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Soft and chewy, just like a chocolate chip cookie should be--these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are your new favorite Christmas Cookie! Take these to the cookie exchange--or save them for yourself--loaded with candy canes and lots of chips, they will make Santa extra happy!
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- Originally posted December 2018. Photos updated November 2020. -
As soon as the holiday season hits, all I want is chocolate and peppermint--and I will take it just about any way I can get it.
These peppermint chip cookies, fully of crushed up candy canes have become a tradition the past several years, and it wouldn't be Christmas without them.
Why we love these peppermint chip cookies so much:
- They take a classic and give it a holiday kick! Who can resist a chocolate chip cookie? And giving them a little bit of Christmas cheer just makes them more fun over the holiday season.
- These are super kid friendly. Get the kids in the kitchen. Oh what fun it is to CRUSH UP CANDY CANES! I can't promise things won't get messy though.
- They are delish! I mean, isn't that the reason we bake cookies??
These Peppermint Chip Cookies are bound to become a family favorite in your house very soon. Grab some milk and get ready!
What you will need:
- butter: I use unsalted butter. Salted butter will work too, just half the amount of salt added later. Softened to room temperature, but not too soft that if you press into it, it is very mushy. Just enough to press a finger print into.
- brown sugar: light brown sugar is what we use.
- sugar: classic, granulated sugar
- egg: a large egg
- flour: all purpose flour, if you can measure the weight, that is ideal. If not, stir the flour to aerate and then spoon and level into the measuring cup for best results. It is very easy to over measure flour especially if you scoop the measuring cup right into the flour.
- baking soda: make sure it is fresh. Expired baking soda can cause your cookies to be the opposite of a success!
- sea salt: regular salt will work as well, we just prefer sea salt
- vanilla: extract is preference here. You can also add a touch (¼- ½ teaspoon) of peppermint extract for more mint flavor.
- candy canes (or peppermint candies if not in season)
- dark and white chocolate chips--or any combo you prefer!
How to make this recipe:
- Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt, flour and baking soda. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix only to incorporate. You don't want to over mix at this point.
- Once the flour is incorporated, fold in the chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
- Chill until ready to bake or scoop onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake!
Check out some of my cookie baking tips and FAQs here before you start baking these cookies!
Notes and Pro-Tips:
- Too much candy cane near the edges of the cookie will run. Now this is the only issue I have with these cookies and I have been able to figure out a way for the most part to help keep the candy cane from running in all directions. When you scoop the cookies onto the cookie sheet, check around the edges to see if there are any big pieces of candy cane. If there are, either pull them out or try to press them into the dough. Having the candy cane run doesn't ruin the cookie--it just doesn't look quite as pretty!
- When in doubt, crush the candy canes REALLY SMALL. This will alleviate most issues with candy canes running. Just skip the big chunks--you will still love these!
- Chilling cookie dough is always a great idea. It helps to solidify the fats in the cookie so that when baking it takes longer for them to soften. No time to chill? Not the end of the world, but there will be a difference in the chewiness of the cookie.
- Always, always ALWAYS make sure that your baking soda is fresh. Old or expired baking soda can make your cookies flat. No one wants a flat cookie!
- I tried to make these simple to double the batch if you are wanting to make more to share with the people you love! I have made double the batch several times with great results!
- All the chips! The key to the best chocolate chip cookies is extra chips, right? Add whatever you like! I always end up throwing extra in and so can you! I loved the chocolate chunks I found at the store to add some extra texture. Chips are great as well!
- Candy canes are great, but peppermint candies will work fine if it is not candy cane season.
Enjoy these Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies and all of your favorite treats this season and beyond!
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 Recipe
- Nutella Crumble Bars
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Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ c unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ c flour (204 g)* see note **If doubling the recipe, please see notes for grams!!
- ½ c sugar
- ⅓ c brown sugar, packed firmly
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ c white chocolate chips
- ¾ c dark or regular chocolate chips
- 5 candy canes, crushed into fine pieces about ¼ cup plus a tablespoon
Instructions
- Using a hand or standing mixer, cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until nice and creamy. (Mix for at least 3-4 minutes --don't skip this part!*)Add in vanilla and egg and beat until incorporated. You don't want to over do this part or cookies will be stiff. Just enough until the egg is mixed in (about 20 seconds.)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sea salt and baking soda. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips and candy canes.
- Chill the dough for about 30-60 minutes, seal tightly and chill up to 3 days before baking. (Allow to sit out 10-15 minutes before you bake them if you chill longer than about 2 hours.)
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough into balls or use a cookie scoop and line on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until cookies look slightly golden. When cookies come out of the oven, you can "pull them together" by putting a circle cookie cutter or biscuit cutter around each cookie and gently scoot them to form nice round cookies. Do not overbake your cookies--pull them out just before you think they are done.
- Allow to cool for several minutes before transferring to your mouth--er, a cooling rack.
Notes
- Too much candy cane near the edges of the cookie will run. Now this is the only issue I have with these cookies and I have been able to figure out a way for the most part to help keep the candy cane from running in all directions. When you scoop the cookies onto the cookie sheet, check around the edges to see if there are any big pieces of candy cane. If there are, either pull them out or try to press them into the dough. Having the candy cane run doesn't ruin the cookie--it just doesn't look quite as pretty!
- When in doubt, crush the candy canes REALLY SMALL. This will alleviate most issues with candy canes running. Just skip the big chunks--you will still love these!
- Chilling cookie dough is always a great idea. It helps to solidify the fats in the cookie so that when baking it takes longer for them to soften. No time to chill? Not the end of the world, but there will be a difference in the chewiness of the cookie.
- If dough is chilled and cookies are spreading a lot, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour to help them hold their shape better. If flour is just slightly off, it can make a big difference in the amount the cookies hold together.
Chessie says
I'm so sad! I just made these and I overbaked them and there's no chunks of peppermint, they all melted! Any way to get a softer fluffier cookie and no melted peppermint? ????
Lorie says
Hi Chessie! Sorry to hear this. I have had some people just sprinkle the crushed candy cane over top of the cookies toward the end of baking and they have liked that. You could make the pieces slightly bigger but you would just have to make sure they are not toward the edge of the cookie so they won’t run. Does that help?!
Alyssa says
These are the perfect Christmas cookie for chocolate and peppermint lovers! They were soft with crispy edges and so delicious!
Lorie says
So so happy to hear this Alyssa! Making one more batch for the season this week---not even sure how many times I have made them now!
Lindsay says
If I don’t have regular chocolate chips, would chocolate chunks work as well as they tend to melt more?
Lorie says
Chunks will work fine too!
Brooke says
Loved this! i added mini marshmallows, and they turned out great.
Lorie says
Ohhhh, I love the sound of that!
Sara says
Looking forward to making these with my kiddos as part of our annual cookie baking tradition. If I have “pre crushed” candy canes, how much would you recommend using? Is 5 canes about ¾ cup?
Lorie says
about 1/2 cup should do it!
Missy says
Just made these tonight and followed the recipe exactly....my dough seemed very dry and crumbly. And they didn’t bake up nice and fluffy, they were on the flatter side and the candy canes made them really sticky! Not sure what went wrong...
Lorie says
Hmmm sorry to hear that!! Sounds like there may have been a touch too much flour. Even the slightest amount of extra flour can have an impact.
Kandacehizer says
Can the dough be refrigerated for a couple days prior to baking?
Lorie says
Hi! Yes, that should be fine!
Jen says
These are amazing! Crushed the candy cane into small pieces and had no running! They came out perfect! These will now be added to our annual Christmas cookies!
Lorie says
This makes me so happy! I just ate my last pre-Christmas one from the freezer so next batch is coming! Thanks Jen!
Alison says
These were so delicious and worked perfectly! Do you think the dough would freeze well? I’m going to make some for Christmas gifts!
Lorie says
Hi!! Yes! If you roll it into balls and freeze, its super simple. Thaw and bake!
Cindy says
Most excellent, soft and tasty holiday cookie! I made these with Bob's gluten free flour and a vegan egg product and they were amazing. Really appreciate the advice not to overbeat the butter & sugars as I did not know that before and think it really helped.
Lorie says
So good to know the gluten free flour worked well! Thanks so much for sharing this Cindy!!
Delilah says
These are delicious. I found out the second time making them that using Starlight Mints rather than candy canes is easier as they lie flat and are easier to crush.
Lorie says
Great to know!!! I imagine that they are easier to unwrap too. Candy canes can be very tedious. Thanks Delilah!