Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are a minty twist on a delightful holiday treat. These rich, fudgy cookies are chewy on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside, and dusted in powdered sugar. The slight hint of cool peppermint is the perfect complement to the intense chocolate. A must-have for the Christmas season!
Why KJ Loves
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Chocolate crinkle cookies are one of my favorite holiday recipes and this peppermint spin on them is perfect for the Christmas season! How can you go wrong with peppermint and chocolate? Watch these cookies disappear before your eyes!
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookie Ingredients
The Baking Essentials
Butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and flour form the base of the cookie dough.
We use baking powder in this peppermint crinkle cookie recipe because it puffs the cookies up and spreads them out to create those classic cracks on top. Plus, baking powder reacts nicely to Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Make sure you have powdered sugar on hand to give the cookies a snowy coating!
Intense Chocolate
This is my secret chocolate ingredient for all types of desserts. Dutch-processed cocoa powder works a little differently than regular cocoa powder. It’s alkalized—which means the acidity of the cocoa bean is neutralized. This results in a darker, more mellow flavor.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder is available at most grocery stores. They sell some larger bags at Costco, and you can also try ordering it online.
Some Holiday Spirit
Peppermint extract infuses a dash of holiday spirit into these classic crackly cookies. It adds just the right touch of candy cane-like flavor and smells wonderful.
Peppermint and crinkle cookies were meant to go together. The cool, crisp mint cuts through the rich, fudgy chocolate for a scrumptiously balanced bite of cookie.
It’s worth investing in a bottle.
You could also sprinkle some finely crushed peppermint candies on top of the cookies for a little extra cheer!
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookie Tips
Check out my full post on how to bake the best chocolate crinkle cookies. But here are some highlights:
Best Ways To Refrigerate the Cookie Dough
Because we’re using melted butter instead of softened butter, we’ll need to refrigerate the batter for a couple of hours. This helps the cookies maintain a good shape and also allows them to get that signature crinkle.
- If you don’t have a ton of space in your refrigerator, just put the whole bowl of cookie dough in. You’ll need to use some elbow grease to scoop it out later, but it’s doable!
- if you have space in your fridge, scoop the cookie dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet, and refrigerate them. That way, all you have to do is roll the cookie dough balls into powdered sugar and bake.
To Get More Crackles…
Halfway through baking, your cookies should be cracking and spreading to form that classic crinkle. If that’s not happening, take the pan out of the oven and smack it down on the counter a couple of times to help the process along.
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookie FAQs
How do you know when crinkle cookies are done?
Your peppermint crinkle cookies are finished when the tops crack and look glossy in the middle. If you insert a toothpick, it should come out clean.
Why did my crinkle cookies not crinkle?
Make sure you chill the dough for the right amount of time. If you get impatient and rush the process, your dough will spread too quickly in the oven, and you won’t get those beautiful crinkles.
Why are my crinkle cookies dry?
Make sure you use the right amount of dry ingredients for your chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies. Also, be sure not to pack the flour too tightly! When you’re baking, even slight adjustments to the ingredients can make a big difference!
Looking for other Cookie Recipes? Check these out!
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 14 cookies 1x
Description
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are a minty twist on a delightful holiday treat. These rich, fudgy cookies are chewy on the inside, slightly crunchy on the outside, and dusted in powdered sugar. The slight hint of cool peppermint is the perfect complement to the intense chocolate. A must-have for the Christmas season!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (Dutch processed preferred)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for coating
- 1/4 cup finely crushed candy canes
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth, about a couple minutes. Reduce the speed to low and mix in one egg at a time, wiping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Mix in the peppermint extract.
- Add in the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder and mix just until a dough forms. Refrigerate the dough for 2-3 hours. This can be done by adding the bowl of dough to the refrigerator, or by scooping the dough out into balls, placing them all on a baking sheet and refrigerating the whole baking sheet. Either option works.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop the refrigerated dough into cooke dough balls. Roll each cooke dough ball into the powdered sugar to completely coat. Place on a baking sheet a few inches apart from each other.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, taking the pans out halfway through and banging them on the counter to help with the crinkle process. They can also be banged on the counter a couple times after the baking process in addition to help with this.
- While the cookies are still warm, sprinkle the tops with the crushed candy canes.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool and enjoy!
Notes
- Dutch processed cocoa is preferred for this recipe but not required. I find that it yields a much more decadent chocolate flavor.
- The cookies can also be baked on a parchment-lined baking sheet to help with cleanup as the powdered sugar does fluff off a bit when banged on the counter.
- Prep time includes refrigeration time.
- Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 14.5g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 3.9g
- Carbohydrates: 22.1g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 28mg
Keywords: Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
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Hi, I’m KJ!
Here you’ll find simple, delicious recipes for the home cook. I strive to make wholesome meals with easy-to-find ingredients that you feel comfortable making in your own kitchen—but I won’t shy away from a few indulgences! (I see you: butter, bacon, cookies!)
