Chewy, chocolaty cookies dipped in premium white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. The ultimate Christmas Cookie.
Oh, these cookies.
With only four calendar days left un-ticked before the big day, I’ve been scrambling both inside and outside of the kitchen. Between dashing through overcrowded malls and bare-shelved, patron-packed supermarkets, and going through 5 lb bags of flour in a weekend, this may be the “hap-happiest season of all” but it’s definitely the busiest.
And I think that’s a big part of the reason that I’m such a fan of these cookies.
Because, as decadent and gorgeous as they appear, they really, really don’t require that much effort. And while I love good classic sugar cookies, sometimes you just want something easy.
Made without the use of my KitchenAid because they’re just so easy to stir by hand (and I usually make everything in my KitchenAid), they’re then baked, cooled, dipped in melted white chocolate, sprinkled with candy cane pieces and allowed to harden.
Boom. Done.
Peppermint bark is to Christmastime what pumpkin spice is to Thanksgiving all of Fall. It’s the flavor of the season and pretty much as festive as it gets.
That’s what I wanted these cookies to be.
The rich, very chocolaty, chewy-edged chocolate cookies with their mini chocolate chip studded soft interiors serve as the chocolate base, a vehicle on which to carry the white chocolate and crushed peppermint.
The end result: Wicked dark, sinfully chocolate cookies, with melting chocolate, the crackle-topped outsides dressed in pure-white Christmas skirts, bedazzled with candy cane jewels.
If you don’t have mini chocolate chips on hand and aren’t prepared to thrust yourself back into the unevenly-tempered throngs of the ransacked grocery stores, they can be omitted. Personally, though I like the chocolaty pops throughout the chewy-edged, soft interior cookies.
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Enjoy!
Peppermint Bark Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter cut into Tbsp-sized pieces
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cups light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 yolk lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips optional
- ½ cup crushed candy canes I used 10 crushed mini canes
- 2 cups premium white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In large, micro-wave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, repeating at 15 second increments until chocolate and butter are completely melted.
- Remove from microwave and allow to cool 10 minutes before proceeding.
- Once butter/chocolate mixture has cooled, stir in sugars, eggs and vanilla.
- In separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until completely combined.
- Drop cookie dough by rounded 1 ½" scoop onto parchment paper, pressing down to flatten slightly.
- Bake 8-10 minutes, allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to cookie rack to cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
- Have your crushed candy canes ready before preparing your chocolate.
- Prepare white chocolate by placing in medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with 2 tsp shortening. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, then continue to microwave at 15-second increments (stirring between well after each 15-second increment) until chocolate is completely melted (do NOT microwave too long).
- Dip cookies ⅓-½ of the way in white chocolate and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet to harden.
- Immediately after dipping each cookie, sprinkle with crushed candy canes (do not wait too long or the chocolate will harden and the crushed candy cane will not stick).
- Allow chocolate to harden before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Kim
hey sam! i’m making these for christmas. is it okay to use unsalted butter instead?
Sam
Hi Kim! That will work just fine. You’ll want to just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 🙂
Kathryn
Hands down the BEST cookie recipe I have ever tasted! And I haven’t even dipped them in white chocolate and dropped peppermint sprinkles on them yet! Absolute Perfection! I rarely comment on anything, but these are #1 in my recipe book from now on. Thank you for sharing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you love them, Kathryn! Thanks so much for commenting–enjoy the cookies! 🙂
Tay S
I’m giving this 5 stars because the flavors are delicious & so festive! I was wondering if you could add the gram measurements you use to this recipe, please? My 1st pan came out a little bit flat, but so good!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! I’m sorry this is an older recipe and I didn’t use gram measurements. I will definitely put it on my list of recipes to update. 🙂
Liz
Hi Sam! I just made this dough, rolled it out and currently flash freezing before putting them into ziplock freezer bags. I just wanted to confirm if I can freeze them this way to bake a little closer to Christmas. If not, I’ll just have to start over. Thanks for always answering our questions 🙂
Sam
Hi Liz! You shouldn’t have any issues freezing these. 🙂
Ashley
Literally the most perfect Christmas cookie. Thanks for another killer recipe, Sam!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Ashley! 🙂
Mary Costa
I’m definitely making these for Christmas. Do you recommend freezing baked cookies and them dipping them closer to Christmas. Love your site—I’m a FAN!
Mary
Sam
Hi Mary! That sounds like a great way to make them ahead of time. I’m glad you enjoy the site so much. 🙂
J. Peterson
Any issue with using a ‘home made’ double boiler (metal mixing bowl in hot water) to melt the chocolate chip/butter combo as well as the white chocolate/shortening combo?? I don’t think there is but want to get your thoughts. Thx.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, that should be fine. Let me know how it works out for you! I hope that you enjoy the cookies. 🙂
J. Peterson
Double boiler worked perfect. These are the best Christmas cookies we have added in years. They will hold a permanent spot in the holiday cookie list! Perfection.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed them! Thanks so much! 🙂
Judy Baum
I dont ever keep shortning in my house! What can I use to replace the shortning used in melting the white chocolate chips?
Judy
Sam
Hi, Judy! You can skip the shortening, you will just have a much thicker chocolate, but you should still be able to dip it. 🙂
Bernadette Schell
The cookies came out very good, but the icing wasn’t very thin. In fact it was too thick to dip cookie into it, so I spread the icing on. I’m not the best cookie maker so do you have tips on getting the icing thiner.
Sam
Hmm, I’m wondering if the white chocolate might have possibly seized? Since it’s melted white chocolate with a little bit of shortening it should be a pretty fluid consistency, but if it was very thick it may have been microwaved too long or gotten too hot; if that happens the chocolate may seize, leaving you with a very thick, almost unusable chocolate that could be frosting-like in consistency and would probably have little lumps in it.
I hope that helps!
Sam
If that is the case, here’s the best way to prevent seizing in the future: Melt chocolate on 15-second increments, stirring very well every 15 seconds and microwaving until chocolate is just completely melted.
Kris Atkins
I made these last night and they are divine! Maybe even better than peppermint bark because you’ve got the chewy cookie in there with all the flavors. And they were as easy as you said! These are going to be an annual thing at my house from now on.
Sam
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them, Kris! Thanks for coming back and letting me know how they turned out! 😀
Kris Atkins
Sorry about the two comments! I didn’t think the first one went through. Obviously I wanted to make sure you knew I liked them! lol 🙂
Kris Atkins
I made these last night and they are divine! And just as easy as you said!
Sam
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed them, Kris! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Anna Kaminska
I decided to make these more minty by adding some mint extract to the dough and they came out pretty well! Also, I simply put the white chocolate on the top side instead of dipping them. My family loved them! Thanks!
Sam
Sounds delicious, I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed them! 🙂
Beeta @ Mon Petit Four
These are so pretty, Sam! I love that you’ve done a chocolate cookie here…it’s a refreshing change from the vanilla-based ones. I love the way you decorated them too! I hope you had a lovely Christmas 🙂
Sam
Thank you, Beeta! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, as well (and a Happy New Year!)
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
These cookies are unreal! Such a classic holiday flavor 🙂
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction
What perfect, scrumptious looking Christmas cookies! These are so pretty, too!