Irresistible Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies: Your Ultimate Holiday Baking Guide
Experience the magic of the holiday season in every bite with these delightful Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies! Imagine a crisp, buttery sugar cookie, perfectly balanced with the rich intensity of dark chocolate glaze, and finished with a festive sprinkle of crunchy peppermint pieces. These cookies aren’t just a dessert; they’re a celebration, embodying the quintessential flavors and joyful spirit of Christmas. They are wonderfully chocolatey, refreshingly minty, and absolutely perfect for pairing with a cold glass of milk or a warm mug of hot chocolate.
Craving more incredible cookie recipes? Be sure to explore our Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies for a fall favorite or indulge in our classic White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies for a truly decadent treat.
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Why You’ll Adore These Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies
There’s something truly special about the combination of dark chocolate and peppermint, especially during the holiday season. It’s a flavor pairing that instantly evokes warmth, joy, and festive cheer. These Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies take this classic duo to new heights. You’ll love the delightful contrast between the buttery, slightly crisp sugar cookie base and the smooth, rich dark chocolate glaze. The refreshing pop of peppermint not only adds a burst of flavor but also a beautiful, colorful garnish that makes these cookies undeniably festive. They’re a fantastic addition to any holiday cookie platter, a wonderful gift for friends and family, and a guaranteed crowd-plepleaser at any seasonal gathering. I recently brought a batch to my coworkers, and they instantly brightened the day, spreading holiday spirit throughout the office!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Perfect Cookies
Crafting the perfect cookie often comes down to understanding your ingredients. Here’s a detailed look at the key components of these delicious dark chocolate peppermint sugar cookies and how to make the best choices or smart substitutions:
- All-Purpose Flour: This forms the foundational structure of your cookies. While we specify all-purpose, ensure it’s measured correctly (spooned into the cup and leveled, not scooped) to prevent dense or dry cookies. For a slightly different texture, you could experiment with a portion of cake flour, but stick to all-purpose for reliable results.
- Baking Powder: This leavening agent helps your cookies rise slightly and achieve a tender crumb, ensuring they aren’t overly flat or hard. Don’t confuse it with baking soda!
- Salt: Essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors. Even in sweet recipes, salt plays a crucial role.
- Unsalted Butter, Softened: Using unsalted butter gives you control over the total salt content. Ensure it’s truly softened to room temperature (not melted) for proper creaming with the sugar, which creates a light and airy base for the dough. This contributes significantly to the cookie’s tender texture. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.
- Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create that classic sugar cookie crispness. Fine granulated sugar works best for a smooth dough.
- Large Eggs, Room Temperature: Room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly into the butter and sugar mixture, leading to a smoother, more emulsified dough. This results in a better texture for your final cookie. If you forget to take them out, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
- Vanilla Extract: A fundamental flavor enhancer that adds warmth and depth to nearly any baked good. Use a good quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Almond Extract: This is a secret weapon in many sugar cookie recipes! A touch of almond extract elevates the flavor profile, adding a subtle complexity that complements both the chocolate and peppermint beautifully. It gives the cookies a distinctive, professional bakery-quality taste. If you’re not a fan of almond, you can omit it and use an additional ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: The sweetness of the sugar cookie itself is quite ample. Using dark chocolate chips (around 60-70% cacao) provides a rich, slightly bitter counterpoint that prevents the cookies from becoming cloyingly sweet. This creates a more sophisticated and balanced flavor profile. If you find dark chocolate too intense, a good quality semisweet chocolate chip would be an excellent compromise. Avoid milk chocolate chips, as they will likely make these cookies overly sweet. Chocolate baking bars, finely chopped, also work well.
- Coconut Oil: This is crucial for achieving a smooth, glossy, and perfectly dippable chocolate glaze that sets nicely. Vegetable oil is a fantastic and readily available substitute for coconut oil, offering a similar consistency. Vegetable shortening can also be used. The key is a fat that helps thin the melted chocolate without making it seize.
- Crushed Candy Canes for Topping: No peppermint sugar cookie is complete without this festive garnish! Ensure they are crushed into varying sizes, from fine powder to small chunks, for both visual appeal and textural contrast. You can place them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or use a food processor for a finer crumble.
Step-by-Step Directions for Crafting Your Holiday Masterpiece
Follow these detailed steps to create perfectly crunchy, chocolatey, and minty dark chocolate peppermint sugar cookies that will impress everyone!
Preparing the Dough
Step 1: Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients. Start by whisking together your all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. This ensures that the leavening and seasoning are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Set this aside for later. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar on high speed for 2-3 minutes. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the mixture, resulting in a lighter cookie. Continue mixing until the mixture is visibly smooth, pale in color, and creamy in texture. Next, beat in the room temperature eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and almond extract, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
Step 2: Incorporate Dry Ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture (flour, baking powder, salt) to the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough cookies. The dough will have a slightly sticky consistency, which is normal. If it feels excessively sticky and clings too much to your hands or a potential rolling pin, you may need to add a very small amount of extra flour, one tablespoon at a time, until it’s more manageable but still soft.
Rolling and Chilling the Dough
Step 3: Roll Out the Dough. Divide your slightly sticky dough into two equal portions. This makes it much easier to handle. For a mess-free and even roll, we highly recommend using four pieces of parchment paper. Lay one piece of parchment paper on your work surface and generously flour it. Place one portion of dough in the center and sprinkle it with more flour. Top it with another piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out evenly to a thickness of ¼ inch. This consistent thickness is key for ensuring all your cookies bake evenly. Repeat this process with the second half of the dough.
Step 4: Chill the Dough. Once both portions are rolled out between parchment paper, stack them gently on top of each other. Transfer the stacked dough to the refrigerator and let it rest for a minimum of 3 hours, and ideally up to overnight. This chilling period is critical for several reasons: it solidifies the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking, helping them maintain their cut-out shapes. It also allows the flavors to meld and develop, resulting in a more flavorful cookie. The longer the dough chills, the firmer and easier it will be to cut precise shapes, making your baking process much smoother and more enjoyable.
Pro-Tips for Picture-Perfect Cookies
- Don’t Skimp on Chilling Time: Refrigerating the cookie dough is perhaps the most important step for perfectly shaped sugar cookies. It helps solidify the butter, which prevents excessive spreading in the oven, ensuring your cookies hold their festive shapes beautifully. Additionally, cold cookies are much easier to handle and dip in the chocolate glaze without breaking.
- Ensure Complete Cooling Before Glazing: It’s tempting to dip warm cookies, but patience is a virtue here! The cookies must be completely cooled to room temperature before applying the dark chocolate glaze. If they are even slightly warm, the chocolate will melt and slide off, creating a messy situation and an uneven coating.
- Use Parchment Paper for Easy Cleanup: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper for non-stick baking and effortless cleanup. For setting the dipped cookies, if a cooling rack isn’t available, wax paper or more parchment paper works wonderfully to prevent the chocolate from sticking as it sets.
- Maximize Your Dough: When cutting shapes, place your cookie cutters as close together as possible to minimize scraps. Gather any leftover dough, gently knead it once or twice (avoid overworking!), re-roll, and cut more shapes. Remember to chill these re-rolled scraps for about 15-20 minutes before baking to ensure they hold their shape.
- Achieve the Perfect Peppermint Crumble: For your crushed candy canes, aim for a mix of textures. Some finely crushed powder will adhere easily and provide intense mint flavor, while small chunks will offer a delightful crunch and visual appeal. Place candy canes in a sturdy zip-top bag and smash with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy pan.
Baking and Dipping Your Cookies
Step 5: Cut Your Cookie Shapes. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Carefully remove one layer of chilled dough from the refrigerator. Gently peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Now, use your favorite Christmas cookie cutters or simple biscuit cutters to cut out shapes from the dough. To get the most cookies from your dough, cut the shapes as close together as possible. As mentioned in the pro-tips, you can re-roll and re-chill any dough scraps to make even more cookies.
Step 6: Bake the Cookies to Golden Perfection. Place the cut-out cookie shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced about 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. The centers should still look slightly soft but set. Overbaking will result in very hard cookies. Once baked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes. This allows them to firm up before you transfer them. After five minutes, carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely. This wire rack allows air circulation, ensuring they cool evenly and maintain their crispness.
While the cookies are cooling, it’s the perfect time to prepare your festive toppings. Use a rolling pin or a food processor to crush your candy canes into lovely peppermint pieces. You want a mix of fine dust and small chunks for the best texture and visual appeal.
Step 7: Prepare the Rich Dark Chocolate Glaze. Once your cookies are completely cool, it’s time for the decadent dark chocolate glaze. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine your dark chocolate chips and coconut oil (or vegetable shortening). Microwave the mixture in short intervals of 15-30 seconds, stirring thoroughly after each interval. This gradual melting prevents the chocolate from burning or seizing. Continue until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth, runny, and entirely free of any lumps. The addition of coconut oil helps achieve that perfect consistency for dipping and a beautiful sheen once set.
Step 8: Dip, Top, and Set. Now for the fun part! Take each cooled cookie and dip half of it into the smooth dark chocolate glaze. Alternatively, if you prefer a more artistic touch, you can use a fork to drizzle chocolate elegantly over the cookies. Immediately after dipping or drizzling, sprinkle the freshly crushed peppermint pieces generously over the wet chocolate. This ensures the peppermint adheres beautifully. Place the dipped cookies back on the wire rack (or wax paper) and allow the chocolate to set. This can take about 2 hours at room temperature, or you can speed up the process by placing them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Once the chocolate is fully set, your stunning dark chocolate peppermint sugar cookies are ready to be enjoyed! These festive cookies will stay fresh when stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap for 3-5 days at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Ideally, these dark chocolate peppermint sugar cookies offer the best of both worlds: a delightful combination of textures. They are designed to be crisp around the edges, providing that satisfying snap, while remaining wonderfully soft and tender on the inside. If you prefer your sugar cookies even softer and chewier, you can achieve this by adding an extra egg yolk to the dough mixture. This increases the fat content, making the cookies richer and more fudgy.
Absolutely, yes! Refrigerating the dough before baking is a critical step for achieving perfect sugar cookies, especially when cutting them into shapes. Chilling the dough solidifies the butter, which in turn helps the cookies maintain their shape and prevents them from spreading too much in the oven. It also keeps the dough hydrated, contributing to a less crispy (more tender) texture. Furthermore, chilling allows the flavors to deepen and meld, resulting in a more delicious cookie.
Yes, these cookies freeze beautifully! You can freeze either the unbaked dough or the baked and decorated cookies. For unbaked dough, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before rolling and baking. For baked and decorated cookies, ensure the chocolate glaze is completely set. Arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container, separating layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 2-3 weeks. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Metal cookie cutters tend to give the cleanest cuts and are ideal for intricate shapes. Plastic cutters can also work, but sometimes the dough sticks a bit more. Ensure your cookie cutters are floured between each cut to prevent sticking. For a classic holiday look, festive shapes like stars, trees, snowflakes, or simple circles (using biscuit cutters) are always a hit with these peppermint sugar cookies.
To achieve perfectly crisp edges, ensure your dough is well-chilled before baking. You can also bake the cookies for an extra minute or two, keeping a close eye on them to prevent burning. Thinly rolled dough (closer to ¼ inch) also contributes to crispier cookies. A higher ratio of butter to flour can also influence crispness, so sticking to the recipe’s measurements is key for the intended texture.
Honestly, these Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies are hands down the best cookies to dip in a tall glass of cold milk or a comforting mug of hot chocolate. The combination of the rich chocolate, refreshing peppermint, and the satisfying crunch of the cookie makes for an unforgettable treat. If you try this recipe, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or review below! Your feedback means the world to us. And for more baking inspiration and instructional videos, make sure to follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice and Tiktok @alwaysfromscratch. We love seeing your creations!
More Festive Holiday Desserts to Savor
- Rainbow Cookie Cake
- Chewy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Pistachio Cream Tiramisu
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Vincent DelGiudice
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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1 large baking sheet
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Stand mixer or hand mixer
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Rolling pin
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Cookie cutters
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Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
- crushed candy canes for topping
Instructions
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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Using a standing or handheld mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until light, smooth, and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract until fully combined.
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Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. On a generously floured piece of parchment or wax paper, roll each portion of dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Transfer the rolled dough (still between parchment) to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove one layer of chilled dough from the refrigerator, peel off the top parchment paper, and use festive cookie cutters or biscuit cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between each. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
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While cookies cool, prepare the glaze and topping. Combine the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil (or vegetable shortening) in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-30 second increments, stirring well after each, until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth, and runny. Crush candy canes into desired peppermint pieces. Dip each cooled cookie halfway into the melted chocolate glaze, then immediately sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Place cookies on a wire rack or wax paper to allow the chocolate to set completely (about 2 hours at room temperature, or 30 minutes in the fridge).
Notes
- Refrigerating the cookies will make them spread less and they will be easier to dip, ensuring they hold their festive shapes.
- For best results, set the dipped cookies on a cooling rack to allow even air circulation for the chocolate to set. If a cooling rack isn’t available, wax paper or parchment paper will also work.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
- To enhance the minty flavor even further, you can add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cookie dough along with the vanilla and almond extracts, or to the chocolate glaze.