Easy Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candy Canes
These festive holiday cookies are loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes for a fun, approachable, and quick-to-make holiday bake! *A single batch makes 18-22 cookies*
Servings: 20 Servings
Calories: 159kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment -or- Large Mixing Bowl and Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- ½ Cup salted butter, softened
- ½ Cup granulated sugar
- ¼ Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 Cups all-purpose flour
- ½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + more for topping dough balls before baking*
- ½ Cup white chocolate chips + more for topping dough balls before baking*
- ¼ Cup crushed peppermint candy cane pieces + more for topping dough balls before baking*
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F and set out two full-size cookie sheets (you can line them with parchment paper for easier clean up if desired, but it's optional).
- Cream the butter and sugars. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and both sugars. It will look a bit grainy, be pale yellow, and become a bit fluffy.½ Cup salted butter, softened, ½ Cup granulated sugar, ¼ Cup brown sugar
- Add the wet ingredients. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Start with the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and then slowly mix in the flour until a dough forms.½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1.5 Cups all-purpose flour
- Add the mix-ins. Gently mix in both types of chocolate chips and the crushed candy cane pieces until they're well distributed throughout the dough.½ Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + more for topping dough balls before baking*, ½ Cup white chocolate chips + more for topping dough balls before baking*, ¼ Cup crushed peppermint candy cane pieces + more for topping dough balls before baking*
- Scoop the dough. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), make dough balls and place them 2 inches apart on your baking sheets.
- Top with extra chocolate and candy cane pieces. Gently press a generous pinch of additional crushed candy cane pieces and some extra chocolate chips (about 3 of each type) on top of each dough ball.
- Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies are done when they begin to turn lightly golden brown and the edges look set.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
*Topping your cookies with extra chocolate chips and candy cane pieces, while not necessary, is highly recommended! It makes your cookies look extra appealing and adds even more yummy chocolate and peppermint goodness. You'll need about ¼ Cup extra of each type chocolate chip and about 2 Tablespoons of extra crushed candy canes to get the same look as the photos.
Baking Tip: For soft and chewy cookies, do NOT overbake cookies. Pull out of the oven when the edges are just set and tops are just turning golden brown.
Store fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You also have the option to freeze either the dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months - see the 'How to Store' section in the blog post for detailed directions.
Variation Ideas:
- Add peppermint extract. These cookies purposely don't have an overwhelming amount of peppermint. But if you'd prefer a stronger peppermint flavor, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to your dough at the same time you add the vanilla extract.
- Use one type of chocolate chip. If preferred, you can use all semi-sweet or all white chocolate chips for this recipe (1 cup total for a single batch). All semi-sweet chips will create a cookie with a bolder chocolate flavor. All white chips will make a sweeter, creamier cookie that really highlights the peppermint.
- Replace the candy cane pieces with another minty candy. Instead of crushed candy canes, try another option like Andes mint baking chips for a different texture and flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
