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Rich and fudgy peppermint brownie cookies are the most delicious holiday cookies. If you’ve tried my reader favorite salted brownie cookies, you will adore these holiday-inspired brownie cookies. Topped with peppermint bark squares and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint, these festive cookies are the perfect blend of peppermint flavor and rich chocolate! Recipe makes 20 cookies.
Chocolate peppermint cookies are one of my favorite treats during Christmas cookie season. Dark chocolate paired with creamy peppermint is such a classic flavor pairing and featured in many of my favorite cookie recipes, including chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies and double chocolate mint cookies.
Here, peppermint plays the starring role in two ways: pure peppermint extract infuses the chocolate dough with flavor and peppermint bark tops the cookies for an extra burst of peppermint flavor.
Tips for Brownie Cookie Success
Weigh out ingredients – This recipe has been developed and tested by weight. I highly recommend weighing out all ingredients so you can work quickly.
Don’t chill the dough – No chilling required! Brownie cookies are baked right away, while the dough is still slightly warm. From start to finish, these cookies come together in under 40 minutes.
Add a festive topping – The cookies are topped with pieces of peppermint bark and baked until crackled. After a few minutes of cooling, sprinkle with crushed peppermint for a festive topping.
Cookie Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make these chocolate peppermint cookies:
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour in this recipe.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Use Dutch-process cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor. I use and recommend Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa.
- Semisweet chocolate – I use and recommend high quality chocolate such as Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bars or Guittard semisweet chocolate wafers (66% cacao).
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, cut into small cubes. The butter is melted with the chocolate.
- Sugar – The cookie dough incorporates granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Egg – This recipe uses two large eggs. The eggs are whipped with the sugars to create volume.
- Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract.
- Peppermint extract – Pure peppermint extract flavors the cookie dough.
- Chocolate chips – Semisweet or dark chocolate chips are folded into the cookie dough.
- Peppermint Bark – Roughly chopped peppermint bark tops each cookie. I use and recommend Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares.
- Crushed peppermint – A sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy makes a festive topping! Other topping ideas: crushed candy canes or holiday sprinkles.
How to Make Peppermint Brownie Cookies
These brownie cookies come together quickly and there’s no chilling required. Let’s walk through the recipe step-by step:
Combine dry ingredients – Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
Melt chocolate – Combine chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
Whip eggs and sugars – Combine eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk together on medium speed (speed 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) for 5 minutes.
Mix in melted chocolate – Add melted chocolate to the mixer and mix in on low speed for 1 minute.
Mix in dry ingredients – Add flour mixture and mix in on low speed for 20 seconds, just until combined.
Add chocolate chips – Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Dough will resemble a gooey brownie batter.
Scoop dough – Spray a medium cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoon capacity) with nonstick spray. Invert the scoop just above parchment-lined baking sheets and squeeze the lever to release the dough.
Space cookies 3 inches apart, 10 per baking sheet. Top with pieces of peppermint bark, pressing gently to adhere.
Bake cookies – Bake cookies at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate pans halfway through, baking cookies until tops are just set and cookies are crackly.
Cool cookies – Remove cookies from the oven and cool for 8 minutes on baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy and cool for 2 more minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage Tips
Brownie cookies taste best freshly baked. Store these cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
If your kitchen is at all warm or humid, I recommend sprinkling the crushed peppermint topping on just before serving for the best texture.
Favorite chocolate peppermint cookies:
Did you try these Peppermint Brownie Cookies? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Print
Fudgy Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 39 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Rich and fudgy peppermint brownie cookies topped with peppermint bark squares and crushed peppermint are the most delicious holiday cookies! Recipe yields 20 cookies.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2/3 cup (94 g) flour
- 2 Tbsp (12 g) Dutch process unsweetened cocoa, sifted
- 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) salt
- 8 ounces (226 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommended: 66-70% chocolate)
- 1/4 cup (57 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 large eggs (100 g), at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (92 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) pure peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Topping
- 6 oz (170 g) peppermint bark, roughly chopped
- 2 to 3 Tbsp crushed peppermint candy, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Place chopped chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Combine eggs, sugars, vanilla, and peppermint extract in a large mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk together on medium speed for 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in melted chocolate for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed for 20 seconds, just until combined. Fold in chocolate chips (dough will resemble a gooey brownie batter).
- Use a medium cookie scoop coated lightly with nonstick spray to form the cookies – invert the scoop just above the baking sheets, spacing cookies 3 inches apart. Top with pieces of peppermint bark, pressing gently to adhere.
- Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until tops are just set and cookies are crackly. Remove from oven and let cookies cool for 8 minutes on baking sheets. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint. Cool for 2 more minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Notes
Semisweet chocolate: I use and recommend Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bars or Guittard semisweet chocolate wafers.
Cookie scoop: Use a medium cookie scoop which holds approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough or batter.
Peppermint bark: I use and recommend Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares.
Crushed peppermint: You can find crushed peppermint candy online. To make your own, place several unwrapped candy canes or peppermint candies in a heavy duty freezer bag. Freeze for 20 minutes (to make the candy more brittle), then crush with a heavy rolling pin or the smooth side of a steel meat tenderizer.
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I made these cookies over the weekend and they were a huge hit!! Everyone loved them!
That’s great to hear, thank you Karen!
So festive and delicious! We all love peppermint bark (and have made your salted brownie cookies many times), so these are a home run!
That’s so nice to hear, thank you Joni! 🙂
I’m a huge fan of your original brownie cookies so I couldn’t wait to try these. Incredible!! The peppermint bark + crushed peppermint topping is so good with the fudgy chocolate cookies. Making another batch now to share!
So happy to hear that, thank you Ashleigh!
Can’t wait to make these
Thanks Kelly! If you’ve tried the original brownie cookies, you will love these! 🙂