Hey There Friend—Ready for a Pepperminty Cookie Adventure?

Alright, confession first: I started making these peppermint chocolate chip Christmas cookies by accident one year, after realizing (a smidge too late) the only chips I had for cookies were those lurid red-and-white candy canes leftover from my nephew’s gingerbread house massacre. Spoiler: My house smelled like a candy shop, and everyone went bonkers for the batch. Even picky Auntie Lou, who says she doesn’t “do” sweets. Anyway, now it’s a whole thing every December. Just a warning, crushing up candy canes is louder than you think; my old dog thought the world was ending.

Why I Always (Oops, Almost Always) Make These at Christmas

I break out this recipe every time someone asks for “something a bit special” during the holidays. No kidding—my family straight-up hovers by the oven, waiting for the first tray to come out. I make them, honestly, because the smell alone is enough to make winter feel not so endless. And once I tried to skip the peppermint part, thinking maybe folks wouldn’t notice (bad move, they noticed), and let’s just say I’m not allowed to mess with the tradition again. There’s just something about minty chocolate that yells IT’S CHRISTMAS! Oh, and if you’ve ever struggled with sticky dough—I did, til someone tipped me off to quick-chill it. Game changer, promise.

The Ingredients—With a Few Swaps if You’re in a Pinch

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes I get lazy and sub in 1/2 cup whole wheat flour—nobody ever notices, cross my heart)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (I usually go a bit liberal with it, no regrets)
1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temp (Granny swears by Kerrygold, but, like, whatever brand you’ve got)
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed! I found out once that unpacked gives you a sad cookie)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or a glug more—my hand always slips)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (but NOT mint extract—learned that the hard way, wow)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips—sometimes I mix dark and milk chocolate, whatever’s handy
3/4 cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes (honestly, I just bash a handful in a zip bag with a rolling pin, very therapeutic)

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies

Let’s Bake! (And Yes, Dirtying Extra Bowls is Part of the Fun)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). This is the point I realize I forgot to put the oven rack in the right spot. Top third works best, but I always seem to forget.
Grab 2 bowls (or one if you’re doing that one-bowl rebel method). Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. I don’t always sift, but if you’re feeling fancy, go off.
Beat butter and both sugars until fluffy—seriously, let it fluff up a bit, this makes them extra dreamy. Sometimes I sneak a taste here, but that’s between you and me.
Mix in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and peppermint extract (smells unreal at this stage—try not to drool, ha!)
Gradually stir in flour mixture. Don’t panic if it looks a bit thick; that’s normal. (Actually, if it’s super runny, best double-check you didn’t forget the flour. Not that I have.)
Fold in chocolate chips and most of the peppermint chunks. Save a bit for sprinkling on top, if you’re feeling like a show-off.
Pop the bowl in the fridge for 20-30 minutes if you can. Totally optional, but the dough sets up so it’s easier to scoop, and they spread less (not that spreading is the end of the world!)
Scoop generous rounds (I use a heaping tablespoon or a cookie scoop if I can actually find the thing) onto your parchment-lined tray. Space them…eh, 2 inches apart if you can swing it.
Sprinkle a few candy pieces on top for those “Instagram bake” vibes.
Bake for 9–11 minutes. My oven’s a bit dramatic, so I check at the 8 minute mark. Cookies should be set, edges golden, centers a tiny bit soft. Trust me—better underbaked than rock hard.
Let them sit on the tray for 3–4 minutes, then transfer to a rack or, honestly, straight to your mouth (no judgement at all).

Some Notes I Jotted Down After Baking (For Real)

If the dough’s super sticky, chill it longer—or toss in a bit more flour, but literally just a pinch at a time.
I once tried skipping the parchment. Don’t. You’ll be chiseling peppermint melt-off for weeks.
Cookies will look underdone right out of the oven, but they firm up as they cool. Don’t second guess and bake longer. Been there!

What Else Can You Try? Variations That (Mostly) Worked

Once I swapped in Andes mints for the chocolate chips—delightful.
A friend used white chocolate and, actually, it was kinda snazzy.
One Christmas, I tried using gluten-free flour (the Bob’s Red Mill blend) and it turned out pretty spot-on, just a hair crumblier. Not a disaster, just not quite as chewy.
But don’t try using those chewy peppermint candies—the dough turns weird and sticky. Lesson learned (twice…don’t ask).

Do You Need Fancy Equipment?

A stand mixer makes this less arm-breaking for sure, but I’ve absolutely done it with a regular old hand mixer or (when mine went missing for six months) a solid wooden spoon and some upper-body determination. No cookie scoop? No worries, just use two spoons or even your hand if you’re not squeamish—just wash well, obviously. Oh, and if you don’t have a rack for cooling, the back of a baking sheet works decently, maybe flip it upside down.

How Long DO These Keep? (Ha…)

Supposedly, in an airtight tin, these’ll last up to five days at room temp—or a week if you fridge them—but, in my house, you’re lucky if they see sunrise the next day. I once managed to squirrel a few away in a snap-lid box and, honestly, they were even chewier on day two. Just don’t leave them uncovered—they’ll dry up faster than a puddle in July.

How We Serve ‘Em (Plus, Our Slightly Odd Tradition)

I love piling these onto an old Christmas plate with a mug of hot choc. My niece insists on dunking hers (no judgement). If you want to go full festive chaos—pile them high, dust a sprinkle of extra crushed candy over them, and whack on some cheesy Christmas music. One year, we did a “cookie swap” and ended up eating the whole batch before the guests even arrived. Lesson: bake a double batch if you have snacky people about. For more serving ideas, I’ve nicked inspiration form this blog—she does cookie ice cream sandwiches, so why not?

Handful of Pro Tips (Learned the Hard Way…)

Don’t over-microwave your butter. I did, and got soupy dough (which makes flat, weird cookies that, honestly, taste a bit sad).
If crushing candy canes, don’t forget to double-bag them (I forgot, and found peppermint bits in a plant pot months later).
Overbaking in hopes of “crispier cookies”? Just don’t. They turn into tooth-breakers! Slightly underdone always wins.

Burning Questions I Actually Get (and Some I Imagined…)

Can I freeze the dough? 100 percent, yes. I roll scoops of dough on a tray, freeze, then stick ’em in a zip bag. Just bake a minute or two longer form frozen.
What if I don’t have peppermint extract? You could, in a pinch, up the crushed candy. Or try a dab of vanilla and a smidge more salt—won’t be the same, but still tasty.
Help, my cookies are spreading too much! Pop the dough in the fridge longer. Or add a spoonful more flour—sometimes humidity just messes with baking, what can you do?
Are these spicy? Ha, nope, just minty. Though once my brother mistook “mint extract” for chili oil. Don’t make that mistake, friend!

Right, if you’re still with me after all that rambling—thanks for sticking around! If you give this peppermint chocolate chip Christmas cookie recipe a crack, let me know how it goes. Or just send me a picture, which is almost as sweet as sharing a real plate. Happy baking!

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies