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Say hello to your new favorite holiday cookie: chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies! So rich, so decadent, and so dreamy, these snowy cookies remind me of a winter wonderland.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
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Crackled tops give way to soft and fudgy centers, flecked with crushed peppermint candy canes that melt ever so slightly into the dough while baking. Finished with a generous roll in powdered sugar (because the more, the merrier!), these crinkle cookies are Christmas bliss!

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Melt Chocolate – Combine unsweetened chocolate and butter in a bowl and microwave in bursts, stirring until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Make Dough – Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Fold in dry ingredients just until incorporated, then fold in crushed candy canes – the mixture will resemble brownie batter. Let dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Scoop Dough – Spray a medium (1 1/2-inch) cookie scoop with nonstick spray and scoop balls of dough. Roll first in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat. Place two inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake – Bake at 325°F, rotating pans halfway through, for 14 to 15 minutes, until cookies are puffed and cracked, with edges set. Cool cookies for 15 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Perfect Crinkle Cookies

Rolling the cookie dough in granulated sugar before coating in powdered sugar helps the cookies crackle as they bake, and keeps the powdered sugar coating in place, for perfect crinkles with every batch!

Make Ahead Crinkle Cookies

Make the dough in advance, roll into balls and freeze on a baking sheet for 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just before baking, roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar, coat in powered sugar, and bake as directed, adding 1-2 minutes to baking time.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

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Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 13 reviews
  • Author: Laura Kasavan
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 28 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Say hello to your new favorite holiday cookie: chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies! So rich, so decadent, and so dreamy, these cookies are Christmas bliss.


Ingredients

Cookies

  • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
  • 4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

For rolling

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and peppermint extract in a large bowl until combined; add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth. Fold in flour mixture just until incorporated, then fold in crushed candy canes. Let dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  4. Place granulated sugar and powdered sugar in separate shallow bowls. Use a cookie scoop coated with nonstick spray to scoop 1 1/2-inch balls of dough. Roll in granulated sugar to coat, then coat generously in powdered sugar. Place two inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, for 14 to 15 minutes, until cookies are puffed and cracked, with edges set. Let cookies cool for 15 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar first before rolling in powdered sugar helps the cookies crackle and keeps the powered sugar coating in place.

Meet Laura

Hi, I'm Laura and I'm so happy you're here! Welcome to Tutti Dolci Baking Recipes, a baking blog celebrating all things sweet! I share approachable baking recipes and elevated classic desserts for every home baker. My goal is to inspire you to bake from scratch with kitchen-tested recipes you can count on.

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52 Comments

  1. Haven’t made these in years. Gonna give your recipe a try. If I wanted to make a big batch to freeze, could I just double the recipe? And I noticed a few questions about omitting the candy cane and adding a bit more of the extract, too.

    1. You can omit the candy cane and increase the peppermint extract to 3/4 teaspoon. I don’t recommend doubling this recipe since the dough needs to stay warm throughout the mixing and shaping process. It’s best to make one batch at a time.

  2. YUM!!! My new favorite cookie??? I am gluten free and used Cup4Cup flour – crispy outside, chewy inside, like a brownie! Very chocolatey- I used an unsweetened Ghiradelli baking bar. The peppermint level was just right, its there but not overpowering. I like less sweet desserts and was worried with the double sugar rolling they would be too sweet for me – they were not at all! You can be generous with the powdered sugar to get a nice crackle effect. Just perfect. Don’t flatten the balls, keep them round – they will puff up a lot in the oven and then flatten out while cooling to give that chewy texture. 14 minutes was just right on silpat. This perfect recipe will be a new Christmas tradition, thank you!






    1. Hi Jacqueline, thanks so much for trying these cookies and sharing your detailed notes. 🙂 Glad to hear these worked well for you with Cup4Cup flour too!