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These Peppermint Cookies are soft, chewy, and filled with white chocolate chips and crunchy pieces of candy canes. They have just the right amount of peppermint flavor and are such a fun cookie to make during the Christmas season!
“I love making homemade cookies for the holidays, especially when they’re easy to make and perfect for sharing. These cookies are a delicious addition to Christmas cookie trays, holiday parties, or a fun afternoon of baking with the family.“
–Becky
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’ll love these Peppermint Cookies because they’re easy to make with simple ingredients and have the perfect combination of sweet white chocolate and peppermint. They’re soft in the center, lightly golden around the edges, and filled with little bits of crushed candy canes. Plus, they’re so pretty for Christmas!
If you love this recipe, you’ll also want to try my Gingerbread Cookies, Snowball Cookies, White Chocolate Chip Cookies, Christmas Rice Krispie Treats, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Will Need
- all-purpose flour: Gives the cookies their structure and soft texture.
- baking soda: Helps the cookies rise and spread while baking.
- kosher salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create lightly crisp edges.
- light brown sugar, packed: Keeps the cookies soft and chewy.
- unsalted butter, softened: Adds richness and helps create a soft cookie dough.
- vanilla extract: Try this homemade vanilla!
- peppermint extract: Gives the cookies their festive peppermint flavor.
- egg: Helps bind the ingredients together.
- white chocolate chips: Adds creamy sweetness that pairs perfectly with peppermint.
- crushed candy canes (about 4 medium candy canes): Adds a little crunch, peppermint flavor, and festive color.
The full list of ingredients and instructions is in the recipe card below.
Variations
- Chocolate Chips: Substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for the white chocolate chips for a chocolate peppermint combination.
- Extra Peppermint: Sprinkle a little extra crushed candy cane on top of the cookies for more peppermint flavor and a festive look.
- Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle melted white or dark chocolate over the cooled cookies for an extra special holiday treat.
- Holiday Sprinkles: Add red and green sprinkles to make these cookies even more festive for Christmas.
How to Make Peppermint Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and egg until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped candy canes until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least one inch between cookies.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips
- Don’t Overbake: The centers should just be turning golden brown and may still look slightly soft when you take the cookies out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Use Softened Butter: Room temperature butter mixes more easily with the sugars and helps create a soft cookie dough.
- Crush Candy Canes into Small Pieces: Smaller pieces distribute more evenly throughout the cookies. Avoid leaving large chunks that can melt and become sticky.
- Don’t Add Too Much Peppermint: Peppermint extract is strong, TRUST ME, so half of a teaspoon is plenty to give these cookies a delicious peppermint flavor without overpowering the white chocolate.
- Make Them Pretty: Press a few extra white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes into the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking for a bakery-style look.
FAQ
Yes! You can prepare the dough and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes if it’s too firm to scoop.
Absolutely! Once the cookies have cooled completely, place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes! Crushed peppermint candies work just as well as candy canes. Just make sure they’re chopped into small pieces so you get a little peppermint flavor in every bite.
Storage
Store these Peppermint Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Place parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking together.
More Christmas Recipes
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Christmas Recipes
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Christmas Caprese Skewers
Christmas Recipes
Meringue Snowmen
Desserts
Hot Cocoa Bombs
If you have tried this recipe or any others from Celebrating Simply, I’d love it if you would leave a ⭐ star rating and share your thoughts in the ✍️ comments below. Your feedback means a lot!
Peppermint Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Scoop
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup chopped candy canes, about 4 medium candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or electric mixer, cream together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and egg until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped candy canes until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Use a cookie scoop or large spoon to scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least one inch between cookies.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Don’t Overbake: The centers should just be turning golden brown, and may still look slightly soft when you take the cookies out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Use Softened Butter: Room temperature butter mixes more easily with the sugars and helps create a soft cookie dough.
- Chop Candy Canes into Small Pieces: Smaller pieces distribute more evenly throughout the cookies. Avoid leaving large chunks that can melt and become sticky.
- Don’t Add Too Much Peppermint: Peppermint extract is strong, so ½ teaspoon is plenty to give these cookies a delicious peppermint flavor without overpowering the white chocolate.
- Make Them Pretty: Press a few extra white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes into the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking for a bakery-style look.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Peppermint cookies are AMAZING! They have just the right amount of sweetness and peppermint. This is the ultimate Christmas cookie!