Fudgy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies With Candy Cane Glaze
These chocolate peppermint cookies are thick, fudgy cocoa cookies with crushed candy canes in the dough and a peppermint glaze on top. The dough chills for 30 minutes, each sheet bakes for 9 to 11 minutes at 350°F, and the batch makes 24 cookies in a little under 2 hours, including cooling time before glazing.
Quick answer
Beat 3/4 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar, add an egg and peppermint flavoring, then mix in 1 3/4 cups flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, baking soda, salt and 2 oz crushed candy canes. Chill 30 minutes, scoop 24 balls and bake at 350°F for 9 to 11 minutes, until the centers still look soft. Cool, drizzle with peppermint glaze and top with more crushed candy cane.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp glycerin-based peppermint flavoring
- 2 oz candy canes (about 4 standard canes), crushed
For the peppermint glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp glycerin-based peppermint flavoring
- 1 oz candy canes (about 2 standard canes), crushed, for the tops
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and 1/2 tsp peppermint flavoring until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the 2 oz crushed candy canes.
- Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, until firm enough to scoop.
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop 2-tablespoon balls (about 1 1/4 oz each) and place 12 on each sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
- Let the cookies cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk and 1/4 tsp peppermint flavoring until smooth, adding more milk a teaspoon at a time if needed. Drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle at once with the remaining crushed candy canes.
Nutrition Facts
Per cookie (1 of 24) (estimated)
- Calories: 180
- Total fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 20 g
- Protein: 2 g
Estimated from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy values for all-purpose flour (FDC 168894), unsweetened cocoa (FDC 169593), unsalted butter, brown and granulated sugar, egg, hard candy (FDC 167990) for the candy canes, powdered sugar and whole milk. The small amount of peppermint flavoring is not included.
Why These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Stay Fudgy
Three things keep the centers soft. Brown sugar holds more moisture than white sugar, so the dough uses twice as much of it. The cocoa powder brings deep chocolate flavor without the extra fat of melted chocolate, so the cookies stay thick instead of spreading. And they come out of the oven while the middles still look underdone: they keep cooking on the hot sheet for those first 5 minutes.
Chilling matters as much as the bake time. Soft butter and a lot of sugar make a loose dough, and 30 minutes in the fridge firms it so the chocolate peppermint cookies hold a thick, round shape instead of baking into thin wafers.
How Much Peppermint to Put in Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Peppermint is strong, and it gets stronger as the cookies sit. This recipe uses it in two small doses, 1/2 teaspoon in the dough and 1/4 teaspoon in the glaze, so the flavor is clear without tasting like toothpaste. Glycerin-based peppermint flavoring is the one called for here; food-grade peppermint oil is far stronger, so if that is what you have, start with a drop or two.
| Peppermint source | Amount for this batch | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Glycerin-based peppermint flavoring | 1/2 tsp dough + 1/4 tsp glaze | Mild and easy to measure |
| Food-grade peppermint oil | 1 to 2 drops in the dough | Very concentrated; taste the glaze before adding any |
| Crushed candy canes only | 3 oz total | Gentlest flavor; skip the liquid flavoring entirely |
Crushing Candy Canes Without Making Dust
Put the candy canes in a zip-top bag, wrap the bag in a kitchen towel and tap with a rolling pin until most pieces are about the size of a lentil. A mix of small chunks and fine bits gives chocolate peppermint cookies the best texture. Crush them shortly before you use them: crushed candy pulls moisture from the air and turns sticky within a few hours.
Baking Tips for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack so the cookies bake evenly; keep the second sheet of dough balls in the fridge while the first bakes.
- Judge doneness by the edges. Dark cocoa dough doesn’t brown visibly, so look for set, matte edges and soft centers rather than color.
- Glaze only cooled cookies. Warm cookies melt the glaze into a thin, shiny coat and the candy cane pieces slide off.
- Don’t eat the raw dough. The FDA notes that raw flour and raw eggs can carry bacteria, so bake the dough before tasting.
Storing and Freezing Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
| What | How long | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cookie dough, refrigerated | Up to 2 days | Cover tightly; let it soften 10 minutes before scooping |
| Dough balls, frozen | Up to 2 months | Freeze on a tray, then bag; bake from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes |
| Baked, glazed cookies | Up to 5 days | Airtight container at room temperature, single layer or with parchment between layers |
| Baked, unglazed cookies, frozen | Up to 2 months | Thaw at room temperature, then glaze and top |
For a cookie exchange, bake the chocolate peppermint cookies up to 2 days ahead and glaze them the evening before. They pair well on a tray with our double chocolate chip cookies and the oatmeal cream pies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chocolate peppermint cookies without candy canes?
Yes. Leave the candy canes out of the dough and the topping of your chocolate peppermint cookies, and rely on the peppermint flavoring. Crushed peppermint hard candies or white chocolate chips also work.
Why did my chocolate peppermint cookies spread flat?
The dough was too warm. Chill it for the full 30 minutes, keep the second batch in the fridge while the first bakes, and use cool baking sheets.
Can I use Dutch-process cocoa?
Yes, it makes slightly darker, milder cookies. The recipe has enough baking soda to rise either way.
How do I keep candy cane pieces from melting in the oven?
Pieces at the surface may melt and caramelize a little. Press larger pieces into the middle of each dough ball, and save the prettiest bits for the glaze.
How many calories are in one chocolate peppermint cookie?
About 180 calories per glazed cookie, based on USDA FoodData Central values for the ingredients and a batch of 24.
Sources
Featured photo: Unsplash
