I love these Peppermint cookies for Christmas! It’s a sugar cookie dough recipe with peppermint crunch chips mixed in, rolled in sugar, then baked. Top with crushed candy canes during the last minute of baking for the ultimate peppermint crunch! I love the contrast of the soft, chewy sugar cookie paired with the crushed candy canes. Tis the season!
The other day Truman, who is 7, was telling us about how early he has to get up in the morning. “I have to finish all my chores,” he said.
I was very curious about this because the only “chores” this kid has before school include things like, you know, eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing teeth. (Basic hygiene. WHAT A CHORE.)
But he clarified: “No, I’m talking about my Christmas chores. I have to get up early to plug in the Christmas tree lights, find Elfie (our Elf on the Shelf), change the Christmas countdown, open the new number on the advent calendar, and check to see if there are any newly wrapped presents under the tree.”
Quite the chore list indeed, right?? It’s a miracle this kid makes it to school on time with all the chores he has in the morning! What a slave driver I am.
How are all your Christmas chores going?? I love this time of year! There is so much to do and it’s all so fun. Buying gifts for all your favorite people, the best chore, right? Baking tons of treats for all the neighbors? Best chore!
I made these peppermint cookies a while back, and my brother Nate packaged them up and brought them on a first date he was going on. His date took one bite of these cookies and actually got teary eyed. “This is so nostalgic!” she said.
It’s true, I’d never had this cookie in my life before I made it up, but there is something very homey and Christmasy about them that may just bring a tear to your eye! Or at least cause you to reach for a second, third, or maybe even fourth one in a 30 minute period. (Guilty.)
How to make Peppermint cookies
These cookies could not be easier to make. First, you need to find yourself a bag of these:
I love Andes mints, and this peppermint crunch version is so fun. I stock up whenever I see them at the store, because you can’t always find them. Target and Walmart are a good bet. If you can’t find them, see notes! You can sub white chocolate and bits of crushed candy cane.
This is a really simple sugar cookie dough recipe. The cookies turn out tender and soft every time. And they are super buttery. (The base recipe is from my friend Tammy, who is cataloguing all her family’s Italian recipes and memories on her Instagram account. Super fun account to follow! I love heritage cooking!)
We are going to roll them in sugar before baking. I love the sparkle it adds!
No need to chill the dough! I love cookies that can go straight in the oven. It means I can get them straight in my mouth faster. I mean right?
While they are in the oven, crush up some candy canes. About 2 minutes before the cookies are done baking, take them out of the oven. We’re going to manhandle them a bit. I am anti-flat-cookie, and this is a super simple hack to give your cookies some thickness while still keeping them chewy: right out of the oven, use two spoons to push them in toward the center. See this 30 Minute Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe for more details and photos! I do this with so many types of cookie these days.
Once you have very quickly spooned them, sprinkle with a little bit of crushed candy cane.
Return the pan to the oven for the remaining 2 minutes. And voila! Perfect Christmas peppermint cookies that might just bring a tear to your eye! Put these on your Christmas plates this year and all your neighbors will be crying. Just kidding! You know, happy tears! Merry Christmas everyone!
More Christmas cookie ideas you’re going to love!
I might be a little obsessed with peppermint.
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies << these are a top recipe on my site! Some people call them Grinch cookies :)
- Dipped Chocolate Peppermint Cookies << These use the same method of half baking crushed candy canes on top!
- Soft and Chewy Andes Mint Cookies << who can resist those classic Andes mints?
- Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies with Buttercream Frosting << these really might be my favorite. Ever.
- Mexican Wedding Cookies (Russian Tea Cookies)Â << now these are a classic if there ever was one.
- The SOFTEST Sugar Cookies of Your Life! << these cookies hold their shape perfectly.
- Texas Cowboy Cookies << these are larger than life and worth every moment!
- 30 Minute Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies << they’re a classic for a reason.
- Prudy’s Thin and Crispy Sugar Cookies << these are insanely addictive.
- Christmas Magic Cookie Bars from In Katrina’s Kitchen
- Christmas Peanut Butter M&M Bars from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons
- DIY Peppermint Candy Spoons from Princess Pinky Girl
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Peppermint Crunch Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, (2 sticks)
- 1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 & 1/4 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (10-oz) package red Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
- 6-8 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter until it is soft and creamy. Add 1 and 1/4 cups sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Make sure to stop halfway to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
- Add 1 egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping sides.
- Add 2 and 1/4 cups flour, be sure to spoon and level. Don't stir it in yet!
- Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Use a small spoon to gently stir it into the flour. Make sure there are no lumps!
- Mix the dry ingredients into the dough until almost combined. Stop when there are still white streaks of flour.
- Add the entire bag of Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips. See notes for an alternative if you can't find them!
- Mix the baking chips in until combined well, scraping the bottom of the bowl.
- Shape the dough into 2 inch balls. (1 and 1/2 inch balls would be fine too.)
- Add 1/2 cup sugar to a bowl. Roll the dough balls in the sugar. Place the dough on the baking sheet with about 2 inches in between each cookie.
- Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes.
- Meanwhile, crush 6-8 candy canes in a ziplock bag.
- Remove the pan from the oven and shut the oven door.
- Sprinkle each cookie with about a teaspoon or two of crushed candy cane. Use 2 spoons to push each cookie toward it's center. See this post for details.
- Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for another 2 minutes, or until the edges are set. The center can have a little bit of shine on top, but it should be no larger than the size of a quarter.
- Let the cookies set on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to come to room temperature. But come on, eat at least one of them nice and warm! With a glass of milk please. And maybe some Christmas music to round it out.
- Store on the counter in a sealed container for up to 5 days. These cookies would be really pretty half-dipped in white chocolate!
Also had flat pancake cookies. So I lowered the temp and rolled in powdered sugar. They kept their shape however they are VERY crunchy. Hopefully my neighbors love cookies with their coffee. They are so crunchy!
Hi Sarah! Lowering the temp was a great call; usually a too-hot oven (or too-warm butter) can cause cookies to flatten. Accurately measuring flour can also help (if you don’t have enough, the cookies can spread). I like to use the “fluff and scoop” method; fluff the flour and then use a spoon to scoop into the measuring cup and level off. Hope your next batch turns out perfectly!
I am wondering if the elevation of where these ladies live is different from you? There is a good chance from the sounds of it that they live at a different elevation and just need to add another cup of flour to their dough. That would most likely solve their issue. Elevation is a tricky thing.
Anyway, these look delicious and I cannot wait to try them. I love peppermint anything!
Hello, I attempted to make these cookies and the flavour was superb, but they spread out like flat pancakes. And I did put them in the oven cold.
What could have happened
thank you
Hi Carla! Did you use the spoon trick?? Right when you pull them out of the oven, nudge the sides of the cookie toward the center. This is the best way to avoid flat cookies!
I also made these and they were totally flat. They literally spread acrossed my entire baking sheet and all you could see were the “lines” of what should have been individual cookies. I can see how the spoon trick would work if you already had cookie shaped items but these basically melted and were a giant flat sheet pan of cookies. I ended up putting the rest of the batter in a cake pan and making what I *hope* will be 1 large round cookie. The taste is great, but I think something is a little off in the recepie for it to do this to multiple people. I took pictures as well to track my progress and I hope the giant cookie in the cake pan works out!
Hi Nichole! I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t work for you! Your comment made me nervous so I actually just made them again. I would show you a picture if I could, they are puffed just the same as in the picture, so I know the recipe is not wrong. I’m so sorry, something must have gone wrong!