Two of the best holiday treats are combined to make these peppermint bark cookies! A rich and fudgy peppermint brownie cookie is baked with a puddle of white chocolate on top. Once baked, the two blend together to create...
Two of the best holiday treats are combined to make these peppermint bark cookies! A rich and fudgy peppermint brownie cookie is baked with a puddle of white chocolate on top. Once baked, the two blend together to create the most delicious peppermint cookies topped with crushed candy canes.
How to Make Peppermint Brownie Cookies
Brownie cookies can be tricky because in order to inject that rich and fudgy texture into a cookie, a few key ingredients are needed.
The first is melted butter which is common in cookie recipes, but softened butter is usually best. Melted butter leads to a thinner chewier cookie which we definitely don’t want in a brownie!
The second is melted chocolate. This is the trickiest ingredient because as it solidifies (and it solidifies quickly) the consistency of the cookie completely changes. Baking a cookie right after the dough is mixed yields a completely different cookie than one that’s scooped just 10 minutes later.
To counteract these reactions, the dough first sits at room temperature for 15 minutes. This gives the dry ingredients a chance to really absorb all of the wet ingredients. Then, the dough is chilled for 15 minutes. The chilling transforms this thin batter into a thick cookie dough that spreads perfectly when baked.
The end result is a thick chocolate cookie that has a thin glossy shell and a rich and fudgy center – just like a brownie!
Peppermint Cookies – Baking Tips
These cookies can get a bit tricky, so here are my top tips to make sure your batch turns out perfect:
Dark Chocolate – The chocolate inside the dough has to be a very specific chocolate as there are many different types of chocolate that all melt at different temperatures. For the best results, use a 70-75% dark chocolate.
White Chocolate – For the melted white chocolate on top, do not use white chocolate chips. These are designed to not melt and hold their shape when baked so when you do try to melt them, they turn into cement. Instead, use a white chocolate bar. I use Lindt white chocolate bars found in the candy aisle.
Eggs + Sugar – When whisking these two together, thoroughly whisk until it turns into a pale yellow color. This signifies that the sugar is starting to dissolve into the eggs which is important as this is what creates that glossy surface.
Flour – For accuracy, weigh the flour if possible. Otherwise, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off for a light and fluffy cup.
Chilling – Make sure to cover the bowl before allowing the dough to sit. This will prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
How to Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
The key to these peppermint bark cookies is all in how the dough is shaped before baking:
Dough – Once the dough has sat and then chilled, it will thicken into a cookie dough consistency. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Then press a shallow indent into the center, kind of like a thumbprint cookie.
Chocolate Chips – Press a few chocolate chips around the rim of that indent. These will help create a wall so that the white chocolate doesn’t get too crazy in the oven.
White Chocolate – Once the white chocolate is melted, it will be somewhat thin. This is not what we want as it will just run right off of the dough. Instead, the melted chocolate is chilled alongside the dough to reach a thick icing consistency. Scoop a heaping teaspoon into the cookie indent and slightly spread the white chocolate to ooze off the sides, kind of like a volcano.
Cooling – Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes as this will make them easier to transfer to a cooling rack. Once transferred, sprinkle with crushed candy canes while the white chocolate is still wet.
Peppermint Cookie FAQs
Can these cookies be made gluten free? I haven’t tested it, but my assumption is that the cookies wouldn’t spread quite as much if gluten free flour is used. You will likely still get a tasty cookie, they just won’t look exactly like these.
Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of dutch process cocoa powder? These two ingredients have very different levels of acidity. Because of this, substituting one for the other can change how the cookies bake. For that reason, I suggest sticking with dutch process.
What is the best white chocolate to use on top? DO NOT use white chocolate chips as they are not made to melt. Instead use a chopped bar of good quality white chocolate as this will yield the best melty puddle on top. I use Lindt white chocolate bars found in the candy aisle.
How do you store peppermint cookies? Store these cookies in an air tight container and they will keep at room temperature for a day but any longer and I suggest store in the refrigerator. There, they will keep for about a week.
For more Christmas cookie recipes, check out my:
Blossom Cookies (1 dough, 4 flavors)
Slice and Bake Cookies (1 dough, 4 flavors)
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Perfect Gingerbread Cookies
Soft Molasses Cookies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these chocolate peppermint cookies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Peppermint Bark Cookies
Author: Jenna Barnard
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 11 cookies
Description
These peppermint cookies have all the delicious flavors of peppermint bark with a rich and soft peppermint brownie cookie baked with a pool of white chocolate on top. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes to make these cookies extra festive!
Peppermint Brownie Cookies
1/4 cup (55g) unsalted butter
2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
8 oz 70-75% dark chocolate* (chips or a chopped bar)
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (for topping)
8 oz white chocolate bar* (NOT chips), chopped
Candy canes, crushed
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Peppermint Brownie Cookies
Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat.
Once melted, remove from heat and mix in the oil and 70% dark chocolate to melt. Set this aside to cool.
In the meantime, add the eggs and sugar to a large mixing bowl and vigorously whisk until the mixture turns a pale pastel yellow. This can be done by hand or with an electric mixer.
Now pour in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk with the vanilla and peppermint extract.
Once smooth, whisk in the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Then whisk in the flour. The dough should look like brownie batter.
Cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for another 15 minutes.
While that sits, chop up the white chocolate and melt in the microwave in 20 second intervals.
The melted white chocolate should look fairly thin, so chill it alongside the dough to help it reach a thick icing consistency.
To bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons worth), scoop out the brownie dough (it should be very thick now) and place 4-5 cookies on the baking pan.
Using your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon, press a shallow indent into the center of each cookie.
Place 3-4 chocolate chips around the edge of the indent and scoop a heaping teaspoon of white chocolate into the center, allowing it to ooze over the sides just a bit.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, then allow them to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. Proceed to bake the rest of the batch.
Allow the cookies to cool to room temp, and then dig in!
Notes
*CHOCOLATE – For the best results make sure to use 70% dark chocolate in the dough. This can be chips (Ghirardelli and Trader Joe’s both have great options), or bars (I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate). As for the white chocolate, do not use white chocolate chips. When melted, they turn very thick. Use white chocolate bars as these are made to be melted, unlike chips. I recommend Lindt white chocolate bars found with the 70% dark chocolate I mentioned here.
Prep Time: 50 minutesCook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Keywords: peppermint cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, candy cane cookies, peppermint bark, brownie cookies, peppermint brownie cookies
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