Irresistible Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies: Your Ultimate Holiday Baking Guide
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are an absolute dream come true for anyone who loves the festive flavors of the holiday season. Imagine soft, delightfully chewy cookies bursting with rich semi-sweet chocolate chips, refreshing peppermint extract, and satisfying chunks of crushed candy canes. What’s the secret to their incredible texture? A touch of vanilla pudding mix and sour cream, which work together to create a tenderness that makes these cookies truly unforgettable. Perfect for gifting, holiday parties, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of cocoa, these cookies are destined to become a cherished part of your seasonal traditions.
Here at Family Cookie Recipes, our love for chocolate chip cookies runs deep. While we often stick to the timeless classic, there’s something incredibly exciting about exploring new variations, especially when they bring a festive twist. This peppermint-infused version takes our beloved chocolate chip cookie base and elevates it to a whole new level of holiday magic. The combination of cool peppermint and comforting chocolate creates a harmonious flavor profile that is simply divine and perfectly captures the spirit of the season.
What Makes These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies So Irresistible?
These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies stand out for their exceptional taste and texture. Each bite offers a delightful explosion of flavor, combining the rich sweetness of semi-sweet chocolate chips with the cool, invigorating kick of peppermint extract. The star ingredients contributing to their signature softness and chewiness are the crushed candy canes, which also provide a satisfying crunch, and the unexpected duo of sour cream and vanilla pudding mix. The pudding mix not only enhances the flavor but also works wonders in keeping the cookies moist and tender, while sour cream adds a subtle tang and ensures a soft crumb that melts in your mouth. This unique combination makes them a crowd-pleaser and a festive highlight during the holiday season.
Achieving Cookie Perfection: Essential Tips for Baking Flawless Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Baking chocolate chip cookies, including this delightful peppermint variation, is a rewarding experience. To ensure your cookies turn out perfectly soft, chewy, and flavorful every single time, follow these crucial tips:
- Softened, Not Melted Butter: This is paramount for texture. The butter needs to be at room temperature, soft enough to leave an indent when pressed, but not greasy or melted. Melted butter will result in flatter, greasier cookies with a different, often less desirable, chew. Softened butter helps create air pockets during creaming, leading to a lighter texture.
- Cream Butter and Sugars Thoroughly: Don’t rush this step! Creaming the softened butter and sugars together for 2-3 minutes is vital. This process incorporates air, which contributes to the cookies’ light and fluffy texture, making them tender and chewy rather than dense. You’ll notice the mixture becoming light, pale, and fluffy.
- Always Preheat Your Oven: A properly preheated oven ensures that your cookies begin baking at the correct temperature immediately. This helps them spread evenly and bake consistently, preventing them from falling flat or over-baking on the outside while remaining raw on the inside.
- Invest in a Cookie Scoop: For consistently sized and beautifully shaped cookies, a cookie scoop is your best friend. It ensures uniform baking, so all your cookies are done at the same time and look professionally made. Plus, it makes portioning dough incredibly quick and easy.
- Use Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: Line your baking sheets with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This simple step prevents sticking, ensures even baking, and makes removing the cookies from the pan effortless. No more scraping or broken cookies! It also helps with easy cleanup.
- Avoid Over-Baking: This is perhaps the most common mistake in cookie baking. Cookies continue to bake for a few minutes after being removed from the oven due to residual heat. When you take your cookies out, they should still look slightly underdone in the center, with edges just beginning to turn golden. They will firm up as they cool on the baking sheet, yielding that perfect soft and chewy texture. Over-baked cookies will be dry and crumbly.
Key Ingredients for Your Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Each ingredient in this recipe plays a vital role in achieving the perfect Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookie. Let’s dive into what you’ll need and why:
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll need 1 cup of granulated sugar. This provides sweetness and helps with the tender texture, contributing to the crisp edges and chewy centers we all love in a good cookie.
- Softened Butter: 1 stick (½ cup) of softened, real butter is essential. Butter adds richness, flavor, and helps create the ideal crumb. Ensure it’s truly softened (room temperature, not melted) for proper creaming with the sugar.
- Large Egg: One large egg acts as a binder, holding all the ingredients together and contributing to the structure and moisture of the cookies.
- Sour Cream: A half cup of sour cream is the secret ingredient for an incredibly soft texture. The fat content and acidity in sour cream tenderize the gluten in the flour, resulting in wonderfully moist and tender cookies. If you don’t have sour cream, plain Greek yogurt can be used as a suitable substitute for similar results.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix: A small box of instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz) is a game-changer. It’s the magic touch that makes these cookies exceptionally soft, chewy, and adds an extra layer of vanilla flavor that complements the chocolate and peppermint beautifully.
- Salt: Just a half teaspoon of salt is crucial. It doesn’t make the cookies salty, but rather enhances and balances all the other flavors, making the sweetness and chocolate notes pop.
- Baking Soda: This is your leavening agent, responsible for the cookies rising and achieving a light, airy texture. Always ensure your baking soda is fresh and not expired for optimal results.
- All-Purpose Flour: Two cups of all-purpose flour provide the main structure for the cookies. It’s a versatile flour that works perfectly here. Cake flour can also be used for an even softer, more delicate crumb.
- Peppermint Extract: One teaspoon of peppermint extract delivers that signature refreshing flavor. Be sure to use peppermint extract, not spearmint or plain mint, as the flavor profiles are distinct. A little goes a long way, so measure carefully!
- Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes: You’ll need about ⅓ cup, roughly 15 small candy canes. These add a delightful crunch and intense peppermint flavor, along with beautiful festive speckles. The easiest way to crush them is by placing them in a Ziploc bag and gently tapping with a small hammer or rolling pin. Avoid crushing them into a fine powder; you want some discernible chunks for texture. During the holidays, many grocery stores stock pre-crushed candy canes in the baking aisle, which can save you a lot of time!
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: 1 ½ cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips are perfect for this recipe. Their balanced sweetness pairs wonderfully with the peppermint. You can also experiment with milk chocolate or even white chocolate chips for a different flavor dynamic. Feel free to add a few extra if you’re a serious chocolate lover!
How to Make Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Simple Step-by-Step Guide
Creating these festive Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies is easier than you might think. Follow these straightforward steps to bake a batch of holiday cheer:
- Step 1: Preheat Oven. Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare your baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Step 2: Cream Wet Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and softened butter for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. This is a crucial step for cookie texture. Next, beat in the egg, sour cream, and instant vanilla pudding mix, continuing to mix for another 2-3 minutes until well combined and smooth.
- Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. This ensures that the leavening agent and salt are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures. Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet pudding mixture. Mix on low speed, or by hand, just until everything is well combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies. Stir in the peppermint extract until evenly distributed.
- Step 5: Fold in Mix-ins. Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candy canes. Mix just enough to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
- Step 6: Scoop and Bake. Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (or using a cookie scoop) onto your prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Step 7: Bake and Cool. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft. Remember, they will continue to set as they cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy the warm, festive aroma that fills your kitchen!
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4 oz
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- ⅓ cup crushed peppermint candy canes I used about 15 of the small ones
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°.
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Cream together sugar and butter for about 2-3 minutes. Add egg, sour cream and pudding mix and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
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In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt & baking soda.
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Incorporate flour mixture into the pudding mixture and just until well combined. Add peppermint extract and mix in.
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Add in chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
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Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
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Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely!
Nutrition
Pro-Tips for Perfect Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies Every Time
Storage and Freezing Instructions
To keep your Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies fresh and delicious, proper storage is key:
- Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. Placing a slice of bread in the container can help keep them soft, as the cookies will absorb moisture from the bread.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: These cookies freeze beautifully! Once completely cooled, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour until solid. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: You can also prepare the dough in advance. Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer-safe bag. When ready to bake, place frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes beyond the recipe’s instructions, or until golden.
Recipe Variations to Spark Your Creativity
While these peppermint chocolate chip cookies are fantastic as is, feel free to get creative with these variations:
- White Chocolate Peppermint: Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white chocolate chips for a softer, sweeter flavor profile that truly highlights the peppermint.
- Double Peppermint Punch: For an extra minty kick, consider adding a very light drizzle of melted white chocolate mixed with a tiny drop of peppermint extract over the cooled cookies.
- Sprinkle Fun: Before baking, sprinkle a few extra crushed candy canes or festive red and green sprinkles on top of each scooped cookie dough ball for an even more celebratory look.
- Chocolate Drizzle: Once cooled, melt some extra semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzle artfully over the cookies for an elegant touch and added chocolate goodness.
- Mint Chocolate Chips: If you can find them, mint chocolate chips could be a fun addition or substitute for a portion of the semi-sweet chips.
How to Quickly Soften Butter: Your Baking Game-Changer
Having properly softened butter is crucial for the success of many baking recipes, especially cookies. It allows the butter to cream effectively with sugar, incorporating air for a light and tender texture. Here’s a foolproof method to soften butter quickly without melting it:
My preferred method is using the defrost function on your microwave. If you need a full 1/2 cup (one stick) of butter, you can leave it in its paper wrapper. Otherwise, place the exact amount of butter you need in a microwave-safe glass or porcelain bowl. Set your microwave to its lowest defrost setting and heat for just 20 seconds. After 20 seconds, check the butter’s softness by gently pressing it with a rubber spatula or your finger. It should yield easily, leaving an indent. If it still feels too firm, return it to the microwave for another 5-10 seconds. It’s incredibly important to watch it very closely during this second interval, as butter can go from perfectly softened to melted in a matter of seconds. Melted butter will separate and won’t cream properly, adversely affecting your cookie texture. The goal is soft and pliable, not liquid!
Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Holiday Peppermint Cookies
These Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies are more than just a seasonal treat; they’re a celebration of flavor and texture. The harmonious blend of cool, crisp peppermint and rich, comforting chocolate chips, all nestled in a wonderfully soft and chewy pudding cookie base, creates an experience that truly embodies the joy of the holidays. They are incredibly easy to make, yet impressive enough to share with friends, family, and guests. Whether you’re baking for a cookie exchange, a festive gathering, or simply want to fill your home with the delightful aroma of holiday baking, these cookies are guaranteed to bring smiles and warm hearts. Get ready to bake a batch of pure holiday happiness!
Craving More Chocolate Chip Cookies? We’ve Got You Covered!
If you’re as passionate about chocolate chip cookies as we are, you’ll love exploring our wide array of variations. From classic to creative, we have a chocolate chip cookie recipe for every mood and occasion. Here are some of our absolute favorites:
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Avocado Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Butter Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies, with their irresistible blend of vanilla pudding mix, crushed candy canes, and a hint of peppermint extract, are the epitome of soft and chewy holiday indulgence. Get ready to bake a batch that will impress everyone!
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