These soft and chewy peppermint cookies are a festive holiday treat that’s way better than anything store-bought! Studded with crushed candy canes and infused with cool peppermint flavor, they’re the perfect Christmas cookie that comes together in just minutes. If you love the fresh taste of mint paired with buttery cookie goodness (like in my favorite lemon brownies), this recipe needs to be on your holiday baking list!
Why You’ll Love These Peppermint Cookies
- Quick and easy one-bowl recipe
- Perfectly soft centers with slightly crisp edges
- Customizable – make with or without candy canes
- No chilling required (though 30 mins helps!)
- Kid-friendly recipe that’s perfect for holiday baking
- Stays fresh and soft for days
- Festive addition to any Christmas cookie platter
The secret to these extra-special cookies is using both peppermint extract and crushed candy canes – though you can definitely customize the mint level to your taste. The butter-based dough creates that irresistible tender-yet-chewy texture that makes these impossible to resist. My kids beg to help crush the candy canes (carefully!) and always steal a few bites of dough when they think I’m not looking.
The best part? You can easily adapt these to please everyone – leave the candy canes out completely, swap them for festive sprinkles, or add white chocolate chips for an extra special touch. I often make a split batch – half with crushed candy canes for the mint lovers and half plain with holiday sprinkles for my little ones who prefer their cookies classic style.
Ingredients Overview
Let me walk you through each ingredient that makes these peppermint cookies absolutely perfect! Just like my lemon blueberry cookies, every component plays a crucial role.
- Room Temperature Butter: The star of our show! Using room temp butter creates that perfect tender-yet-chewy texture we’re after. It creams beautifully with sugar to create tiny air pockets that give our cookies structure. Skip the margarine here – real butter is key!
- Granulated Sugar: Beyond sweetness, sugar helps create those lovely crispy edges while keeping the centers soft. If you’re watching sugar intake, monk fruit sweetener works beautifully as a 1:1 swap.
- Peppermint Extract: Just a tiny splash packs huge flavor! Start with less – you can always add more, but too much can make your cookies taste like toothpaste (trust me, I learned this the hard way!).
- Egg: Our binding hero! The egg provides structure and richness while helping create that perfect chewy texture. Make sure it’s room temperature to blend seamlessly with your butter.
- All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of our cookies. For those needing gluten-free options, I’ve had great success with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
Success Tips & Tricks
After countless batches (and happy taste-testers!), I’ve discovered some game-changing tips that’ll make your peppermint cookies rival those fancy bakery ones. These tricks remind me of perfecting my red velvet brownies – it’s all in the details!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: This isn’t just baker’s fancy talk – room temp butter and eggs create a perfectly emulsified dough that bakes up uniformly.
- Don’t Skip the Chill Time: Those 30 minutes in the fridge are magic! Chilling prevents overspreading and concentrates the flavors. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
- Candy Cane Tips: Crush your candy canes in a zip-top bag using a rolling pin – it’s therapeutic and gives you perfect chunks! For easier handling, toss the pieces in a tablespoon of flour before mixing into the dough.
- Perfect Portions: Use a cookie scoop if you have one – it ensures even baking and professional-looking cookies every time.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let me walk you through making these perfectly pepperminty cookies! I’ve made these countless times and learned all the little tricks to make them turn out just right.
Preparing the Dough
Start by getting your workspace ready – line 2 medium sheet pans with parchment paper and clear some space in your fridge. Trust me, chilling the dough makes a huge difference in how these cookies bake up!
Mix your wet ingredients first – in a large bowl, cream together room temperature butter (this is important!), sugar, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and egg until light and fluffy. Just like when I make my chocolate dipped treats, the texture at this stage is crucial.
In a separate bowl, sift together your flour and baking soda. Gradually add this to your butter mixture, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to overmix – that’s what makes tough cookies! Fold in those crushed candy canes until they’re evenly distributed.
Shaping and Baking
Roll the dough into uniform balls (about 1.5 tablespoons each) and place them on your prepared sheets, leaving plenty of room for spreading. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes – don’t skip this step!
Bake at 350°F straight from the fridge for 9-11 minutes. The centers should look slightly underbaked when you take them out – they’ll set up perfectly as they cool.
Recipe Variations
These cookies are wonderfully versatile! Here are some of my favorite ways to switch things up:
- White Chocolate Dream: Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies – reminds me of my favorite fluffy desserts
- Holiday Sparkle: Skip the candy canes and roll dough balls in colored sugar before baking
- Double Mint: Add chocolate chips to the dough – just like my chocolate-loaded favorites
- Cookie Sandwiches: Spread peppermint frosting between two cooled cookies
Storage Tips
These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. For longer storage, pop them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The candy cane pieces might get a bit sticky in humid conditions, so I like to layer them between pieces of parchment paper.
Remember, you can also freeze the unbaked dough balls for up to 3 months – just add an extra minute to the bake time when cooking from frozen!
FAQs & Final Thoughts
Yes! You can make the dough up to 72 hours in advance and keep it refrigerated. You can also freeze the shaped dough balls for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, just add 1-2 minutes to the bake time if baking from frozen.
If your candy canes are melting excessively, try chopping them a bit larger or refrigerating the dough longer. Just like when I make my creamy cannoli dip, temperature control is key for perfect results.
While you can use mint extract, I really recommend sticking with peppermint extract for that classic holiday flavor. Mint extract can sometimes give a more toothpaste-like taste that isn’t quite what we’re going for!
If your cookies are spreading too much, it’s likely because either your butter was too warm or you skipped the chilling step. Don’t rush the process – that 30-minute chill time is essential for perfect cookies!
Final Thoughts
Oh my goodness, friends – these peppermint cookies are truly a holiday dream come true! Every time I make them, my kitchen fills with the most amazing minty-sweet aroma that just screams “Christmas is here!” They’re perfectly crisp on the edges, soft in the middle, and those little pieces of candy cane add such a fun crunch and festive touch.
I love seeing all the creative ways you guys make these your own – whether you’re adding white chocolate chips, making them into sandwich cookies, or decorating them with your kiddos. Remember, baking should be fun and these cookies are pretty forgiving, so don’t stress too much about making them perfect!
Please snap a photo when you make these – it absolutely makes my day to see your beautiful creations! And if you’re feeling extra festive, try making a double batch – trust me, they disappear faster than you’d think!
Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter at room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar or granulated cane sugara
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup chopped candy canes
Instructions
- Line 2 medium sheet pans with parchment paper and make some space to put them in the fridge.
- In a large bowl, add the 1/2 cup salted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, and 1 large egg. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- In a medium bowl, sift the 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1½ teaspoon baking soda.
- Add the sifted flour to the butter-egg mixture and using a spatula, stir until just combined.
- Fold in the 1/2 cup chopped candy canes. Mix again to incorporate.
- Scoop the dough, rolling into same-sized balls, into your prepared sheet pans; keep about 2 inches of space between the balls.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the cookies directly from the fridge for 9-11 minutes or until the center is still soft. Cool before serving.
Notes
- You do not need to add the candy canes. I know my kids aren’t too fond of them and would prefer sprinkles. So, whatever works for you.
- Monk Fruit sugar will work in place of granulated sugar. I sometimes also use granulated cane sugar, and that works as well for me.
- You may use gluten-free flour. I haven’t tested it with another flour.
- I do like to use butter instead of oil for these cookies. I have tried it with coconut oil and the texture wasn’t what I was looking for even though it was still tasty.
- Depending on the size of cookies you will be able to make anywhere between 16-22 cookies. If you do small cookies, you can make 20-22 cookies.
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