These delicious Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies are the fun, festive Christmas Cookie that you've been looking for! They're so easy to make and so scrumptious!
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These tasty cookies were a happy accident! I had originally set out to make a thicker, more traditional chocolate cookie, but the tops of my cookies kept crackling.
Finally, I decided it was a sign. After all, who doesn't love a Chocolate Crinkle Cookie? And these cookies are pretty perfect as-is. They're crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle, full of wonderful Christmasy flavors, and super cute to boot!
Best of all, they're so simple to make. And I can assure you, after many attempts to get the cookies to stop crinkling (and failing, ha), getting them to crackle is pretty much fool proof.
Ready to try these Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies for yourself? Then, keep reading for all the details!
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Ingredients
These easy Christmas Crinkle Cookies use simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry already! Here's what you'll need:
- Cocoa - This recipe uses unsweetened natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey's or Ghirardelli.
- Flour - You'll use all-purpose flour to make the cookie dough.
- Leavener - This recipe uses baking soda to help the cookies rise as they bake.
- Butter - You'll use unsalted butter for the cookie dough.
- Sugars - This recipe uses a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar for the dough, and you'll roll the cookies in powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar) before baking.
- Peppermint - You'll need some peppermint extract to flavor the cookies.
- Egg - Grab a large egg for the cookies dough.
- Salt - I recommend using Kosher salt.
You'll Also Need
To make this recipe, you’ll also need a couple baking sheets, as well as a stand mixer to prepare the dough, and a baking rack to cool the finished cookies.
How to Make Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Ready to get started? This recipe really is fool proof! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Make the dough. Start by whisking together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set the mixture aside. Next, you'll cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Once that's mixed, add the peppermint extract and a large egg. Add the flour to the butter mixture, mixing just until everything is combined. Then chill the dough for one hour.
- Shape the cookies. To form the cookies, roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball (using your hands). Then, roll the ball in the powdered sugar until it's completely coated. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the balls on a baking sheet at least one-inch apart (they will spread as they bake). Tip: To make things go faster, prep the cookies assembly line style. Shape all the balls first, then roll them in the powdered sugar .
- Bake the cookies. Transfer the cookies to your oven, then bake the cookies until they spread out and their tops crinkle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about five minutes, then transfer them to a baking rack to cool completely. As the cookies cool, they will deflate a bit (they're fairly thin), crisp up on the edges, and become chewy in the middle (the best part).
These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies taste just as good as they look, and I find it impossible to avoid sneaking a bite before they've cooled. Yum!
Cookies crinkle when the exterior of the cookie cooks faster (and hardens more quickly) than the rest of the cookie. As the cookie rises and spreads, the cookie's hardened top cracks and pulls apart, forming a crinkly cookie. Now you know the secret!
Storage
To maintain peak freshness, store these Chocolate Crinkles in an airtight container. They should keep for about a week, but will taste freshest when eaten within two to three days. The cookies can also be frozen.
Related Recipes
If you loved this recipe, try my Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies next! And you'll love these other Christmas Cookies recipes, too:
- Most Popular - These beautiful Stamped Cookies have been the most popular cookie on Hello Little Home for years!
- Family Favorites - My family has been making the Honey Cookies, Black Bottom Cupcakes (Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes!), Poppyseed Kiss Cookies, and Pecan Finger Cookies (my all-time favorites) for decades!
- Chewy - Love a chewy cookies? Try my Chewy Ginger Cookies or White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies!
- Cut Outs - If you're looking for a delicious rolled cookie recipe, make my Classic Gingerbread Cookies or my Sour Cream Cut Out Cookies.
- Nutty - Craving nuts? Then you'll love these Maple Pecan Shortbread Cookies and these Almond Crescent Cookies!
- Unique - These Curry Shortbread Cookies have an amazing flavor that totally unexpected.
Looking for more peppermint recipes? Check out my Peppermint Hot Chocolate, White Chocolate Peppermint Bark, and Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark!
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (12 tablespoons)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 large egg
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add peppermint extract and egg, then mix well.
- Add flour to butter mixture in two batches, mixing just until combined. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray.
- Form 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball (using hands), then roll in powdered sugar until completely coated. Repeat with remaining dough. Place balls on baking sheet at least 1-inch apart.
- Bake cookies until they spread and the tops crinkle, about 10 minutes.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container until ready to eat. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
added crushed candy canes into the batter before refrigerating since I didn't have peppermint extract (I used vanilla instead), the confectioners sugar kind of melted so they didn't come out so beautiful but still taste pretty good.
Hi, Capri! Thanks for the tip for using the candy canes. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂