These soft and chewy Crushed Peppermint Meltaway Cookies are filled to the brim with holiday cheer. They are a melt-in-your-mouth holiday favorite, full of peppermint flavor and topped with white chocolate and crunchy candy canes.
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Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
If you can’t get enough peppermint during the holiday season, give these classic Peppermint Meltaway Cookies a try. They’re made with a soft and chewy sugar cookie dough that’s been flavored with peppermint and baked just enough to hold their shape. Once completely cooled, they are topped with a drizzle of peppermint white chocolate and crushed candy canes.
Feel free to add a few drops of red food coloring to either the cookie dough or the white chocolate to give these cookies a little extra color. You could also change up these flavors by adding different extracts such as lemon, coffee, or plain vanilla.
Ingredients in Peppermint Cookies
- Butter - be sure that your butter is soft before making the dough. You can either leave it out overnight at room temperature or place in a microwave-safe container and heat for about 10 seconds at a time just until soft.
- Sugar - this recipe calls for white granulated sugar.
- 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.
- Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Peppermint Extract - be sure and use peppermint extract and not spearmint or mint extract. The flavor is very different.
- Salt - sea salt works great.
- Baking Powder - this helps the cookies to rise in the oven.
- Baking Soda - this reacts with the baking powder to help the cookies rise.
- Flour - this recipe uses all-purpose flour.
- 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.
- Peppermint Extract - you will need more to add to the melted chocolate.
- 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 These Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
- Make the sugar cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, or about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed and scraping between each addition. Then, add the vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt and mix just until combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda and flour. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
- Optional - chill the dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to 2 hours.
- Scoop cookies. Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, form 2" balls and place the soft drop sugar cookies dough on an ungreased baking sheet about 2" apart.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 8-9 minutes, or until lightly browned on the edges.
- Cool. Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate wafers. Heat for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Once melted, add the peppermint extract and mix until smooth.
- Decorate and let set. Drizzle the chocolate peppermint onto the cooled cookies then sprinkle the crushed candy canes evenly over the top. Let sit for 20 minutes or until the chocolate is hardened.
- Serve. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you prefer frosting, by all means use that instead of melted peppermint chocolate. You could use our Buttercream Frosting recipe and add about 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract.
If you bake your Peppermint Cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven, it should take between 8-9 minutes. You will know your cookies have finished baking when they are lightly browned around the edges. You do not want to overbake these cookies so keep a close eye on them.
Yes! You can either freeze scooped balls of dough to bake later, or you can freeze the baked cookies. To freeze the scooped dough balls, store in an airtight container or freezer bags for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then place onto a cookie sheet and bake as directed.
If you decide to freeze baked cookies, I recommend freezing them before frosting. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Once they are thawed, you can frost and decorate as directed.
Storing And Freezing
- 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.
Peppermint Melt-Away Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Sugar
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
Cookie Toppings
- 1 cup White Chocolate Wafers
- ½ teaspoon Peppermint Extract
- ½ cup Crushed Candy Canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and cream together using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, or about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed and scraping between each addition. Then, add the vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt. Mix just until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
- Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, form 2" balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet (or baking sheet with parchment paper) about 2" apart.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 8-9 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookie Toppings
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate wafers. Heat for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Once melted, add the peppermint extract and mix until smooth.
- Drizzle the chocolate peppermint onto the cooled cookies then sprinkle the crushed candy canes evenly over the top. Let sit for 20 minutes or until the chocolate is hardened.
- Serve immediately or store in a an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More of the Best Christmas Cookies
- Grinch Cookies
- DoubleTree Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- White Chocolate Dipped Oreos
- Christmas Linzer Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Dipped Oreos
- Soft Molasses Cookies
- Gingerbread Men Cookies
- More Best Cookie Recipes
- More Christmas Recipes
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These Peppermint Melt-Away Cookies are an easy, delicious, and super festive Christmas cookie that everyone seems to love. They are soft and chewy and topped with melted chocolate and crushed candy canes.
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