Candy Cane Chocolate Cookies are the perfect combination of rich chocolate and refreshing peppermint, making them a must-have for the holiday season. These soft, chewy cookies are loaded with crushed candy canes, adding a delightful crunch and festive touch. Whether you’re baking for a holiday party, gifting to friends, or just craving a seasonal sweet treat, these cookies will bring warmth and joy to every bite.
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Why You’ll Love These Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
There’s so much to love about these cookies.
- Rich & Fudgy – Made with cocoa and chocolate chips for an irresistibly soft and chewy texture.
- Festive Flavor – A perfect blend of cool peppermint and decadent chocolate.
- Easy to Make – Simple ingredients and no-fuss preparation.
- Great for Gifting – Beautifully decorated and perfect for cookie exchanges.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – Stay fresh for days and freeze well for later!
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies Recipe Ingredients
These cookies are made with cocoa powder, peppermint extract, white chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, and a few pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card for measurements.
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder – The Dutch-processed cocoa powder gives these cookies a rich chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cornstarch – Helps ensure the cookies are soft and chewy.
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar & brown sugar
- Eggs
- Corn syrup – Adding light corn syrup to this recipe creates ultra chewy cookies!
- Peppermint extract – Infuses every bite of the cookie with peppermint flavor.
- White chocolate chips – Candy melts will also work for dipping but I find that white chocolate has the best flavor.
- Vegetable oil – Vegetable oil thins out the melted chocolate so it’s a better consistency for dipping.
- Crushed candy canes – You can find crushed candy cane pieces at the store but I just crushed up some candy canes I had at home.
How to Make Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Though they may look a bit fancy, these candy cane chocolate cookies are actually pretty simple and straightforward to make.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and both sugars for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs. Add the eggs, corn syrup, and peppermint extract to the creamed butter. Mix again.
- Add the dry ingredients. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
- Scoop the dough. For regular cookies, drop 2-tablespoon-sized dough balls on the baking sheet, 3 inches apart. For “crumbl sized cookies”, drop 1/4 cup of dough per cookie, 4-5 inches apart.
- Bake. Bake regular-sized cookies for 12 to 13 minutes and allow them to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes. For “crumbl sized cookies” bake for 15 minutes and cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Dip into the white chocolate. Microwave the white chocolate chips for 3 minutes on 50% power. Stir after each minute and continue until fully melted. Add the vegetable oil to thin out the chocolate. Dip each cookie into the chocolate, then place it on a silicone mat or parchment paper. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Allow the chocolate to harden completely before moving the cookies.
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies Recipe Tips
Here are a few tips for making these chocolate Christmas cookies.
Use Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Since the cocoa powder contributes all of the chocolate flavor to these cookies, it’s important to use Dutch-processed as it gives a richer chocolate flavor than regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Use light corn syrup. Corn syrup makes these chocolate cookies so chewy and fudgy! It’s my best-kept secret.
Measure the ingredients properly. Be sure to measure all of the dry ingredients accurately as over-measuring can create dry cookies.
Bake one cookie sheet at a time. As always, I recommend baking one sheet of these chocolate candy cane cookies at a time, to ensure they all bake evenly.
Cool on the baking sheet. The cookies will continue baking even once removed from the oven. If you move them too quickly, they’ll be undercooked and likely fall apart when you move them.
Take care to not burn the chocolate. Stir the white chocolate chips frequently as you melt them and be sure to do it on 50% power to prevent the chocolate from scorching.
How to Store Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
To keep your peppermint chocolate cookies fresh and delicious for as long as possible, proper storage is key. Here’s how you can store them for short-term enjoyment or long-term preservation:
1. Storing at Room Temperature (Best for 5-7 Days)
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing to prevent condensation and sogginess.
- Place them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag.
- Add a sheet of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
- Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
2. Storing in the Refrigerator (Lasts Up to 2 Weeks)
- Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- If you want to extend their freshness, store them in the fridge.
- Use an airtight container to prevent moisture absorption and maintain flavor.
Conclusion
Candy Cane Chocolate Cookies are a must-have holiday treat, offering the perfect mix of chocolatey richness and refreshing peppermint crunch. Whether you’re baking for loved ones, holiday gatherings, or just indulging in seasonal flavors, these cookies are sure to bring festive cheer. Serve them with a warm mug of cocoa for the ultimate winter dessert!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 2 cups white chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, dutch processed cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch.
- In a separate mixing bowl cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together with a mixer on medium speed for, 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the eggs, corn syrup, and peppermint extract, mix again.
- Gently add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low or by hand just until combined.
- For regular sized cookies, use a cookie scoop to drop 2 tablespoon sized dough balls on a silicone mat lined baking sheet. You can also use a 1/4 cup to portion out the dough. Divide the dough ball in half and you get two portions that are each about 2 tablespoons.
- For large “crumbl sized cookies” use a 1/4 cup of dough per cookie.
- For regular sized cookies, place the cookies 3 inches apart on a silicone lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Bake one cookie sheet at a time.
- For large “crumbl sized cookies”, place the cookies 4-5 inches apart on a silicone lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for 20 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Bake one cookie sheet at a time.
- Allow the cookies to cool before dipping in chocolate.
- Place the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes on 50% power, stirring after each minute. Continue to microwave until fully melted. Thin out the chocolate with vegetable oil so it’s a nice dipping consistency. Dip each cookie into the chocolate, then place them back on the silicone mat or on parchment paper. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the melted chocolate. Allow them to harden completely before removing them from the baking sheet.