Tis the season of cookie exchanges, cookie boxes, and cookies for Santa! When you need so many cookies in such a short time, a super easy recipe can save you! These Fudgy Peppermint Chocolate Cookies are super quick and easy to make, need very little equipment, and are the perfect holiday flavor. They're exactly what you need for all your holiday cookie baking!
What you'll need
All you need is a bowl, a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, and a cookie sheet!
Ingredients
butter
brown sugar
sugar
eggs
vanilla
flour
cocoa powder
cornstarch
baking powder
kosher salt
Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares
How to prepare your pan
Line two cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper. If you don't have two cookie sheets, one is fine too!
How to make Fudgy Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Combine the melted butter with the sugars, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and mix till combined. Lastly, stir in the peppermint chips. It's best if you can refrigerate the dough for at least 30 min - 1 hour, but it will still taste great if you don't. The time in the refrigerator will allow the flavors to meld, and also makes the dough a bit firmer so that it holds its shape a bit more and doesn't spread too much.
Once it's chilled form balls of dough, about 1 tablespoon, and place on the baking sheet a couple inches apart. If you've chilled the dough, using your palm, slightly flatten each dough ball into a thick disc. Bake at 325 F for about 10-12 minutes, until the dough not longer looks wet. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the pan, and then move to a wire rack to cool completely. But I won't tell anyone if you sneak a warm cookie straight out of the oven - just be careful!
I like to use two baking sheets so that when one pan is baking, the other one can cool for a few minutes, and then I can put new balls of dough onto the pan once I move the cooled cookies to the wire rack so that once the ones in the oven come out, I can put the other sheet back in.
Common Questions
Why did my cookie not flatten?
This recipe is not designed for the cookie to spread much, however if you don't refrigerate it before baking, the dough may spread more and you may not need to flatten it with your palm. If you refrigerate the dough, you definitely will want to flatten it a bit before baking.
What makes a cookie chewy?
There are a lot of ways to make chewy cookies. In this case, the combination of using brown sugar and melted butter are keys to ensuring a chewy cookie.
What happens if you don't put eggs in cookies?
Eggs help hold all the ingredients together and helps the cookies hold their shape. They also add moisture to the batter which helps make the cookies chewy. If you want to skip eggs, there are substitute ingredients to use in place of eggs. Please note, I have not specifically tested any substitutes for this recipe. Try at your own risk - the recipe has only been tested as it is written!
Looking for other cookie recipes? Check these out:
Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Perfectly Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
French Toast Cookies
Looking for other peppermint recipes? Check these out:
Salted Peppermint Bark
Peppermint Mocha Brownies
Did you try this recipe? Review and comment below, and share a photo on Instagram and tag @flourdeliz!
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📖 Recipe
Fudgy Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 2 cups Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars until well mixed.
- Add eggs and vanilla, and stir until combined.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt and stir until combined.
- Stir in the chopped peppermint bark.
- Refrigerate dough balls for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place chilled dough balls approximately on lined cookie sheets. Using the palm of your hand, press down to flatten the balls to thick discs.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for approximately 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
This post was updated in December 2020 with an improved recipe, new photos and additional information about the recipe.
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