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Soft, decadent chocolate cookies topped with homemade creamy peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes. The perfect peppermint frosted chocolate cookie recipe! A delicious peppermint and chocolate Christmas cookie.
Welcome to Day #10 of my 12 Days of Christmas Cookies. I hope you have found some new Christmas cookie recipes that you will be making for friends and family. I have loved baking up a storm to share these delicious Christmas cookie recipes with all of you!
These Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Cookies are just so quintessential Christmas. The soft, chewy chocolate cookie is topped with a sweet cream cheese peppermint frosting and crushed candy canes. It has the perfect amount of rich decadent chocolate, peppermint flavor, and the crunch from the candy canes.
What do I love about these Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Frosting?
- Rich double chocolate cookie that just melts in your mouth!
- The peppermint frosting calls for a mix of butter and cream cheese which is the perfect accompaniment to the sweet peppermint candy canes.
- The crunch and burst of peppermint flavor from the candy canes on the top of the cookie.
This is the best frosted chocolate and peppermint cookie recipe.
What ingredients are in Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Cookies?
CHOCOLATE COOKIE INGREDIENTS:
This is a rich, double chocolate cookie that is perfectly soft and chewy in the center.
- Butter — use salted or unsalted butter in this cookie recipe. If you use salted butter, reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Brown Sugar — use light golden brown sugar.
- Sugar — this recipe calls for granulated sugar.
- Eggs — this recipe calls for large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract — my favorite pure vanilla extract is made byNielsen-Massey or true authentic Mexican vanilla.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder — I suggest using high-quality cocoa powder in these chocolate cookies.
- Flour — use all-purpose flour in these cookies.
- Baking Soda — this is what gives the cookies the perfect rise.
- Salt — the flavor enhancer and integral ingredient in baking.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips — I suggest using quality semi-sweet chocolate chips from brands like Guittard and Ghirardelli.
PEPPERMINT FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
This is a sweet cream cheese frosting that pairs perfectly with peppermint extract and candy canes.
- Salted Butter — use softened, salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the frosting.
- Cream Cheese — use full-fat, softened cream cheese.
- Powdered Sugar — also known as confectioner’s sugar.
- Peppermint Extract — my favorite peppermint extract is from Nielsen-Massey.
- Candy Canes – crushed or chopped to sprinkle on the top of the frosted cookies.
- Candy Cane Butter Mints — OPTIONAL to put on the top of each cookie for decoration.
Tips for making the Frosted Peppermint Cookies:
- Cream your butter and sugars for 4 minutes! This helps to create a smooth texture and whip air into the cookie dough which gives the cookies the perfect amount of loft.
- Don’t overbake! These are soft baked double chocolate cookies and they are meant to be soft and chewy. The cookies will continue to bake once you remove them from the oven.
- Use light-colored baking sheets. I love to use thick, light-colored baking sheets because they bake the cookies evenly. If you use dark-colored baking sheets, the bottoms of the cookies may burn before the cookies are fully baked.
- If your cookies lose their shape in the oven, take a small spatula and press the edges toward the center to make a circle. You can also use a glass and move it around the cookie in a circular motion to make them into the perfect round circle.
HERE ARE THE THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES THUS FAR:
- Day #1: Soft M & M Christmas Cookies
- Day #2: Red Velvet Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Day #3: Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Day #4: Frosted Mint Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Day #5: Raspberry Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Day #6: Chocolate Caramel Pecan Turtle Cookies
- Day #7: Christmas Sugar Cookies
- Day #8: Levain Bakery Two Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Day #9: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
If you are looking for Christmas Desserts, check out my 60 Best Christmas Desserts.
BAKING TOOLS:
Here are some baking tools I love to use in my kitchen…
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Peppermint Frosted Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies:
- 1 cup Butter (softened)
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 1/3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Peppermint Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Butter (softened)
- 8 ounce pkg. Cream Cheese (softened)
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
Garnish:
- Crushed Candy Canes
- Candy Cane Peppermint Butter Mints (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix for 1 minute longer.
- Add cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, salt and mix just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Scoop the dough onto parchment paper lined, light-colored baking sheets, spaced at least two-inches apart. If you want flatter cookies, lightly press down on the cookies.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. Do NOT overbake the cookies as they will continue to bake once they are removed from the oven. Set aside to cool.
Peppermint Frosting:
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract. I suggest starting with 1/4 teaspoon and you can add more depending on preference. Mix for 1 minute longer.
- Spread the frosting on cooled chocolate cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Don't overbake! These are soft baked double chocolate cookies and they are meant to be soft and chewy. The cookies will continue to bake once you remove them from the oven.
- Use light-colored baking sheets. I love to use thick, light-colored baking sheets because they bake the cookies evenly. If you use dark-colored baking sheets, the bottoms of the cookies may burn before the cookies are fully baked.
- If your cookies lose their shape in the oven, take a small spatula and press the edges toward the center to make a circle. You can also use a glass and move it around the cookie in a circular motion to make them into the perfect round circle.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These were so cute, festive, and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for making this recipe, Cindy!
Delicious!!! Made these cookies with my 10 yr old grandson and everyone loved them. Best of all they’re easy and fun to make. No rolling out or cookie cutting no mixing up different colors of frosting and time consuming decorating but they’re still interactive He loved smashing the candy canes and decorating the tops. They turned out exactly like the picture. We followed the recipe as written but cutting p. sugar by 1/4cup. We used a heaping 1/4tsp of peppermint extract in the frosting and the cookies were perfect. Thank you for this delicious quick recipe that makes tradition of Christmas cookie making fast easy and fun.
I am sure you are the favorite, that is such a sweet activity to do with your grandson! Thank you for making this recipe.
THE BEST COOKIES!
Thank you for the comment, Polly!
Yummy! These cookies are to die for!
Modern Honey outdid herself this Christmas! Every cookie recipe was truly amazing and I tried most of them!
I knew as soon as I saw these I had to make them. They turned out really good!!