Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

Crinkle chocolate peppermint cookies with candy canes and festive sprinkles on parchment paper.

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

These Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are soft, fudgy and coated in snowy sugar for a festive holiday treat. Perfect for gifting, cookie swaps or cozy winter baking days!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crinkle cookies

Prep Time: 20

Bake Time: 20

Total Time: 32

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
½ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ t teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For rolling

½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla and peppermint extract. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed until only just combined. The dough will be thick and sticky.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Chilling helps the cookies to crack.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar, then generously in powdered sugar to coat.
Arrange the cookies, 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed, cracked, and just set around the edges. The center of the cookies will still look slightly soft, which is fine.
Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

These Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are the definition of cozy holiday baking. Rich and deeply chocolatey with a touch of peppermint. They bake up with that classic snow-dusted crinkle finish, the edges are soft and slightly chewy, while the centers stay fudgy. If you like the combination of dark chocolate and refreshing mint, you will love these cookies!
For best crinkle formation, the dough must be well chilled for a minimum of 2 hours, but overnight is ideal as this will hugely improve the flavor. Proper chilling prevents the dough from spreading too quickly and allows those dramatic cracks to open slowly as the exterior sets before the center does.
Creaming the butter and sugars until pale and visibly fluffy is an important step. Under creaming results in dense cookies that won’t lift or crack.
Use Dutch-processed cocoa if possible as it gives deeper color, smoother chocolate flavor, and reacts better with the leavening agents. Natural cocoa still works, but the cookies will be lighter brown and slightly more acidic.
When rolling, don’t skimp on the coatings, the first layer of granulated sugar helps draw moisture to the surface, which enhances crackling. It also helps the powdered sugar stick. The second layer of powdered sugar must be thick and generous, if you can still see dough, it’s not enough. Thin coatings will dissolve during baking so make sure to pack it on.
Bake the cookies just until the edges are set but the centers still look soft. Do not wait for them to look “baked through”. Slight underbaking guarantees a fudgy, brownie- centered interior once cooled. They will continue to firm up on the tray.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer

All nutritional information provided is an estimate. For specific dietary needs or concerns, we recommend consulting a nutrition calculator or a qualified expert.

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