These chewy chocolate peppermint cookies are a delightful treat, perfect for holiday baking and sharing with family and friends.

Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies: Easy Holiday Baking Recipe 16

The combination of rich chocolate and cool peppermint creates a festive flavor that everyone will adore. This recipe is designed to be straightforward and fun, making it an ideal activity for busy holiday seasons or a cozy weekend baking session.

Get ready to whip up a batch of these irresistible cookies that are sure to become a new favorite. We’ll walk you through each step, ensuring your cookies turn out perfectly chewy, chocolatey, and bursting with peppermint goodness.

What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Time Needed From Start To Finish
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture

What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe

This recipe is a dream come true for anyone looking for a simple yet impressive holiday treat. It’s perfect for busy parents who want to involve their kids in baking without a lot of fuss, or for anyone who needs a reliable cookie recipe to bring to a potluck or holiday gathering. The beauty of these chewy chocolate peppermint cookies lies in their straightforward approach and the incredible flavor payoff. You don’t need to be an experienced baker to achieve fantastic results. The ingredients are readily available, and the steps are easy to follow, making it a stress-free baking experience. Serve them at your next holiday party, package them as edible gifts for neighbors and teachers, or simply enjoy them with a warm cup of cocoa on a chilly evening. They’re a crowd-pleaser that brings smiles and festive cheer.

Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress

Gathering your ingredients before you start baking is a great way to ensure a smooth and enjoyable process. This list includes everything you’ll need to create these delicious chewy chocolate peppermint cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup crushed peppermint candies (about 10-12 candy canes)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

For the butter, you can use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand, just reduce the added salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon. When it comes to cocoa powder, any good quality unsweetened cocoa powder will work, but a Dutch-processed cocoa can give a darker color and slightly milder chocolate flavor. Feel free to use your favorite brand of chocolate chips; milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips can also be used for a different flavor profile. For the crushed peppermint candies, you can buy them pre-crushed or crush your own candy canes by placing them in a Ziploc bag and gently hitting them with a rolling pin or the back of a heavy pan. Ensure they are crushed into small pieces, not a fine powder, for best texture.

Time Needed From Start To Finish

One of the best aspects of this chewy chocolate peppermint cookie recipe is how quickly it comes together, making it ideal for when you’re short on time but still want to bake something special.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Baking Time: 10-12 minutes per batch
Cooling Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 35-40 minutes (for one batch, not including subsequent batches)

This timing makes it perfectly manageable for a weeknight treat or a quick weekend baking project. The active prep time is minimal, allowing you to get these festive cookies into the oven without delay.

How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues

Follow these clear steps to create perfect chewy chocolate peppermint cookies. Paying attention to the visual cues will help ensure your success.

Prepare Your Oven and Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents sticking and makes for easy cleanup.
Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. You’ll notice the color lighten and the texture become airy.
Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, stir in the vanilla extract and peppermint extract until fully combined. The mixture will look smooth and well-incorporated.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps of cocoa powder.
Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as no streaks of flour are visible. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
Fold in Chocolate Chips and Peppermint: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candies using a spatula. Distribute them evenly throughout the dough. The dough will be thick and studded with colorful pieces.
Portion and Bake the Cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They will firm up as they cool.
Cool and Enjoy: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them maintain their chewy texture.

Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life

These chewy chocolate peppermint cookies are fantastic as is, but there are many ways to adapt them to your taste or occasion.

For a fun kid-friendly twist, you can add a sprinkle of festive holiday sprinkles on top of the cookies before baking. Another idea is to dip one half of the cooled cookies into melted white chocolate and then sprinkle with extra crushed peppermint for a beautiful presentation and an extra layer of flavor. If you want to make them even more decadent, consider adding a small amount of espresso powder (about 1 teaspoon) to the dry ingredients; it won’t make the cookies taste like coffee but will deepen the chocolate flavor.

When serving these cookies for a party or buffet, arrange them artfully on a festive platter. They pair wonderfully with a mug of hot cocoa, a glass of cold milk, or even a shot of espresso. For an adult-friendly option, consider serving them alongside a peppermint liqueur or a coffee cocktail. You can also crumble them over vanilla ice cream for a quick and delicious dessert. These cookies are also perfect for edible gifts; simply stack a few in a cellophane bag tied with a ribbon, and you have a thoughtful, homemade present.

Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them

Even simple recipes can have common pitfalls. Knowing what to watch out for can help you achieve perfect chewy chocolate peppermint cookies every time.

One frequent mistake is overmixing the dough. Once you add the flour, mix only until the ingredients are just combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to tough, dense cookies instead of chewy ones. Another common issue is using cold butter. Make sure your butter is truly softened to room temperature. If it’s too cold, it won’t cream properly with the sugar, resulting in a less airy and fluffy cookie texture. You can soften butter quickly by cutting it into small pieces and letting it sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes, or by gently microwaving it for short bursts (5-10 seconds) until just soft, not melted.

Overbaking is another pitfall. These cookies are meant to be chewy, and baking them for too long will make them hard and dry. Keep an eye on them; they should look set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center when you pull them from the oven. They will continue to cook slightly on the hot baking sheet. Finally, ensure your peppermint candies are crushed to the right consistency. If they are too fine, they might melt away completely into the cookie; if they are too large, they can be too hard to bite into. Aim for small, irregular pieces.

How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture

Proper storage is key to keeping your chewy chocolate peppermint cookies fresh and delicious. These cookies maintain their texture well, making them great for planning ahead.

Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. To keep them extra fresh, you can place a slice of plain white bread in the container with the cookies; the cookies will absorb moisture from the bread, helping them stay soft.

If you want to make them ahead, you have a couple of options. You can prepare the cookie dough, form it into balls, and then freeze the unbaked dough balls on a baking sheet until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and store for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time if needed. Alternatively, you can bake the cookies completely, let them cool, and then freeze them in a single layer in an airtight container or freezer bag for up

FAQs

Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.