Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies a Christmas cookie recipe for fudgy, rich chocolate brownie cookies with just a hint of peppermint flavor. Crisp brownie-like crust with deep crackles and a rich fudgy interior topped with just enough crushed peppermint candy canes to make these crinkle cookies perfect for the holidays!
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Christmas cookie recipe
These chewy, fudgy chocolate crinkle cookies with peppermint are a holiday-appropriate update to everyone’s favorite classic brownie crinkle cookie recipe that’s just perfect for Christmas!
Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are soft, chewy and fudgy on the inside. And the outside is smooth and glossy with a thin crispy shell broken up by deep cracks.
Similar to the super easy boxed brownie cookies that are made by simply adding a stick of melted butter and an egg to a package of cake mix. But so much fudgier, and chewier with a much better crinkle on top.
The no-chill chocolate crinkle cookie recipe isn’t difficult to make. But you must follow the directions without deviation to whip the eggs well, lightly mix the batter and bake right away. Do so and the cookie dough will form a smooth crust on the surface creating deep cracks as they bake and expand.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Dutch processed cocoa powder – or substitute regular cocoa powder or dark cocoa powder.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter – salted or use unsalted and add a bit more salt to the dough.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – or other good quality chocolate of your choice – milk chocolate, dark chocolate or semi-sweet.
- Brown sugar – light brown sugar or dark brown sugar can be substituted.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Peppermint candy cane – crushed slightly
Step by step instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Then remove butter from heat and add chocolate. Let sit off heat without touching.
- Meanwhile, add eggs and sugars to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes.
- After at least 5 minutes whisk melted chocolate and butter mixture until smooth.
- Fold melted chocolate into whipped egg mixture until just combined.
- Then fold in dry ingredients being careful not to overmix. This is a very loose dough that dries up quickly which is what makes them crinkle so perfectly.
- Immediately, using a small 1 ½ tablespoon (39mm) cookie scoop or spoon, place dough 2″ apart on prepared baking sheets. For the most crinkle place the whole batch on a single full size baking sheet. If unable to fit on a single sheet scoop all cookies as soon as the dough is done on multiple sheets so that the exterior shell can begin forming while the first batch bakes.
- Sprinkle with half of the crushed candy cane.
- Bake 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. Resist the urge to bake multiple sheets of cookies at once or the cookies on the bottom sheet will not have adequate air flow to seal the surface and form crinkles. Instead bake in two batches if unable to fit the entire batch on a single full size baking sheet.
- When cookies are puffy and cracks are visible in the surface remove and immediately sprinkle remaining crushed candy canes over top.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets 15-20 minutes until completely set. The cookies will flatten slightly as the cool deepening the crinkles and giving them an amazing soft chewy texture with crispy brownie like exterior.
- Enjoy!
What makes a cookie crinkle
In order to get the smooth glossy top with the most crinkly cracks you must whip the eggs for as long as the directions call for and fold the chocolate and dry ingredients in with a light hand. Then immediately drop the soft dough onto baking sheets. Do this and the soft cookie dough will form a smooth exterior that will seal into a thin crust in the heat of the oven forming deep cracks as they continue to bake and expand.
If you follow directions and your crinkle cookies are flat or too smooth don’t worry! It’s possible all you need to do is bake them a little longer to get the crinkles to appear.
How to decorate
Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are decorated with a bit of crushed candy cane before being baked and quickly again once they come out of the oven. This method allows the candy canes to melt into the cracks and also be visible on the finished cookies. to add even more festive peppermint flavor and color. But there are many other ways to decorate crinkle cookies:
- To make chocolate crinkle cookies without peppermint simply omit the crushed candy canes.
- Or roll in powdered sugar like these Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies instead.
- Or add extra peppermint flavor by stirring in ¼- ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the batter.
- For even more festive peppermint flair dip in melted white chocolate and sprinkle with more crushed candy canes. You can even flavor the white chocolate with more peppermint extract if you’d like for even more peppermint flavor.
- Instead of candy canes top finished crinkle cookies with an Andes mint, a Hershey kiss or peppermint kisses immediately after removing from oven. Or make hot chocolate crinkle cookies by piling up a few mini marshmallows on the still warm cookies. Or some sprinkles are always fun for birthday cookies or anyday!
- They also make excellent ice cream sandwiches, especially with peppermint ice cream!
How to store
Stored covered at room temperature Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies will stay soft for up to 5 days.
Or you can freeze cookies after baking for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature then serve.
Freezing the cookie dough before baking is not recommended because of the cookie dough must be baked immediately for best results.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder or other cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips heaping, or 7 ounces chocolate
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large peppermint candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a large full size baking sheet with parchment paper. Or two smaller half size baking sheets.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat then remove from heat and add chocolate but do not stir.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Add eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl and whip on medium high speed for 5 minutes using a stand mixer, hand mixer or a whisk and vigorous, strong hand.⅔ cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Once melted whisk chocolate and butter until smooth.
- Fold melted chocolate into whipped egg mixture until just combined.
- Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl using a sieve if clumps remain. Then fold in dry ingredients being careful not to overmix. Dough will be very loose.1 cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon fine salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Immediately, using a small 1 ½ tablespoon (39mm) cookie scoop or spoon, place dough 2" apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Sprinkle each cookie with a little of the crushed candy cane, saving half for later.2 large peppermint candy canes
- Bake cookies in preheated oven until puffy and cracked, 10-12 minutes .
- Immediately sprinkle hot cookies with remaining crushed candy cane to garnish.
- Cool on baking sheets 15-20 minutes until completely set.
- Store cooled cookies, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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Nutrition
Lisa
Just made these Gluten free and they are simply fantastic.xo
Tristin Rieken
Oh, yay! I’m so glad you liked them. Would you mind sharing the gluten free substitutions you used for others looking to make gluten free crinkle cookies?