Alright, so you know how every family has that one cookie that everyone fights over at the holidays? Well, in my house, it’s these chocolate peppermint cookies. Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time my brother tried (and failed) to hide the last cookie in his coat pocket, I could probably buy a new stand mixer. Anyway, I first made these on a snowy December afternoon because the internet told me I’d love the combo of mint and chocolate. Spoiler: Internet was right for once! If you can imagine a super soft, fudgy cookie married to a peppermint pattie…that’s the vibe. And the recipe’s so easy, you almost feel guilty when people shower you with compliments — almost.

What’s So Great About These Cookies, Anyway?

I whip these up whenever I need to bribe my kids to shovel the driveway. No joke. They basically inhale them the second they come out of the oven, which is both flattering and annoying because who’s left cleaning the chocolate fingerprints from the walls? I also bring these to our annual cookie swap (they’re always one of the first to vanish, except the one year I forgot to add enough mint — that batch tasted, ehh, kinda like brownie bread). And if you’re one of those people who likes to dunk cookies in hot cocoa, these hold together really well. Not that I’ve tested that four or five times in a row or anything…

Gather Up These Ingredients

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter (though I sometimes just grab whatever’s left in the fridge — once used salted by accident, still worked!)
1 1/4 cups (250g) sugar (granulated, I mean — brown sugar gives a chewier cookie if that’s your jam)
2 large eggs (room temp-ish, unless you forget, which I often do)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I swear by Nielsen Massey but really, any will do; my grandma would haunt me if I said otherwise)
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (Honestly, a little goes a long way; one time I doubled it and my kitchen smelled like a toothpaste ad)
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed is nice, but regular works too — this week I ran out and used a half-chocolate protein powder as a sub. They turned out, uh, healthier?)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (or a hearty pinch, if you like Me)
1 cup (180g) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (milk, dark, white, whatever—you do you)
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (optional, but my kids act like it’s required by law)

How I Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (No Pressure!)

Crank your oven to 350°F (175°C). If you forget to preheat, just blame it on a distracting dog or child. Line two baking sheets with parchment; or go rogue and just grease them up. No biggie.
Now, beat the butter and sugar together—some people insist on doing this for a full 5 minutes, but honestly, I just go until it’s kind of fluffy and my arm gets tired. (And yes, I’ve used a big wooden spoon when the mixer was in the dishwasher. It takes a minute, but it works.)
Mix in the eggs one at a time (unless you’re in a rush, then it’s…whatever). Add vanilla and peppermint extract; inhale that scent and wonder if you could bottle it.
Sift or whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Or don’t — sometimes I just dump ’em straight in and call it a day, though you do get a more even dough with the whisk method.
Slowly add the dry to the wet, stir until it’s mostly combined (don’t panic if it looks a bit odd at this stage; it always comes together!). Honestly, I just use a spatula for this part and it’s fine.
Fold in the chocolate chips and peppermint bits (here’s where I usually sneak a bite of dough — raw eggs and all, living dangerously).
Scoop out heaping tablespoons onto your tray. I aim for about 2 inches apart, but who’s measuring? If you want perfectly round cookies, you can roll them in your hands, but I like the more rustic, blob-shaped ones.
Bake around 9–11 minutes. If you like gooey, err on the shorter side. They’ll look a bit puffy and underdone — that’s perfect. Trust me.
Cool for a couple minutes on the tray (unless you want molten chocolate on your fingers, which actually isn’t the worst thing), then move to a rack. Or just eat one straight away, like I always do.

Things I’ve Learned (The Hard Way Sometimes…)

If you’re using mint baking chips instead of extract, use extra — or they get a bit…plain. Ask me how I know.
Sifting the cocoa is probably worth it. Lumpy dry streaks in cookies are not as charming as I tell myself.
Don’t bother chilling the dough unless you want puffy cookies. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t, depends what mood strikes.
A sprinkle of flaky salt on top: game-changer, but the kids claim it’s “weird.” What do they know?

Stuff I’ve Tried (Not All Gold…)

I tossed in white chocolate chips one time — gave a lovely contrast! Swapped peppermint candies for those fancy-and-expensive candy canes? Not worth it, they basically vaporized. If you’re feeling extra, drizzling melted chocolate over the cookies once they cool is ridiculously easy (Serious Eats has a good how-to). And once, I added some orange zest instead of mint… let’s just say that batch was for “experimental-tastebud day.”

Handy Tools (But You Can Totally Improvise)

Hand mixer or stand mixer — a wooden spoon and strong arms work in a pinch, promise.
Baking sheets + parchment — can use foil if you’re out; cookies don’t care.
Cooling rack — or a clean wire rack from your toaster oven, if you can dig it out of the cupboard.
Big bowl, rubber spatula

Real talk: I don’t own fancy baking scoops, so I just use a tablespoon. Works! If you’re missing anything, King Arthur Baking has a good gadget guide.

How to Store (If There’s Anything Left)

So technically, you can keep these in an airtight box for up to 4 days. But, in my place, they barely last a single night. If you do have actual self-control, they freeze really well too (just freeze individual dough balls and bake right from frozen — needs an extra minute or two in the oven, but they taste just as lush).

How I Like to Serve Them

With cold milk. Or hot tea, if it’s a particularly dreich* day. At Christmas, we stick them in cute little tins and hand them out to neighbours. And sometimes I crumble them into ice cream — don’t knock it till you try! (*Scottish word for “gloomy” — seemed to fit, somehow.)

If You Want Not-to-Make-the-Same-Mistake Pro Tips…

Don’t rush creaming the butter and sugar. I used to try and shortcut it, but the cookies got way too dense — patience pays off.
Watch your peppermint extract! More than a teaspoon and the cookies scream “toothpaste.” Once was enough for me.
If you skip parchment, keep a close eye — cookies might stick like barnacles.

FAQ (No Stupid Questions Here)

Q: Can I leave out the peppermint?
A: Totally! You’ll have classic double chocolate cookies instead — still awesome (though not what’s advertised…)

Q: Do they travel well?
A: Yes, but wrap ’em up snug so you don’t end up with cookie crumbs everywhere — learned that the hard way on a road trip to Devon.

Q: Are they gluten free?
A: Not as written, but I did try them once with a 1:1 GF flour blend (Bob’s Red Mill, I think?) and they turned out surprisingly decent — just a tad more delicate.

Q: Can I use peppermint oil instead of extract?
A: Yes, but be super careful — that stuff is crazy strong. Start with like a third as much, and taste as you go (carefully — trust me!)

Q: Do I really need to chill the dough?
A: Nah. But if you want EXTRA thick cookies, it helps. I usually forget and the world keeps spinning.

Alright, I think that’s about everything. Hope you’ll have fun making these — and if your family gobbles them as quickly as mine does, I’d love to hear your secrets for hiding a few for yourself next time.

(By the way, if you want to level-up your Christmas baking game, Sally’s Baking Addiction has some killer variations, too.)

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies