These indulgent Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are crispy on the outside with a fudgy brownie centre and loaded with choc mint crisp
Too dangerous to keep at home
The adults in our household love the fresh and rich combination of chocolate and peppermint. So whenever I make homemade After-Dinner Mints or these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies they never last long.
In order to save us from gorging on sweets, I give most of them away to our friends or family. One house member doesn’t care for peppermint sweets, and no, I’m not talking about my kitties.
These cookies clearly confused our 3-year-old, Kai because he wasn’t sure if he liked them. ‘Yum cookie, ooh chocolate, but they taste like my yucky toothpaste.‘ No, he didn’t actually say that, but I bet that’s what he was thinking after he took his first bite.
The little trooper ate an entire cookie but rejected the next one. Actually, that’s not true. He demanded we remove all the green minty bits from his next cookie. Sorry sweetie, but your mummy loves those green yucky things.
We’re talking about Nestle’s Peppermint Crisp Bars. They have a peppermint cracknel centre, coated in milk chocolate! These cookies have 4 Peppermint Crisp bars in and on them.
So if you’re a big fan of mint and chocolate like I am, then you’re going to fall in love with these cookies. They’re crispy on the outside with a fudgy brownie-like centre. Pure indulgence with cocoa, chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and, of course, Peppermint Crisp bars!
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
What are Peppermint Crisp bars?
I used 4 x 35gm (4 x 1.2 oz) Nestle’s Peppermint Crisp bars. These bars have a crisp peppermint cracknel centre that’s covered in milk chocolate. If you can’t get these where you are, you could swap them for equal amounts of crushed Christmas candy canes or just add more chocolate chips.
If you end up using more chocolate chips, you may wish to add a little more peppermint essence because they’re no peppermint candy in the cookies.
Do these Chocolate Peppermint Cookies need to be chilled?
No, you don’t need to chill these cookies. They’re good to pop in the oven after rolling into balls. However, like most cookies, they’re better when chilled for at least 15 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies more flavourful and help them from going too flat when baking.
You could also chill this cookie dough a few days ahead, but the dough will be rock hard. So before baking, take the cookie dough out of the fridge. Rest it at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
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Some little tips
These cookies don’t spread out much because they have a soft and fudgy centre. However, if you like flat cookies, use the palm of your hands to push the dough balls down gently before baking.
I like to bake cookies one tray at a time because I can adjust the next batch according to how the first ones turned out. Each oven is different, so they may need a few minutes more or less in the oven. These cookies are forgiving as they don’t dry out too much if you accidentally overbake them for a couple of minutes.
Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Peppermint Crisp bars – I used 4 x 35gm (4 x 1 oz) Nestle’s Peppermint Crisp bars. These bars have a crisp peppermint cracknel centre that’s covered in milk chocolate. If you can’t get these where you are, you could swap them for equal amounts of candy canes or add more chocolate chips.
Plain flour (All-purpose flour) has no leavening (raising agents) such as baking powder mixed in.
Caster sugar (superfine sugar) – Caster sugar has finer granules than regular white sugar, but it’s not the same as icing/powdered sugar. Many baking or candy recipes call for caster sugar as it dissolves faster and better into mixtures. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can make your own by placing regular sugar in a food processor or blender. Pulse the sugar a few times until it looks finer, but don’t over-blitz it to a powder consistency. However, you could just use equal amounts of regular white sugar.
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Watch how to make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Written step-by-step guide with photos
For the flour mixture – Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk well to combine.
Chop the Peppermint crisp bars into little chunks, or before opening the packets, crush the candy bar using a rolling pin.
Beat the butter and sugar on high speed using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until it’s pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and beat again for a few seconds. Add in the egg, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat for 30 seconds.
Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture slowly. Once the dough comes together, add the chocolate chips and 1/2 CUP of the chopped peppermint crisp. You may need to increase the speed to high for a few seconds so the chocolate mixes into the batter.
If you have time, wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). Line two baking trays with non-stick baking (parchment) paper.
Scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into your hands, then roll them into a ball. Dip the ball into the remaining chopped peppermint crisp, then place it on the baking tray. Space them approximately 1 inch apart. If you prefer flatter cookies, press the dough balls down gently with the palm of your hands.
Bake the cookies for 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle any remaining chopped Peppermint Crisp on top of the cookies, then allow them to cool completely on the tray, so they set.
Leftovers – Allow the cookies to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer them into an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Crispy and fudgy)
Ingredients
- 140 gm peppermint crisp bars (4 x 35g/1oz) (NOTE 1)
- 1¼ cup plain flour (all purpose) flour (NOTE 2)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 113 gm unsalted butter (softened)
- ⅔ cup caster sugar (or regular white sugar) (NOTE 3)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips (milk or dark)
Instructions
- For the flour mixture – Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and whisk well to combine.
- Chop the Peppermint crisp bars into little chunks, or before opening the packets, crush the candy bar using a rolling pin.
- Beat the butter and sugar on high speed using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until it's pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and beat again for a few seconds. Add in the egg, vanilla extract and peppermint extract and beat for 30 seconds.
- Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour mixture slowly. Once the dough comes together, add the chocolate chips and 1/2 CUP of the chopped peppermint crisp. You may need to increase the speed to high for a few seconds so the chocolate mixes into the batter. If you have time, wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill it for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F). Line two baking trays with non-stick baking (parchment) paper. Scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough into your hands, then roll them into a ball. Dip the ball into the remaining chopped peppermint crisp, then place it on the baking tray. Space them approximately 1 inch apart. If you prefer flatter cookies, press the dough balls down gently with the palm of your hands.
- Bake the cookies for 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle any remaining chopped Peppermint Crisp on top of the cookies, then allow them to cool completely on the tray, so they set.
