Chocolate • Cookies • Currently Craving
Peppermint Brownie Cookies
December 4, 2021
I’ve got trees to trim, garland to hang and a pile of holiday cards that need stamping and stuffing. But […]
I’ve got trees to trim, garland to hang and a pile of holiday cards that need stamping and stuffing. But all I want to do is talk about these decadently delicious peppermint brownie cookies. They’re rich, fudgy and seriously chocolatey. The kind of cookie that will have the most discriminating cookie lovers ooh-ing and ahh-ing with every bite. With their chewy edges and soft centers these cookies are made extra festive with bits of peppermint bark – perfect for serving up to your holiday house guests and even Santa himself!
Peppermint and chocolate are a match made in cookie heaven and if you love my Wanna-Be Brownie Cookies, this peppermint version is going to knock your (fuzzy) socks right off! They have all the chewy, fudgy, gooey goodness we love from a brownie….but in a brownie cookie!
They’re all kinds of crazy good and I can’t wait for you to make them.
Why you’ll love these brownie cookies
- Easy to make – no waiting for an entire pan of brownies to cool. These cookies come together in 30 minutes or less with zero chill time.
- Rich, fudgy brownie taste – just like your favorite chewy, fudge brownies but in cookie form. The best of both worlds!
- Perfect for the holidays – these peppermint studded brownie cookies will be the MVP of your holiday cookie tray. Cookie and brownie lovers will go crazy for them at your annual cookie swap. Don’t forget to save a few for Santa!
- Freezer friendly – your freezer stash has never looked better! These cookies freeze beautifully and defrost in minutes.
Ingredients you need
These brownie cookies topped with peppermint bark are super easy to make in 30 minutes or less with just a handful of simple ingredients.
- Flour – to get those signature shiny, crackled tops you’ll need to use just the right amount of flour. Too much flour and you could end up with a cakey cookie. For the most accurate measurement, use a digital kitchen scale to measure your flour.
- Cocoa powder – Dutch process cocoa powder delivers a rich, dark chocolate flavor and pairs perfectly with the peppermint.
- Butter – for this recipe we’re using regular, unsalted butter straight from the fridge.
- Eggs – for best results use room temperature eggs. If you didn’t take your eggs out of the fridge in advance, just bring them to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Chocolate – we make these cookies extra decadent with the addition of semi-sweet chocolate but you can use bittersweet or milk chocolate too.
- Sugar – granulated and light brown sugar add sweetness and texture.
- Peppermint extract – not to be confused with “mint extract” which gives the flavor of mint tea. Peppermint extract gives these cookies a fun, holiday vibe that everyone will love.
- Peppermint bark – These chocolate cookies are loaded with chunks of dark chocolate peppermint bark. I’m obsessed with the bark from Williams Sonoma but you can also make your own. If you don’t have peppermint bark, top the cookies with a few extra chocolate chips or chunks and crushed candy canes as soon as they come out of the oven.
How to make brownie cookies from scratch
Making brownie cookies takes just a few more steps than making a box of brownies from a mix. You’ll have an extra bowl or two to wash but trust me, it’s so worth it for one taste of these positively delicious fudgy brownie cookies.
To get those perfectly glossy, crackled tops be sure to follow each step of the recipe to a tee. This is one of those recipes where time and temperature make all the difference in the final texture of the cookies. You’ll need to move quickly so have all of your ingredients measured and prepped in advance.
The full printable step-by-step recipe is below, but let’s walk through each step before you get started.
Step 1:
Melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler until smooth and shiny. To make a double boiler, fill a medium sauce pan with 2 inches of water. Place a heat safe bowl over the pot and add the chocolate and butter.
Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat and stir the chocolate and butter occasionally until melted and shiny. Once melted and smooth, remove the bowl from the heat. Stir in the peppermint extract.
Step 2:
While the chocolate cools, whisk together eggs and sugars for 5 minutes until light in color and silky smooth. I use a hand mixer for this but you can use an electric stand mixer too. Set a timer and mix on medium-high speed for a full 5 minutes. This process helps create those shiny cracks on top of the cookies.
Step 3:
Pour the slightly cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture.
Mix by hand or with the hand mixer for about one minute. The mixture will be smooth and shiny.
Step 4:
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the chocolate and egg mixture.
Stir the batter with a large spatula being careful not to over mix. Gently fold the batter together and stop when a few streaks of flour remain. Don’t be tempted to over mix. The batter should have the consistency of brownie batter.
Step 5:
Immediately scoop the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The dough will be soft but should hold it’s form. The cookies will spread as they bake so leave 2 inches between each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 9 to 10 minutes or until the edges are set and the cookies are cracked on top.
Step 6:
Remove the cookies from the oven and top each cookie with chunks of dark chocolate peppermint bark. You can also top with more chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Can these cookies be frozen?
Yes! You can easily stash away these brownie cookies in your freezer for a rainy day. Simply cool the cookies completely and then wrap in a layer of plastic wrap and store in a large plastic freezer bag. When the chocolate craving strikes, just defrost a cookie or two at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
FAQ’s
For a deep, rich chocolately taste I prefer to use Dutch process cocoa powder. I keep my pantry stocked with this one from Rodelle.
It’s all about the cookie scoot. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a large round cookie or biscuit cutter to “scoot” the edges of the warm cookies in towards the center. Simply make a circular motion around the outside of the cookie with the cutter until it makes a perfect circle. You can also use the inside arch of a fork to gently nudge the outside edges of the cookies in to the center, working your way around the outside of each cookie. Work fast because the cookies will firm up as they cool.
Like brownie batter, this cookie dough is intended to be baked right away. But the baked cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.
While I definitely recommend getting your hands on some holiday peppermint bark, there are heaps of other variations that are so delicious. Get creative in the kitchen and follow your sweet tooth. Try adding chocolate chunks and crushed candy canes to the cookies or for a fun minty variation, top each cookie with an Andes mint. If peppermint isn’t your favorite, feel free to omit the peppermint extract from the batter and add chocolate covered caramels or even chopped Oreo cookies to the top of the baked cookies. You can even frost the cookies with a peppermint buttercream or cut them up and sprinkle them over a hot fudge sundae. SO GOOD!
Brownie cookies are meant to have a similar texture to brownies with soft centers, fudgy insides and plenty of gooey goodness in every bite. The cookies are done when the edges are set and the tops are glossy and cracked. The centers may still look slightly puffy but not raw. Always err on the side of under baking your cookies just slightly. The residual heat from the cookie sheets will continue to bake the cookies as they cool.
For those glossy tops and hallmark cracks and crinkles, homemade is the way to go! Using a store-bought boxed mix to make brownie cookies won’t give you the same taste and texture.
These peppermint brownie cookies are the best thing that ever happened to the whole month of December. Perfect for making on a chilly day and enjoying with a warm cup of hot cocoa by the fire. I hope you’ll bake up batches and batches of these cookies all season long – be sure to save some for Santa!
Happy baking!
Looking for more holiday cookie recipes? Try these fun and festive recipes:
Peppermint Brownie Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 to 14 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These rich, fudgy, ultra chocolatey peppermint brownie cookies have all the chewy, gooey goodness you love from your favorite brownie, but in cookie form. Complete with bits of festive peppermint bark in every bite, look no further for your favorite holiday cookie!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups (240 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3/4 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup (30 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup dark chocolate peppermint bark, chopped
Instructions
Note: To get the shiny, crinkled tops on the cookies, make sure to measure and prep all of the ingredients in advance so that you can work quickly once you begin. You will need to bake all of the cookies immediately after the dough is made to get those hallmark glossy, cracked tops.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust the oven racks so that you can cook two cookie sheets at the same time (one rack at the top third of the oven and one in the bottom third of the oven). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler on the stove in a heat-safe glass bowl. To create a double boiler, fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water, and place a heat-safe glass bowl over it. Do not let the bowl touch the water below. Heat the water to a simmer but do not boil. Stir the mixture occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the peppermint extract. Set aside to cool slightly.
- While the chocolate is cooling, add the sugars and eggs to a large mixing bowl and mix with hand mixer on medium-high for 5 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Set a timer and mix for a full 5 minutes.
- After the 5 minutes add the melted chocolate and butter mixture to the beaten sugar and egg mixture. Mix for another 20 to 30 seconds on medium high speed to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients all at once and use a large spatula to fold the batter together until incorporated. Do not over mix. The dough should resemble brownie batter.
- Using a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. The dough will be soft like brownie batter but should hold it’s form. Place the cookies 2 inches apart as they will spread as they bake. If possible, use two large baking sheets and plan to bake all of the cookies at once.
- Place both cookie sheets into the preheated oven and bake for 9-10 minutes. The cookie are done when the edges are set and the tops are glossy and cracked. Do not over bake or the cookies will be crunchy and dry instead of soft and fudgy. Remove the cookies from the oven and top each one with chunks of dark chocolate peppermint bark. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before using a spatula to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For best results, measure and prep all ingredients in advance so you can work quickly once you begin. Plan to bake all of the cookies at the same time.
Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
To freeze the cookies, wrap in a layer of plastic wrap and place in a large freezer bag. Freeze flat for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
To substitute dark chocolate peppermint bark, use one cup chopped dark chocolate and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
*Method adapted from The Boy Who Bakes.
Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
13 Comments
Jay
December 12, 2021 at 9:01 pmThese cookies were perfect for my holiday cookie swap! I followed the recipe exactly and they spread out very thin, unfortunately. Still yummy though. What can I do next time to prevent this?
Nidhi
December 12, 2021 at 8:58 pmThese were so good and easy to make! However, mine spread very thin during baking to the point where it was tough to lift them up even after they’ve been cooling out for a while! What did I do wrong? Should I have chilled the dough a bit before baking?
Heather Mubarak
December 17, 2021 at 6:06 pmIt sounds like your chocolate may have been too warm when you added it to the egg mixture. I would also check that you are measuring your flour and cocoa powder correctly – too little can cause the cookies to be thin and spread in the oven. If you chill the dough the texture of the cookies won’t be the same and they won’t bake up with the shiny, cracked tops.
Chelsea
December 11, 2021 at 5:20 pmThese are delicious!! Mine are beautifully cracked and glossy, but they are very thin. Any suggestions? I used semi chocolate chunks (vs chips) but otherwise followed the recipe.
Shirley H.
December 9, 2021 at 4:42 pmso excited to make these beautiful cookies, can we use natural processed cocoa if we do not have dutch cocoa?
Heather Mubarak
December 9, 2021 at 5:59 pmYes, although they won’t be quite as dark and rich. Enjoy!
Syd
December 7, 2021 at 1:00 amHi, can you help me? My cookies spread out too much. It still tastes amazing though! Would love to make it again. ☺️ I used compound chocolate then other than that I followed everything in the recipe. Thanks!!
Heather Mubarak
December 9, 2021 at 3:26 amHi Syd, I wouldn’t recommend using compound chocolate. It replaces the cocoa butter with vegetable fats which will create a different texture and is likely the reason your cookies spread too much when baking.
Suzie
December 5, 2021 at 11:39 pmThese look like the perfect Christmas cookie, can’t wait to bake these up this season!
Suzie
December 21, 2021 at 3:35 amMade these with the kids and even did homemade peppermint bark. They were so delicious and fudgy and perfect. Everyone voted 10/10, yum!
Heather Mubarak
December 23, 2021 at 3:38 amSo happy they were a hit!
Michelle
December 5, 2021 at 2:37 amThese look so tempting! Going to pick up some bark at the mall tomorrow and give them a try!!
Kim N.
December 4, 2021 at 9:57 pmYour wannabe brownie cookies are my family’s favorite! I can’t wait to bake these this weekend!!