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Best Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies Recipe (Easy & Festive!)

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These fudgy, rich chocolate cookies are studded with white chocolate chips and loaded with crunchy peppermint pieces, capturing the classic holiday bark experience in a soft, chewy cookie form. They’re surprisingly simple to make and perfect for holiday parties or cookie exchanges.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup crushed peppermint candies or candy canes (about 6–8 regular-sized candy canes)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract; mix until just combined.
  4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky.
  6. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and ½ cup of the crushed peppermint candies. Reserve the remaining ¼ cup for topping.
  7. Using a cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons), drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will look puffy and slightly underdone in the center.
  9. As soon as the baking sheets come out of the oven, gently press a few of the reserved crushed peppermint pieces onto the tops of the warm cookies.
  10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

Don’t overbake; the center should look slightly soft and puffy. Crush candy canes into a mix of fine dust and small pea-sized chunks. Room temperature butter and eggs are key for proper creaming. If your kitchen is warm, chill the scooped dough balls for 15-20 minutes before baking to prevent spreading. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend containing xanthan gum. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies or raw dough balls for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: chocolate peppermint bark cookies, holiday cookies, Christmas cookies, peppermint cookies, easy cookie recipe, fudgy chocolate cookies

Find it online: https://tablemira.com/best-chocolate-peppermint-bark-cookies-recipe-easy-and-festive/