Frosted Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

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These soft and chewy Frosted Peppermint Chocolate Cookies are a delicious and festive treat for the holidays. Pepperminty buttercream and candy cane pieces take them over-the-top!

Why You’ll Love Frosted Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate and peppermint — a flavor combination that just works and is perfect for Christmas! I’ve made several chocolate peppermint cookies over the years, like my Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, but I couldn’t resist adding another to the collection. This time, I’ve added some frosting!

• Soft and chewy. Another thing I love about these cookies is their texture. They are super soft and chewy — I’m obsessed!
• Peppermint frosting. One thing that really sets these cookies apart from the rest is the peppermint frosting! It’s so flavorful and helps keep the chocolate cookies moist for days.
• Easy to make. The cookie dough comes together quickly and there’s no need to refrigerate it, so you’ll be on your way to tasty cookies in no time!
• Perfect for the holidays. One of the reasons we all love the holidays is the opportunity to enjoy lots of peppermint desserts! These cookies look and taste like the holidays and would be a welcome addition to any festive gathering.

Ingredient Notes

Before you gather your ingredients, take a look at these helpful tips. Check out the recipe card toward the bottom of this post for full ingredient amounts.

• Flour – Be sure to measure the flour correctly by weighing it with a food scale or using the spoon and level method. Too much flour will give you cookies that don’t spread properly and are dry.
• Cocoa powder – Make sure to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Baking soda – To give a little lift and chewiness to the cookies.
• Unsalted butter and salt – I like to use unsalted butter and add a little additional salt. If you only have salted butter, you can use it and omit the extra salt. Bring the butter to room temperature before using so that is combines properly.
• Sugars – To get the perfect soft and chewy texture, you’ll need regular granulated sugar and light brown sugar. They both sweeten the mix but the brown sugar also adds a deeper flavor and extra moisture.
• Eggs – You’ll need 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk for the dough. Don’t use medium or extra large eggs.
• Powdered sugar – Sweetens the frosting and also adds volume and thickness. You could reduce it a bit, but I wouldn’t reduce it too much or your frosting will be fairly thin.
• Peppermint pieces – You can purchase peppermint pieces or make your own by smashing candy canes.

How to Make Frosted Peppermint Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are pretty easy to put together! Follow along with this photo tutorial to get familiar with the recipe. More comprehensive directions can be found in the recipe card below.

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prep a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
• Combine dry ingredients. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• Make cookie dough. Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the egg, followed by the egg yolk and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until well combined.

• Roll cookie dough balls. Scoop cookie dough balls and space them evenly on the lined cookie sheet.
• Bake and cool. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges look set, and the center looks just done. Cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

• Make buttercream. Add the butter to a mixer bowl and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, then the peppermint and vanilla extracts, and cream.
• Finish cookies. Spread frosting evenly on top of a cookie and sprinkle with peppermint pieces immediately, then serve! Enjoy!

Tips for Success

• Measure flour properly. A common mistake is adding too much flour and having cookies that don’t spread properly. Use the spoon and level method or a food scale. Check out my tutorial for How to Measure Flour Correctly for more tips.
• Don’t skimp on the creaming time. Be sure to beat the butter and sugar until you notice a change in both the color and texture. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Be sure to scrape the sides a few times during the creaming, to make sure everything is being incorporated.
• Don’t over mix. Cookie dough that is mixed for too long results in firm, flat cookies. Mix the ingredients just until they are combined to prevent over-activating the gluten in the flour.
• Use a cookie scoop. I recommend using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for making the cookie dough balls. A cookie scoop will make your cookies all the same size and help them to bake evenly.
• Cool cookies completely. Don’t be tempted to frost the cookies before they’ve had time to cool completely. Warm cookies will heat the buttercream, causing it to slide right off.
• Frost cookies one-by-one. This buttercream recipe forms a curst on the outside as it sets. If you don’t add the peppermint pieces immediately, they might not stick to the frosting, and that would be so, so sad!

Storage Information

• Room temperature. You can store your cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 48 hours. Make sure to separate the layers with parchment paper.
• Refrigerator. The cookies can also be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the peppermint pieces will begin to dissolve and get sticky the longer they sit in the fridge due to condensation.
• Freezer. Place the cookies in a freezer safe container or wrap them well in plastic. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cookies in the fridge. If you freeze them frosted, just keep in mind that the peppermint pieces may begin to dissolve a bit in the fridge as they thaw.

More Peppermint Dessert Recipes

• Peppermint Patties
• Peppermint Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
• No Churn Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
• Peppermint Sugar Cookies
• Peppermint Chip Layer Cake
• Peppermint Bark Cookies

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