Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

One of the best holiday flavor combinations ever has got to be chocolate and peppermint. So to fully embrace that combo, we're throwing it into a delicious and easy-to-make cookie! These double chocolate peppermint cookies are rich and chocolaty cookies with just the right amount of peppermint. They're loaded with chocolate chips, and are topped with a chocolate drizzle and crushed candy canes for a little extra holiday touch!

INGREDIENTS FOR DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Your shopping list is going to be pretty straightforward and simple for this recipe. Nothing crazy needed, just 13 ingredients stand between you and a fresh batch of these cookies! Here's what you'll need.

• All-purpose flour

• Cocoa powder

• Baking soda

• Salt

• Unsalted butter

• Granulated + light brown sugar

• Eggs

• Vanilla + peppermint extract

• Chocolate chips

• Semisweet chocolate bar

• Crushed candy canes

WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THESE COOKIES?

♦ They're super quick to make! Not only does this cookie dough come together in just a couple minutes, they don't require any chill time! So you can bake them up as soon as the dough is done and the oven is preheated!

♦ It makes a lot of cookies. This full recipe yields 16-18 cookies. And who doesn't love more when it comes to cookies?! But don't worry, this recipe can easily be halved if you're looking to make a smaller batch.

MAKING THE COOKIES

These cookies could not be more simple to whip up. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

Cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar for about a minute until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and mix until smooth. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until the dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips to the dough.

Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the cookie dough, rolling each one into a ball. Place each one a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. You can bake them as is, or top with more chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will still be a tad bit soft in the middles, but that's perfect and what you want. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Once the cookies are mostly cool, you can start the chocolate drizzle. Melt the chopped chocolate using a double boiler or in the microwave. Pour it into a piping bag or a Ziploc-type baggy. Snip the bottom corner of the bag, and drizzle the melted chocolate on top of half of the cookie. While the chocolate is still warm, sprinkle on the crushed candy cane bits. Since it can get messy, I recommend letting the chocolate drizzle sit on the cookies for a bit before eating.

TIPS FOR THE BEST COOKIES

Yes, these are very simple cookies to make, but I am sharing just a few things you can do to make sure these are the best cookies ever!

♦ Use room temperature ingredients. When making cookies, most of the time you never want to use ingredients that are straight out of the refrigerator. If your butter is too cold, it will be difficult to mix with the other wet ingredients and the final cookies will not bake up how they are supposed to. So be sure that your butter and eggs are room temperature for this recipe!

♦ Use a cookie scoop! I say this is most of my cookie recipes, but using a cookie scoop is so helpful! It helps you portion out your cookie dough to make sure all of the cookies are the same size and have the same baking time.

♦ Don't skip the chocolate drizzle. While this is obviously a completely optional step to do once the cookies are done baking, I highly recommend doing it. Drizzling the tops of the cookies and topping them with crushed candy canes gives them tons of extra chocolate and holiday flavor and a little crunch!

♦ Microwave leftover cookies. One thing I love doing with these cookies once they've cooled is reheating them. You can microwave the cookie for 5-10 seconds to remelt the chocolate and make it warm and gooey.

Hoping these double chocolate peppermint cookies bring you lots of smiles and holiday cheer! Happy baking ♥

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Recipe by Chrissy

Servings

16-18

cookies

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Total time

17

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

• ½ cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed

• ⅓ cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

• ¾ cup chocolate chips

• 4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

• ¼ cup crushed candy cane bits

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• With a hand or stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about a minute until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and mix until combined.
• Add in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out the dough, rolling each into a ball. Place the dough a few inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Top the balls of dough with more chocolate chips, if desired.
• Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes. They will still look a bit soft in the center, but that's perfect. Allow them to cool for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
• Once the cookies are cool, start the chocolate drizzle. Melt the chopped semisweet chocolate. Pour it into a piping bag or small plastic storage baggy. Snip the corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over half of the cookie. Then, sprinkle the crushed candy cane bits over the chocolate drizzle. Allow the chocolate to set. Enjoy!