Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookies Recipe! (2024)

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These easy Peppermint Sugar Cookies are soft and chewy cookies with peppermint pieces and white chocolate chips. They’re festive, flavorful and hard not to get addicted to! The perfect homemade cookies for Christmas and just soaking up those holiday vibes.

Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookies Recipe! (1)

Table of Contents

  • Recipe Ingredients
  • How to Make This Easy Peppermint Sugar Cookie Recipe
  • Can I Make These Cookies Ahead?
  • How to Store Homemade Sugar Cookies
  • Can I Freeze These Cookies?
  • More Sugar Cookie Recipes
  • Get the Recipe

Soft & Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies

I can’t get enough of the white chocolate and peppermint combo in these cookies! This minty recipe is an adaptation of my tried and true homemade sugar cookies recipe. They have the same soft and chewy texture with an added coolness and sweetness from the peppermint pieces and white chocolate. These cookies are also made with peppermint extract, so they have plenty of flavor without being overpowering.

These easy Christmas cookies come together in just 20 minutes! They’ll look amazing on your holiday cookie plate, and they make the perfect treat for Santa Claus. And, even though these cookies are ideal for Christmas, they’re also good enough to make year round!

Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookies Recipe! (2)

Recipe Ingredients

These cookies are made with the same ingredients as my classic sugar cookies, plus peppermint extract, peppermint pieces, and white chocolate chips. Here’s your ingredient lineup (check out the recipe card below for exact amounts):

  • All-purpose flour – Be careful not to pack the flour in your measuring cups. Otherwise, you risk over-measuring your flour and making your cookies dry.
  • Baking soda
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter – Bring your butter to room temperature.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract
  • Peppermint extract
  • White chocolate chips – Feel free to use semisweet or dark chocolate chips instead, if preferred.
  • Crushed peppermint pieces

What Kind of Peppermint Candy Should I Use?

I recommend using either candy canes or Brach’s peppermint candies for this recipe. They both have great peppermint flavor, they’re inexpensive and they’re easy to crush. Simply place them in a plastic bag and pound them with a rolling pin! If you want bigger chunks of peppermint in your cookies, don’t crush your mints too finely. You can also often find pre-crushed peppermint pieces on the baking aisle in certain stores.

Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookies Recipe! (3)

How to Make This Easy Peppermint Sugar Cookie Recipe

These cookies are anything but complicated. All you have to do is make your dough, add in the peppermint pieces and chocolate chips, and bake!

  • Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set them aside.
  • Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  • Cream Butter & Sugars: Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
  • Add Egg & Extracts: Add the egg and mix until well combined. Then, add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract and mix until well combined.
  • Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick and shouldn’t be sticky. Do not over mix it.
  • Add Chocolate & Peppermint: Once it’s well combined, add the white chocolate chips and peppermint pieces and use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
  • Assemble Dough on Baking Sheet: Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then set the balls on the baking sheet.
  • Bake: Bake your cookies for 7-9 minutes. The cookies will spread and the centers will look soft, but should look done. Remove just as the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t overbake them. The cookies may look a little puffy when you take them out of the oven, but they’ll fall a bit as they cool.
  • Let Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Can I Make These Cookies Ahead?

Yes, it’s easy to make these peppermint sugar cookies months in advance! Simply pack the cooled cookies in a ziploc bag, squeeze all the extra air out, and store them in the freezer.

You can layer your cookies between parchment paper, if desired, to prevent them from sticking together. When you want to eat your cookies, just thaw them in the fridge and enjoy.

Cookie Decorating & Variation Ideas

Looking for a way to jazz up these cookies even more? Try out some of these fun ideas:

  • Drizzle With Chocolate: In addition to putting the white chocolate chips in your cookie batter, you can melt some of them and drizzle the chocolate over your cookies once they’ve cooled.
  • Add More Chocolate Chips: When your cookies come out of the oven, you can lightly press some white chocolate chips on top to make them stand out!
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How to Store Homemade Sugar Cookies

These cookies should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or a ziploc bag with all the air squeezed out. They’ll stay perfectly soft and chewy for 4-5 days! I recommend enjoying your sugar cookies within a week of making them.

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

If you want your cookies to last for longer than a week, you can pop them in the freezer. Keep them in an airtight plastic bag and thaw them out before eating them. Frozen cookies will last for about 3 months!

More Sugar Cookie Recipes

There are so many ways to make an irresistible sugar cookie! Check out some more recipes below:

  • Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies
  • Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
  • Chocolate Sugar Cookies
  • Lemon Sugar Cookies
  • Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

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Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookies Recipe! (6)

Recipe

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Total Time: 23 minutes
  • Yield: 40
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
Print

Description

These peppermint sugar cookies are packed with crushed peppermint and white chocolate chips. They’re a perfect pick for your holiday cookie tray!

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups (358g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (224g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp (233g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 1/4 cups (211g) white chocolate chips
  • 6 tablespoons crushed peppermint pieces

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
  2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
  4. Add the egg and mix until well combined.
  5. Add the vanilla extract and peppermint extract and mix until well combined.
  6. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough is well combined. It will be thick and shouldn’t be sticky. Do not over mix.
  7. Once it’s well combined, add the white chocolate chips and peppermint pieces and use a rubber spatula to help it come together to form a more cohesive ball.
  8. Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then set the balls on the baking sheet.
  9. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes. The cookies will spread and the centers will look soft, but should look done. Remove just as the edges begin to turn golden. Don’t overbake. The cookies may look a little puffy when you take them out of the oven but will fall a bit as they cool.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • To store: These cookies should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or a ziploc bag with all the air squeezed out. They’ll stay perfectly soft and chewy for 4-5 days! I recommend enjoying your sugar cookies within a week of making them.
  • To freeze: If you want your cookies to last for longer than a week, you can pop them in the freezer. Keep them in an airtight plastic bag and thaw them out before eating them. Frozen cookies will last for about 3 months!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 124
  • Sugar: 8.6 g
  • Sodium: 68.2 mg
  • Fat: 6.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15.2 g
  • Protein: 1.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 18 mg

Categories

  • Christmas
  • Cookies
  • Fall and Holiday Favorites
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • Sweets and Treats
Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Cookies Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making cookies soft and chewy? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What makes some cookies chewy? ›

Chewy cookies

Sugar dissolved in baking forms a syrup as the dough heats up. Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›

How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
  1. Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
  2. Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
  3. Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
  4. Rest your dough. ...
  5. Shorten baking time.
May 14, 2023

How do you keep Christmas sugar cookies from spreading? ›

To prevent this make sure the baking sheets are always at least on room temperature. Ideally you want to cut your cookies and then chill them with the baking sheet. that way the tray is still cool when it goes in the oven and the cookies have no time to spread before they are baked through.

What are 3 factors that contribute to a chewy cookie? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

What is the best flour for chewy cookies? ›

Bread flour has a high protein content, which may result in cookies with a chewy texture. It provides more structure than other flours and can give cookies that satisfying, bread-like bite.

What does adding cornstarch to cookies do? ›

As Levy Beranbaum writes in The Baking Bible, replacing a little bit of the flour in the dough with cornstarch results in “a more delicate cookie that is also easier to pipe or push through a cookie press.” Adding cornstarch helps tenderize tough gluten, contributing to a softer cookie dough with a finer crumb after ...

Why are my cookies hard instead of chewy? ›

Hard cookies: you are over mixing, baking too long, baking at too high a temperature, or some combination of these. Cakey cookies: not enough brown sugar, too much or too little egg, too much flour, maybe you used baking powder instead of baking soda?

What does brown sugar do in cookies? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

Does baking powder make cookies chewy? ›

Baking powder, fortunately, contains both baking soda and cornstarch in it, which allows us to bake these cookies until they're crisp, but still have a nice chewy bite.

What ingredient contributes most to the texture of a crisp cookie? ›

Fat is a very important ingredient in cookies – it tenderizes, crisps and browns, adds color and a wonderful flavor that is impossible to duplicate. Butter, our fat of choice, ensures good baking results and adds the most desirable taste, texture and appearance.

Should you refrigerate cut out cookies before baking? ›

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

What makes sugar cookies spread too much? ›

Mixing Butter & Sugar

If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

For soft cookies, use: Brown sugar, as it has a high moisture content and retains moisture better than white sugar. Also, when combined with eggs, brown sugar can prevent spreading (taller cookies tend to be softer and fluffier). Shortening instead of butter or in addition to butter.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

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