies come out of the oven, immediately press a few more chocolate chips and peppermint pieces on top. Let the cookies cool. This way they are extra pretty.
These will last up to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yes freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
These are soft and chewy thanks to the brown sugar and the fat from the egg yolk. Crispy cookies often don’t have brown sugar in them.
You must chill this cookie recipe. Because we started with melted butter the cookies will spread too thin if you bake them immediately. Chill at least one hour, but you can chill them overnight or even freeze the cookie dough.
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)
- 1 cup peppermint chips Andes peppermint baking bits or chopped peppermint bark
Instructions
- Place melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Add granulated and brown sugars and mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Mix in egg and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Mix in baking soda and salt, then slowly mix in flour and mix just until the batter is smooth and comes together. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl during mixing. Slowly mix in chocolate chips and peppermint pieces.
- Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Spacing doesn’t matter because you will be chilling the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Remove the chilled cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and space them 2-inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake (2 tablespoon sized cookies) for 11-15 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden and the tops are no longer glossy. Let cool on the cookie sheets at least 10 minutes before removing.
Recipe Notes
- Note: This dough requires chilling.
- Chocolate chips: I’ve made these with semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips, so choose your favorite.
- Peppermint chips: If you can’t find chips, you can use Andes peppermint baking bits or use chopped candy peppermint bark.
- Chilling the dough: I recommend making the dough balls first because if you chill the dough in the bowl, it will be hard to scoop after being chilled.
- Baking: If you make cookies bigger than two tablespoons, you will need to increase the baking time.
- Storage: The peppermint chip cookies will keep for several days at room temperature. They also freeze well for up to a month.
- Freezing cookie dough: Freeze cookie dough balls in an airtight container. You can bake these cookies straight from frozen as directed.
I have peppermint syrup. Can i use it? How and howmuch? Thank you so much
I haven’t tried that – maybe a tablespoon – let me know how it works!
Okay, maybe I’ll just add it to the dough and reduce some sugar as the syrup is also sweet like sugar.
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