Our Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are inspired by the luxe Levain Bakery style: rich dark chocolate dough studded with crunchy candy cane pieces. Crispy on the outside and tender and gooey inside, these cookies deliver that cozy holiday flavor in every bite—perfect for gifting, cookie exchanges, or baking with kids.
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These dark chocolate peppermint cookies combine deep cocoa flavor with bright peppermint crunch. They’re easy to make, impressive to serve, and ideal for holiday celebrations. The combination of dark chocolate chips and crushed candy canes creates a festive cookie that’s crisp at the edges and soft in the center.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
- ¾ cup crushed candy canes (mini candy canes work best)
Instructions
Start by combining the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set this mix aside.
In a large bowl, cream the room-temperature butter with the granulated and brown sugars using an electric mixer or sturdy spoon until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
Fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in the dark chocolate chips or chunks and the crushed candy canes until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least one hour. Chilling the dough is important to achieve thick, bakery-style cookies and helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the chilled dough into 10 large balls for generously sized cookies. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 14 minutes, or until the tops no longer look wet but still appear slightly soft. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to finish setting.
This recipe yields 10 large cookies with a thick, chewy center and crisp edges. If you prefer smaller cookies, divide the dough into 20 portions and reduce the bake time to about 12 minutes.
More Christmas Desserts by The Blogette to Try Next:
- Christmas Sink Christmas Cookies
- M&M Christmas Tree Cookies
- Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Red Velvet Cookie Bars
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Equipment
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Mixing bowls
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Electric mixer (optional)
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Baking sheet
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Parchment paper or silicone mat (optional)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
- ¾ cup crushed candy canes (mini candy canes work best)
Instructions
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In a small bowl combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir well and set aside.
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In a larger bowl, cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
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Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.
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Fold in the dark chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
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Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
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Divide the dough into 10 balls and place them on a lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each.
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Bake about 14 minutes, until the tops no longer look wet but still feel slightly soft.
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Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on a rack.
Notes
Chilling the dough is key to achieving thick, bakery-style cookies. Keep the dough cold until baking.
For smaller cookies, make 20 portions and reduce baking time to ~12 minutes.