Soft and chewy, just like a chocolate chip cookie should be—these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are a festive favorite. Perfect for a cookie exchange or for keeping all to yourself, they’re loaded with crushed candy canes and plenty of chocolate chips for a holiday treat Santa will love.
When the holidays arrive, I crave chocolate and peppermint in every form. These chewy peppermint chocolate chip cookies are one of the top cookie recipes on the site. After you bake a batch, you’ll understand why they’ve become a holiday staple.
Packed with crushed candy canes and a mix of dark and white chocolate chips, these cookies have been a tradition for years and are always a hit at cookie swaps and family gatherings.
Why We Love These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies have been a must-bake over the holidays for nearly a decade. They consistently receive rave reviews and are the quickest cookies to disappear at any gathering.
- A festive twist on a classic. These cookies take the familiar comfort of a chocolate chip cookie and add peppermint for an unmistakable holiday flavor.
- Kid-friendly and fun to make. Crushing candy canes is a holiday activity kids love—just expect a little mess and a lot of smiles.
- Delicious every time. With extra chips and peppermint crunch, these are often the first cookies to go at a cookie exchange.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter at room temperature. It should be softened enough to leave a small indentation when pressed, but not mushy.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is fine. Weighing flour is most accurate; if measuring by cup, stir to aerate and spoon into the measuring cup then level off.
- Baking soda: Make sure it’s fresh—expired baking soda can prevent proper rise.
- Vanilla extract: Use vanilla, and optionally add 1/4–1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract for extra mint flavor.
- Candy canes: Crush into fine pieces. If candy canes are out of season, peppermint candies work too.
- Chocolate chips: A mix of dark (or semi-sweet) and white chocolate chips works beautifully, but use your preferred chips.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cream the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy using a hand or stand mixer.
Step 2: Beat for about 3 minutes to incorporate air—this helps give the cookies good lift.
Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla, then beat just until incorporated.
Step 4: Beat briefly to combine the wet ingredients.
Step 5: Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix only until combined.
Step 6: Avoid overmixing—overworked dough yields tough, flat cookies.
Step 7: Fold in the chocolate chips and the finely crushed candy canes.
Step 8: Chill the dough for 30–60 minutes. Scoop or roll into roughly 1½-inch balls before chilling. If chilled longer than 2 hours, let dough sit at room temperature a bit before baking.
Step 9: Arrange dough balls on a parchment-lined sheet about 2 inches apart and bake until the edges turn lightly golden.
Step 10: Optionally use a biscuit cutter or wide lid to gently nudge warm cookies into round shapes, and press a few extra chips or candy cane pieces on top for presentation. Let cool briefly before transferring to a rack.
Recipe Tips
- Watch large candy cane pieces near the edges. Big chunks can melt and run during baking. Remove or press oversized pieces into the dough before baking.
- Crush candy canes finely. Smaller pieces reduce melting and keep the cookies tidy while still giving peppermint flavor.
- Chill the dough when possible. Chilling solidifies fats so cookies spread less and stay chewier. If you skip chilling, cookies will still work but texture will vary.
- Use fresh baking soda. Old leavening can lead to flat cookies.
- Double the batch if needed. The recipe scales well—I’ve doubled it many times with reliable results.
- Add extra chips. More chocolate chips improve flavor and appearance; pressing a few on top right out of the oven makes them look irresistible.
Storage
Storing baked cookies: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days; best texture is within the first two days.
Freezing: Layer baked cookies with parchment in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. For cookie dough, roll into balls and freeze on a sheet for an hour before transferring to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen with 2–3 extra minutes of time or thaw before baking.
Check the recipe card below for ingredient amounts, baking times, and helpful notes before you start baking.
Are Your Cookies Flat?
Flat cookies can result from several common issues:
- Not enough flour. Test one cookie first; if it spreads too much, add a tablespoon or two of flour to the dough.
- Dough too warm. Chill dough before baking or ensure butter wasn’t overly soft when creaming.
- Overmixing the dough. Mix dry ingredients only until incorporated to avoid dense, flat cookies.
- Butter too warm. Properly softened butter should hold its shape with a slight indentation when pressed.
- Old leavening agents. Replace expired baking soda to maintain rise.
Other Holiday Treats:
- Nutella Stuffed Ritz Cracker Cookies with Peppermint White Chocolate
- Cream Cheese Snowball Cookies
- One Bowl Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Christmas Golden Oreo Truffles
- Snickerdoodle Cheesecake Stuffed Crescent Wreath
- Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Pretzel Bark
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow
- Individual Cranberry Orange Crisps
- Maple Vanilla Spiced Pecans
- Nutella Crumble Bars
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Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (204 g)
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup dark or regular chocolate chips
- 5 candy canes, crushed into fine pieces (about 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
Instructions
- Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter with both sugars for 3–4 minutes until light. Add vanilla and egg and beat until just incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, sea salt, and baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
- Chill the dough 30–60 minutes. Dough can be sealed and chilled up to 3 days. If chilled longer than 2 hours, allow dough to sit 10–15 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Scoop dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 9–12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Remove just before fully done for a chewy center.
- Let cookies cool several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Butter: Softened butter should still be cool to the touch and leave a small indentation when pressed. Over-softened butter makes thin, runny cookies.
Flour weight: Flour weights vary. This recipe uses 204 g for 1½ cups. If you don’t use a scale, keep an extra tablespoon or two of flour on hand.
Creaming: Cream butter and sugar at least 3 minutes to create air pockets that help cookies rise.
Doubling: If doubling the recipe, use 408 g flour; for tripling, use 612 g flour.
Prevent candy cane bleeding: Remove or press large candy cane pieces into dough to avoid excessive running. Finely crushed candy canes minimize this issue.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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