Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Published Dec 07, 2025
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These chocolate peppermint cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie for chocolate lovers. They’re thick and fudgy with a rich chocolate flavor, hint of peppermint and tons of chocolate chips. After the cookies are baked and cooled, they’re drizzled with a little extra chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.
When it comes to Christmas cookies, I think every cookie tray needs a chocolate variety. These chocolate peppermint cookies are incredibly fudgy with chewy centers that verge on gooey. The chocolate flavor rich, without being too sweet and has the perfect hint of peppermint. The cookies are then filled with more chocolate chips, and topped with an extra drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.
If it’s more your style, you can also dip half of each cookie in chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
The recipe is adapted from my double chocolate cookie recipe. This recipe has been a favorite on my site since it was first published way back in 2016, so I know these cookies will definitely be a favorite on your cookie tray.
Method – with Photos
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. It’s important to do this first so that the cocoa, baking soda and salt are evenly distributed throughout the dough. If your cocoa is lumpy, be sure to sift it first.
- Cream the Butter and Sugars. This recipe uses more brown sugar than granulated sugar so that the cookies are extra chewy.
- Beat in the Egg, Vanilla and Peppermint Extract. Peppermint extract can be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store – typically near the vanilla extract. Do not use peppermint essence.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients into the Butter Mixture. The dough will be thick and sticky once finished.
- Stir in the Chocolate Chips.
- Cover and Chill. This cookie dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge or up to 48 hours. Otherwise, it is too sticky to work with and the cookies can spread too thin as they bake.
- Prep. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F(180C) and line your cookie sheets with parchment or baking mats.
- Form the Dough into Balls. For Christmas cookies, I like to make them a little smaller – with about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough each. This allows your guests to try more from your cookie tray 😉 Place about 2 inches (roughly 5 cm) apart on your lined cookie trays.
- Bake. The cookies will need about 8-11 minutes, or until the tops look just set. Cool the cookies on the cookie tray.
- Decorate. Melt the chocolate – you can do this either in the microwave or a double boiler, just be sure to go slowly and gently to avoid the chocolate becoming graining. Drizzle the top of each cookie, or dip half of each cookie in the chocolate, and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Make Ahead Advice
Like any good Christmas cookie – its important to be able to do the prep work in advance.
- Chilling the Dough. The bowl of cookie dough can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
- Freezing Cookie Dough Balls. After forming the dough into balls, they can be frozen in an freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake as directed in the recipe. The cookies will likely need 1-2 extra minutes.
- Freezing Baked Cookies. Ensure that the cookies are completely cooled first. Then place in a freezer container or bag. I recommend placing sheets of wax paper or parchment paper in between layers of cookies to avoid them sticking together. Thaw in the fridge. Add the chocolate topping and crushed candy cane topping to thawed cookies.
More Chocolate Christmas Cookies to Try
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Chocolate Blossom Cookies
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Peppermint Mocha Cookies
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Chocolate Sugar Cookies
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Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These chocolate peppermint cookies are the perfect Christmas cookie for chocolate lovers. They're thick and fudgy with a rich chocolate flavor, hint of peppermint and tons of chocolate chips. After the cookies are baked and cooled, they're drizzled with a little extra chocolate and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes.
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder (60 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (140 grams), 1/2 cup plus 2 extra tablespoons, softened but not starting to melt
- 2/3 cup brown sugar (140 grams) , light or dark, I used dark
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (1bout 120 grams) , I used dark, semi-sweet work too
Chocolate Topping
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (112 grams), or dark, or about 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- 3 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Give the bowl a whisk. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamed.
- Beat the egg, vanilla extract and peppermint extract into the butter mixture.
- Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Beat together until the dry ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be very thick and sticky.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. If the dough has been in the fridge overnight, take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes so it's a little easier to work with.
- Form the dough into balls with about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of dough each – mine weighed about 1 ounce (30ish grams) each. Place 2 inches (about 5 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven for about 8-11 minutes or until the tops look just set. For thinner cookies, press the cookie dough balls down slightly before baking.
- Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets.
Decorate
- Is using chocolate bars or chocolate baking squares, finely chop the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Melt in a double boiler over gently simmering water (be sure that the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl). You can also melt the chocolate in the microwave. Use 45-second intervals on medium power (do not use high power – which is often the default on microwaves), stir between each interval until smooth.
- Using a small spoon, drizzle the top of each cookie with the melted chocolate. Alternatively, paint half of each cookie with melted chocolate (I use the back of a small spoon). Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Notes
- Cocoa: I prefer to use Dutch process cocoa for a richer flavor.
- Butter: Should be softened but not starting to melt. If using salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.
- Make Ahead: The dough can chill in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie with chocolate topping and crushed candy canes.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or up to 7 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 160kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 57mg, Potassium: 81mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 172IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg
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