These festive Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are perfectly thick and fudgy, topped with melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes. They are rich, chewy, crunchy, and loaded with chocolate and peppermint flavor in every bite.
The buttery melt-in-your-mouth meltaways are loaded with cocoa powder and brown sugar. Feel free to experiment with different cookie icing flavors and toppings.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
You can’t go wrong with these festive chocolate peppermint meltaway cookies—especially during the holidays. They’re thick, fudgy, infused with peppermint flavor, and loaded with chocolate. To finish, I top these little beauties with melted white chocolate and peppermint along with a sprinkle of crunchy crushed peppermint candy.
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Want to make double chocolate peppermint cookies? Toss a cup of chocolate chips into the dough. Or, for a non-holiday version, skip the crushed candy cane and top with chocolate chips, crushed Whoppers, or pretzels – the sky’s the limit! If you’re looking for more chocolate mint cookies, give our Andes Mint Cookies or our White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookies a try.
Chocolate Peppermint Meltaway Cookies Video
Key Ingredients
- Butter – I used salted butter, but if you use unsalted butter just increase your salt to a total of 1 teaspoon. The recipe calls for melted butter because we’re going for a fudgy cookie meaning there’s no need to beat the butter and sugar.
- Flour – All-purpose flour gives these cookies structure while keeping them soft and fudgy.
- Brown Sugar – the brown sugar adds flavor but also creates a denser and richer cookie. You can use light or dark brown sugar, depending on how much molasses flavor you like in your cookies.
- Eggs – it’s best to pull your eggs out to room temperature at least 30 minutes before making your dough so that they don’t “shock” the butter.
- Peppermint Extract – be sure and use peppermint extract and not spearmint or mint extract. The flavor is very different. You’ll need about 1 teaspoon for the cookie dough and ½ teaspoon for the topping.
- Cocoa Powder – to get the best flavor, use the best cocoa powder.
- Baking Soda – Baking soda reacts with the brown sugar and cocoa to give these cookies a little lift.
- White Chocolate Wafers – you can either use white chocolate wafers or white chocolate chips to top the cookies. The easiest way to melt them is in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring between until completely melted.
- Crushed Candy Canes – either crushed candy cane or crushed peppermint candy will work great for these cookies. I like to put them into a freezer bag and crush using a rolling pin. Avoid crushing too much so that you keep small pieces rather than creating a bunch of peppermint candy powder.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Meltaways
- Make the cookie dough. Add the melted butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined. Slowly add the room temperature eggs, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract, scraping down the sides as needed. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together and is well combined.
- Let the dough chill. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
- Scoop the dough. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using an ice cream scoop or spoons, scoop into 1.5 tablespoon balls and place about 2″ apart on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-11 minutes, or until the center of the cookie is set and the edges of the cookies are slightly firm. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate. Meanwhile, add the white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and melt for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until melted and smooth.
- Add the toppings. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract, stir, and then spoon over the cookies. Top with crushed candy canes then place in a cool spot to allow the chocolate to set up completely. (Note: if you want to speed up the process, you can place the cookies in the fridge for about 20 minutes).
- Serve or store. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Chocolate Meltaway Cookie Variations
These fudgy chocolate cookies are easy to dress up for any occasion. Here are a few favorite ideas:
- Double chocolate peppermint. Fold 1 cup of semi-sweet or white chocolate chips into the dough.
- Andes mint. Skip the white chocolate topping and press a chopped Andes mint into each warm cookie. Love that combo? Try my Andes Mint Cookies.
- Dark chocolate drizzle. Use melted dark or semi-sweet chocolate instead of white chocolate for the topping.
- Chocolate mint frosting. Swap the white chocolate topping for a swirl of Mint Cream Cheese Frosting.
- Christmas sprinkles. Top the white chocolate with red and green sprinkles instead of crushed candy canes.
- Plain chocolate meltaways. Skip the peppermint extract and candy canes for a classic fudgy chocolate cookie, then top with flaky sea salt or chopped pecans.
- Peppermint sandwich cookies. Sandwich two cookies with a layer of peppermint buttercream.
- Prefer a lighter cookie? Try my Peppermint Meltaway Cookies, a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie with no chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can either make it up to 24 hours in advance and store it in the fridge. Or, you can make the dough, scoop it, and freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months. To bake, just pull the dough balls out onto a cookie sheet and bake as directed, adding a couple extra minutes to the total baking time.
I highly recommend chilling this dough before baking. Letting the cookie dough rest in the fridge, even for 30 minutes, helps to relax the dough, chill the butter, and creates a super thick and fudgy cookie.
The first way to make sure that your cookies stay soft and fudgy is to be sure you don’t over bake them. As soon as the centers are set and the edges are slightly firm, they are ready to be pulled from the oven. In a 350 degree oven, this should take between 8-11 minutes. This recipe also relies on using melted butter, rather than creaming butter, and brown sugar, rather than granulated sugar, to create that super fudgy texture.
They’re made with melted butter and brown sugar, which gives them an ultra-tender, fudgy texture that practically melts in your mouth. These chocolate meltaways are richer and fudgier than classic buttery meltaways.
I recommend peppermint extract. Mint extract usually contains spearmint, which tastes more like toothpaste or chewing gum than candy canes.
The dough was probably too warm. Chill it for at least 30 minutes before scooping, and make sure your melted butter has cooled slightly before mixing it with the sugar.
Melt it in 20- to 30-second bursts, stirring in between, and stop as soon as it’s smooth. Make sure no water gets into the bowl. If it gets thick, stir in ½ teaspoon of coconut oil or shortening.
Sprinkle them on right after spooning on the white chocolate, while it’s still wet, so they stick. If you’re making the cookies more than a day ahead, add the candy canes closer to serving, since they can get sticky in humid weather.
Yes! Freeze the baked cookies without the topping for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature, then add the white chocolate and crushed candy canes. You can also freeze the scooped dough balls and bake straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
They’re perfect! They hold their shape, stack well once the chocolate sets, and look festive on any cookie tray. Separate the layers with parchment paper when you pack them.
Storing And Freezing Instructions
- Room Temperature: store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: you can also store your cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, adding sheets of parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick.
- Freezer: you can freeze both the baked cookies and the unbaked cookie dough. As long as the cookies are stored in an airtight container or freezer bags, they will last for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing baked cookies prior to frosting them.
- To Bake Cookies from Frozen: you can pull frozen dough balls from the freezer and bake directly in a preheated oven, adding an extra couple of minutes to the baking time.
Chocolate Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1¾ cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoon peppermint extract, (divided)
Cookie Topping
- 1 cup white chocolate wafers
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the melted butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until combined. Slowly add the room temperature eggs, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract, scraping down the sides as needed.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until the cookie dough comes together and is well combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using an ice cream scoop or spoons, scoop into 1½ tablespoon balls and place about 2" apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 8-11 minutes, or until the center of the cookie is set and the edges of the cookies are slightly firm. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely.
- Meanwhile, add the white chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and melt for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until melted and smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract, stir, and then spoon over the cookies. Top with crushed candy canes then place in a cool spot to allow the chocolate to set up completely. (Note: if you want to speed up the process, you can place the cookies in the fridge for about 20 minutes).
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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More Of Our Favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Grinch Cookies
- Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Brownie Waffle Cookies
- M&M Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Cookies
- Eggnog Cookies
- Molasses Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookies
- Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
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These super thick and fudgy Chocolate Peppermint Meltaway Cookies are a perfect Christmas cookie that everyone loves. They are loaded with chocolate and peppermint flavor, and topped with extra white chocolate and crushed candy canes.
