Description
These chewy chocolate peppermint cookies combine rich cocoa and festive peppermint bark for a delightful holiday treat. Perfectly soft and chewy with a slight crunch from crushed candy canes on top, these cookies bring holiday magic to your cookie jar.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1.75 cups all-purpose flour (substitute with gluten-free flour if needed)
- 0.75 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-processed for richer taste)
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda (fresh for optimal rise)
- A pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients
- 0.5 cups unsalted butter (can swap with margarine for dairy-free option)
- 0.5 cups brown sugar
- 0.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
Mix-ins & Toppings
- 1 cup Ghirardelli peppermint bark, chopped
- 0.5 cups crushed candy canes (optional or substitute with similar toppings)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using an electric mixer, cream the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add Egg: Incorporate the room-temperature egg into the creamed butter and sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly until fully combined.
- Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Add Peppermint Bark: Fold in the chopped Ghirardelli peppermint bark carefully to distribute the chocolate peppermint bits throughout the dough.
- Portion Dough: Scoop portions of dough about 1 to 2 tablespoons each, placing them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheets.
- Add Candy Cane Topping: Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of each cookie dough ball for a festive crunch.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still remain slightly soft to ensure chewiness.
- Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, helping them set perfectly.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with margarine or a vegan butter alternative.
- Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder intensifies the chocolate flavor.
- Make sure your baking soda is fresh for proper rising.
- Room temperature eggs mix better with creamed butter and sugar.
- Do not overmix the dough once dry ingredients are added to maintain a tender texture.
- Crushed candy canes on top add a crunchy peppermint burst, but they are optional and can be substituted with other crushed candies.
- Allow cookies to cool slightly on the tray to avoid breaking during transfer.
