Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies blend rich cocoa with invigorating crushed peppermint candy canes in a chewy cookie base. Serve them with an extra sprinkle of crushed candy canes for the ultimate festive holiday cookie!
Be sure to dunk these cookies into a Peppermint Hot Chocolate or a Gingerbread Latte!
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These easy chocolate peppermint cookies capture the essence of the holiday season in every bite, like my chocolate crinkle cookies and almond florentines.
Each cookie promises a delightful crunch from the candy canes, contrasted with the soft, melt-in-your-mouth cocoa chocolate.
Perfect for cozy winter evenings or as a standout addition to your holiday cookie spread, these peppermint chocolate cookies make them a must-have for festive celebrations.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Crushed Candy Canes: Use either pre-crushed peppermint candy canes or crush whole candy canes yourself.
- All-purpose flour: Is also known as plain flour in Australia. Make sure to accurately measure your flour and basic baking ingredients for the best results.
- Cornstarch: Also known as cornflour in Australia, it contributes to the chewy texture but if you don’t have it on hand, omit it from the recipe or arrowroot flour makes a good substitute.
How to Make Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies (with photos)
A full and detailed recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
Crush Candy Canes: Use a mortar and pestle or a zip-lock bag and rolling pin. Set aside.
Prepare Wet Mixture: To the cooled butter, add both sugars and whisk for 20 seconds. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Sift in the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and baking soda. Add the salt and combine until a thick dough forms.
Add Chocolate and Candy Canes: Fold in chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
Chill: Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. For overnight chilling, see notes.
Preheat Oven: To 356ºF (180ºC) fan-forced. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form Cookies: Scoop 45g/1.5 oz (or 3 level tablespoons) of dough, roll into tall balls, and place on the tray, spaced 10cm apart. Do not flatten balls.
Bake: 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers are soft. Aadd extra crushed candy cane to the tops. Cool the cookies on the sheet for 15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Chill the dough: You only need 30 minutes to chill the cookie dough in the fridge. This makes it easier to roll the dough and prevent flat cookies.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: These cookies need space to spread out and strut their stuff. Give ’em room to groove!
- Do not flatten balls: No need to flatten the dough balls on the baking sheet. Keeping them tall allows them to spread naturally during baking in the oven.
- Deflate cookies: Tap cookies on the bench top or stovetop to deflate them after baking; this creates the classic cookie top waves.
Storage Instructions
Store: Allow cookies to cool completely and store in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1 week.
Freeze: Place baked and cooled cookies in a freezer-friendly zip-lock bag or container, layered with parchment paper between each layer of cookies to prevent sticking. Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw: At room temperature for 1-2 hours until soft enough to eat.
Freezing Cookie Dough:
- Prep: Shape dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced apart.
- Freeze: Chill the sheet for 1-2 hours until firm.
- Store: Transfer balls to a zip-lock or container. Separate layers with parchment. Label with the date; store for up to 3 months.
Baking from Frozen:
- From Frozen: Preheat your oven as directed in the recipe, and add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time. Monitor them closely until they’re ready as per recipe instructions.
- Thaw Before Baking: Thaw the frozen cookie balls in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight, then bake as per the original instructions.
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Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (1.5 oz) crushed peppermint candy canes, about 2 canes, plus extra for topping
- 160 g unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup golden granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, how to pack
- 1 large egg at room temperature, (weighing approx. 55g in shell)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150g/5.3 oz) all-purpose flour, scoop & leveled
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, or natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Crush Candy Canes: If not using pre-crushed candy canes, use a mortar and pestle or a zip-lock bag and rolling pin to crush them. Set aside.
- Melt Butter: Over low heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, use a microwave in 30-second bursts. Transfer to a large bowl and cool until slightly warm.
- Prepare Wet Mixture: To the cooled butter, add both sugars and whisk for 20 seconds. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Sift in the flour, cocoa, cornstarch, and baking soda. Add the salt and combine until a thick dough forms.
- Add Chocolate and Candy Canes: Fold in chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
- Chill: Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. For overnight chilling, see notes.
- Preheat Oven: To 356ºF (180ºC) fan-forced. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Form Cookies: Scoop 45g/1.5 oz (or 3 level tablespoons) of dough, roll into tall balls, and place on the tray, spaced 10cm apart. Do not flatten balls.
- Bake: 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers are soft. Remove and tap the tray on your bench top or stove top 3 times to help slightly deflate.
- Decorate: While still warm, add extra crushed candy cane to the top of each cookie.
- Cool: Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Notes
- Chill dough overnight: To chill your dough overnight, make it per the recipe instructions and instead of chilling it for 30 minutes, leave it wrapped in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to shaping the cookies to let it soften.
- Store: Allow cookies to cool completely and store in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1 week.
- Freeze: Place baked and cooled cookies in a freezer-friendly zip-lock bag or container, layered with parchment paper between each layer of cookies to prevent sticking. Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: At room temperature for 1-2 hours until soft enough to eat.