Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
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Made with white chocolate chips and crushed peppermint, slathered in creamy chocolate peppermint ganache, and garnished with miniature candy canes, these bakery-style dark chocolate peppermint cookies make the perfect Christmastime treat. Add chocolate peppermint cookies to a holiday cookie tray, or whip up a batch for a cookie swap or festive open house. I also think they’d be great after Christmas, with peppermint hard candy standing in for the candy canes and sanding sugar to decorate.
What Inspired These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies?
When I came up with the idea for these dark chocolate peppermint cookies, I had no idea that gathering the ingredients would involve a scavenger hunt across greater London. In the US, candy canes are ubiquitous during the holiday season. You can buy them at any grocery store, drugstore, or big box retailer. In fact, they’re so easy to find that Americans often use candy canes to adorn their Christmas trees, or to add a finishing touch to gift-wrapped packages.
Most sources agree that the candy cane originated in Germany. As a European neighbor, I assumed that they’d be readily available in the UK, but, as it turns out, candy canes aren’t really a “thing” in England. I visited every drug and grocery store I could find. Lots of candy cane-themed decorations, cards, and wrapping paper, but no actual candy in sight. Thankfully, I eventually managed to track down a few bags of miniature candy canes at a discount shop, and I’m glad I made the extra effort. Crushed candy canes add a nice crunch to the dark chocolate cookie dough, and they also look lovely as a finishing touch.
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate – For contrast, I’ve added white chocolate chips to the cookie dough, and made the ganache topping with dark chocolate. As always, I recommend choosing good-quality chocolate from a brand like Lindt, Valrhona, or Callebaut. If you really love dark chocolate, replace the white chocolate chips with chopped dark chocolate or semisweet chips instead
- Cocoa Powder – You’ll need unsweetened cocoa powder to make the rich dark chocolate cookie dough. Look for natural cocoa powder, not Dutch processed, and not the sweetened cocoa powder you’d use for hot chocolate.
- Peppermint Oil – Pure peppermint oil is extremely potent, so a little bit goes a long way. (I think my eyes are still watering from the time I added way too much to a batch of peppermint marshmallows!) To flavor the ganache, start with 2-3 drops of oil, taste test, and adjust. If you really enjoy peppermint, you can also add a few drops of oil to the cookie dough. I recommend using an eye dropper to add the peppermint oil. Do not pour directly from the bottle! And make sure you’ve chosen pure peppermint oil for this recipe (I like the LorAnn brand, but any good-quality peppermint oil will work.) Adding a water-based extract may cause your ganache to split.
- Candy Canes – Miniature candy canes work best for the garnish (crush the leftovers and turn them into peppermint stirring spoons or homemade peppermint ice cream!) but for the dough, you can purchase pre-crushed candy cane pieces. If you can’t find miniature candy canes, garnish your cookies with crushed starlight mints, Christmas sprinkles, red and green sugar, edible foil stars, or Andes Peppermint Crunch instead.
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
- Don’t skip the chilling step. Cold dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much. Chill for at least two hours, or overnight. If the dough seems too firm to scoop, dip your cookie scoop in hot water to make scooping easier.
- Spread with a palette knife. A small stepped palette knife works best for spreading, allowing you to create pretty peaks and valleys in the ganache. If you don’t have a palette knife, the back of a metal spoon will work just as well.
- Crush carefully. To crush the candy canes, unwrap the canes then place in a sealed plastic bag. Place a kitchen towel underneath the bag. (Don’t work directly on the countertop, or you’ll risk damaging it!) then crush with a mallet or rolling pin, or the back of a metal ladle. Crush the candy canes into very small pieces. Big chunks of candy will make your cookies overly crunchy and difficult to chew.
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Total Time3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield22-24 2.5-inch round cookies 1x
Festive dark chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips and pieces of crushed peppermint, slathered in creamy chocolate-peppermint ganache and garnished with miniature candy canes.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
115 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup; 1 stick)
100 grams granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
100 grams light brown sugar (1/2 cup, packed)
1 egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk
170 grams all-purpose flour (1 1/3 cups)
60 grams cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
125 grams white chocolate chips (4 1/2 ounces; 3/4 cup)
65 grams crushed candy canes (1/3 cup)
For the Peppermint Ganache:
120 milliliters whipping cream (1/2 cup)
160 grams chopped dark chocolate (5 1/2 ounces; 1 cup)
2-3 drops peppermint oil
To Garnish:
Miniature candy canes, Christmas sprinkles, or additional crushed candy canes
Instructions
Cookie Dough:
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix on medium-high speed until well combined.
Add egg and milk and mix until well combined. Mixture may look slightly separated.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
Add dry ingredients to butter and mix on low speed until just combined.
With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
With a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, divide the dough into equal portions. You should have about 22-24 total.
Arrange on a parchment-lined plate and freeze for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Line a half sheet rimmed baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Arrange half of the cookie dough balls on prepared tray, allowing space for the cookies to spread as they bake. Return the remaining balls of dough to the refrigerator until ready to use.
Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, or until puffy and set. Do not overbake.
If desired, use a large round metal cutter to gently reshape the cookies into perfect circles.
Cool on tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
For the Ganache:
Add chopped dark chocolate to a large metal bowl.
Sit bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a bain-marie, or hot water bath, or add the chocolate to the top of a double boiler.
Melt dark chocolate, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
Meanwhile, warm cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not boil.
Remove chocolate from heat. Slowly pour warm cream mixture into the melted chocolate and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the peppermint oil.
Allow ganache to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, then whisk vigorously for 2-3 minutes, or until thick and creamy. You will feel the mixture thicken, and it will lose some of its glossy sheen, looking less like melted chocolate and more like chocolate frosting.
To Assemble:
With a metal teaspoon or a small stepped palette knife, spread ganache over each cookie.
Garnish with miniature candy canes, or additional crushed candy cane pieces.
Allow cookies to sit uncovered for 30 minutes, or until ganache sets.
Chocolate peppermint cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Chilling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven + Stovetop
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
To make ahead: You can prepare the cookie dough up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake. I usually make mine the night before.
To freeze: Layer baked, un-decorated cookies between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container until ready to use. Thaw at room temperature and add the ganache and candy cane garnish just prior to serving.
Other Christmas Recipes You Might Enjoy
Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tarts
Nutella-Stuffed Christmas Wreaths
Chocolate Peppermint Bark
Chocolate Peppermint Lollipops
Peppermint Ice Cream
Gingerbread Wreath
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
