Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies ready to eat in just 30 minutes. These BIG New York-style cookies are filled with mint chocolate, white chocolate chips and sprinkled with candy canes.
I love BIG cookies. And I love big Christmas cookies even more. These Double Chocolate Peppermint NYC Cookies tick ALL the boxes.
They’re big, chocolatey and bursting with mint. If you think chocolate and mint are a match made in heaven, you will adore these peppermint wonders (that’s what I’m calling them).
In addition to oodles of mint chocolate and a dash of peppermint extract, I’ve also added pops of white chocolate and a sprinkling of crunchy candy canes to finish.
They take only 30 minutes to make with NO chilling the dough.
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy: Using COLD butter means these cookies are ready to eat in 30 minutes with no chill time needed.
- Bursting with peppermint: With plenty of peppermint extract and mint chocolate, these chocolate-loaded cookies are unmistakably minty.
- Soft and chewy: Despite being HUGE, these choc mint cookies are still surprisingly soft and fudgy inside – almost brownie-like.
- Christmas-themed: We love a Christmas cookie around here and these robust NYC cookies are perfect for Christmas celebrations or cookie swaps.
recipe testing
When I was pondering a new NYC cookie to add to our Christmas collection, I landed on the combination of chocolate peppermint.
Last year, I went mad for my Gingerbread NYC Cookies – and they’re still an absolute favourite in our house. So I wanted to take everything we love about the texture of my Chocolate Chip NYC Cookies and transform them into a choc mint morsel.
At first, I tried a cookie similar to my Double Chocolate NYC Cookies which uses ALL brown sugar. But I felt with the rich cocoa powder and large amounts of dark chocolate, the cookies actually needed to be a touch sweeter. So I swapped a little of the brown sugar for caster sugar. Not only did it help sweeten but it gives the cookies crispier edges – while still remaining fudgy and pillowy inside.
I tested this recipe a few times to get the right mint-to-chocolate ratio. I also attempted baking the candy canes IN the cookies but found they disintegrated and didn’t add a whole lot of flavour. But sprinkling a few bits on top makes them festive and fun.
You can use any mint chocolate you like. I found mint chocolate with a white mint filling melted in the oven but still worked. But in the end, I enjoyed using Lindt dark mint chocolate the best. You do you!
Ingredients
A few pantry basics plus some mint chocolate can make the most amazing Christmas cookies. Here are a few key ingredients you’ll need to make these Peppermint NYC Cookies – as well as any substitutions you can make.
Brown sugar and caster sugar: I preferred the mix of both brown sugar and caster sugar. It creates a soft cookies that’s still really tall and thick. However, if you only want to use one sugar, use ALL brown sugar.
Peppermint extract: To bump up the minty flavour, I’ve used a dash of peppermint extract. You can usually find it in the baking aisle near the vanilla and almond extract. If you can’t get hold of it, you can use vanilla extract instead but the cookies won’t be quite as minty.
Mint chocolate: As mentioned above, I tested this recipe using a few different types of mint chocolate. Chocolate that has a mint filling will likely melt and spill out of the cookies. I preferred a solid block of mint chocolate (I used Lindt). Peppermint chips would also work (can’t find those here in Australia).
Candy canes: Instead of crushing the candy canes and placing them in the cookie, I prefer to just sprinkle some on top. You can also leave these out if you prefer.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make peppermint cookies
Here’s how to make my easy Peppermint NYC Cookies from scratch. The full method and step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add cold butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Step 2: Beat on medium speed until combined and smooth. Add egg and mix again just until combined.
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Step 3: Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a soft, chocolate-y cookie dough forms.
Step 4: Add chocolate chips and hand-cut chocolate to cookie dough.
Step 5: Mix briefly on low speed until a soft cookie dough forms.
Step 6: Portion out the cookie dough (roughly 80 grams each) into balls, keeping them rustic and tall.
Step 7: Bake the cookies for 12 minutes. Leave cookies to cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt and crushed candy canes.
Storage and make-ahead instructions
Storage: Keep baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re also nice in the fridge – they go extra fudgy! To enjoy them warm and gooey again, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.
Make-ahead: You can make the cookie dough ahead of time. Roll into balls and place the cookie dough balls on prepared trays. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 24 hours or until you are ready to bake.
Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls and then place them into a sealed ziplock bag or an airtight container. Pop into the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Let them thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before baking. If they are still a little frozen, you might need to add a minute or two to the baking time.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! If you prefer a double chocolate cookie, swap out the peppermint extract for vanilla and use your favourite chocolate instead. And obviously leave out the candy canes on top.
YES! If using cold butter is too hard for your hand mixer, use softened butter. Then just chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking to ensure the cookies don’t spread too much as they bake.
The cookie dough might look a little dry at first but it should come together within 30 seconds. If your cookie dough is dry, it might mean you added too much flour/cocoa powder – even just a tablespoon more flour will make the cookies dry and tough. If you end up here though, just add 1 tablespoon of milk and carry on.
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Let’s Bake
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies ready to eat in one hour!
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, COLD, roughly chopped
- 135 grams (1 cup) brown sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 large egg, cold
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 150 grams (1 cup) dark chocolate block (50-70% cocoa), roughly chopped
- 80 grams (1/2 cup) white chocolate chips
- Sea salt flakes, for decorating
- 2 peppermint candy canes, finely chopped, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two baking trays with baking or parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add cold butter, brown sugar and caster sugar. Beat on low speed, then turn up to medium speed until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add peppermint extract and egg and beat on low speed just until combined.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and beat on a low speed until soft cookie dough forms. It might look dry at first (see notes below) but keep mixing and it should come together to form a chocolate cookie dough within 30 seconds.
- Add chopped mint chocolate and white chocolate chips and beat briefly. Scoop out cookie dough, roughly 80 grams or 1/4 cup of dough per cookie, and piece together into rustic balls. I like to pinch and squeeze the dough together to form a ball rather than roll it smooth – this will give you a more lumpy, bumpy cookie with a textured finish.
- Place the cookie dough balls on prepared oven trays, leaving room for the cookies to spread.
- Bake cookies for 12-13 minutes. Leave cookies to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
- Sprinkle cooled cookies with sea salt and candy cane pieces.
Notes
Peppermint extract: You can usually find peppermint extract in the baking aisle near the vanilla and almond extract. If you can’t get hold of it, you can use vanilla extract instead but the cookies won’t be quite as minty.
Mint chocolate: As mentioned above, I tested this recipe using a few different types of mint chocolate. Chocolate that has a mint filling will likely melt and spill out of the cookies. I preferred a solid block of mint chocolate (I used Lindt).
Candy canes: Instead of crushing the candy canes and placing them in the cookie, I prefer to just sprinkle some on top. You can also leave these out if you prefer.
Dry cookie dough: The cookie dough might look a little dry at first but it should come together within 30 seconds. If your cookie dough is dry, it might mean you added too much flour/cocoa powder – even just a tablespoon more flour will make the cookies dry and tough. If you end up here though, just add 1 tablespoon of milk and carry on.
Hand mixer: If using cold butter is too hard for your hand mixer, use softened butter. Then just chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking to ensure the cookies don’t spread too much as they bake.
Storage: Keep baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re also nice in the fridge – they go extra fudgy! To enjoy them warm and gooey again, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds or so.
Make-ahead: You can make the cookie dough ahead of time. Roll into balls and place the cookie dough balls on prepared trays. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 24 hours or until you are ready to bake.
Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough into balls and then place them into a sealed ziplock bag or an airtight container. Pop into the freezer until you are ready to bake them. Let them thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before baking. If they are still a little frozen, you might need to add a minute or two to the baking time.
Nutrition Information
our favourite
Josh says
Loved these, just the right amount of mint.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Josh!