It’s the most wonderful time of the year! One that should be filled with lots of joy, fun, and holiday cookies! Or more specifically, these lovely White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies that scream Christmas, holidays, and all things merry and bright!
These chewy Christmas cookies are infused with delicious peppermint flavor, along with gooey melted white chocolate, and are soft with a touch of crunch. They even look festive and make the perfect sweet treat for the holiday season!
peppermint white chocolate cookies
This white chocolate peppermint cookie is a soft and chewy cookie flavored with minty peppermint from crushed candy canes, peppermint candies, or peppermint bark, and loaded with white chocolate chips. All of the Christmas and holiday flavors in one bite!
During the holiday season, I love to sit by my flocked Christmas tree with a peppermint white chocolate cookie in one hand and a good book in another. Or a TV remote about to start a Hallmark Christmas movie, if that’s your thing (I see you, sis).
While there are a lot of holiday cookie recipes out there, what sets these white chocolate peppermint cookies apart is how festive, fun and easy they are to make!
These peppermint white chocolate cookies are beautiful and perfect for Christmas parties, make great gifts for neighbors and friends, fun to make with kids, and just a delicious sweet treat I can munch on all day long.
So check out the cookie recipe below for the softest, fluffiest cookies filled with gooey white chocolate chips and fresh burst of peppermint pieces that provide a satisfying crunch.
I highly recommend eating them warm because warm cookies are seriously the best, or microwave them for a few seconds if they are not fresh out of the oven.
If you are in the mood for even more festive treats, check out my Cinnamon Raisin Rolls for those weekend mornings leading up to the holidays, Caramel White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies for the tree and house decorating days, and Molten Chocolate Lava Cake for your Christmas dinner dessert!
100% guaranteed to put you in happy holiday mood. 🙂
ingredients
Here are the short list of pantry friendly ingredients you will need to make these white chocolate peppermint cookies:
- Unsalted butter: using unsalted butter helps control the amount of salt in our cookie recipe. If you use salted butter, you can omit salt.
- Granulated sugar: adds sweetness and promotes slight browning.
- Egg: acts as a binding agent, provides moisture, and adds richness for a softer cookie.
- Pure vanilla extract: enhances flavor and sweetness, adding depth to the overall cookie taste. You can also use other extracts such as peppermint extract in addition to this.
- All-purpose flour: holds it all together!
- Baking soda: this is our leavening agent to help our white chocolate peppermint cookies rise and spread.
- Salt: enhances the flavors of all other ingredients.
- White chocolate chips: I prefer white to milk or dark chocolate chips here for color and taste (such a good pairing with the peppermint), but don’t limit yourself!
- Peppermint pieces: chop up some peppermint bark or crush some candy canes, or get crushed peppermint patties. You can also use peppermint extract to enhance the flavor (a little of that goes a long way!).
How to make White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Here’s how easy this recipe is:
- One bowl – no need to separate dry and wet ingredients!
- No refrigerating of the dough
- Takes a total of 25 minutes!
And I’ve broken it up into just a few easy steps!
Step 0: Set the mood (Optional)
In the spirit of Christmas, break out some Christmas music in the background, light a Christmas candle, turn on the lights on your Christmas tree…and let’s get baking!
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
To make white chocolate peppermint cookies, first bring together all the wet ingredients – softened or room temperature butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, into a large bowl and give it a good mix.
Then add the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda and salt.
You can mix this flour mixture separately before adding to the white ingredients, but it is not necessary. This way you’ll have one less bowl to wash! 😉
If you have a stand mixer, you can use it with the paddle attachment and mix at low speed, instead of mixing it by hand. Use a rubber spatula to occasionally scrape flour mixture from the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
Next, fold in the white chocolate chips. Maybe pop a couple into your mouth. 🙂
step 2: Prep cookie Dough Balls
Get some peppermint pieces ready by crushing candy canes or peppermint candies, or chopping up peppermint bark.
Roll the cookie dough into about 18 small ~1.5-2 inch balls. Dip the tops onto the peppermint pieces. Then press the peppermint pieces down gently so that they sink slightly (but not completely) into the dough.
Alternatively, you can also use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and use cookies cutters to cut them into different shapes. If you have festive shape cookie cutters, this is a great way to make those fun Christmas cookies in shapes of Christmas trees, snowmen etc. After that, similarly, dip the flat cookies into crushed peppermint pieces.
Place them 2 inches apart from each other on a baking sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat – this makes cleanup a easier.
step 3: Bake!
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. Note that the cookies will still be slightly soft when done – we’ll let them sit on the baking sheet or mat for a couple of minutes so that they set. Then transfer to baking rack to cool.
Then comes the hardest part…waiting for them to cool so that they set nicely.
I hope you enjoy these soft, chewy white chocolate peppermint cookies!
And more importantly, I hope you have a relaxing, safe and joyful holiday season! 🙂
make ahead and storage
Make ahead: Prepare the cookie dough as directed up till forming into balls. Put the cookie dough into the refrigerator or even freezer, and only form them into balls/bake them when you are ready to bake and eat.
Storage: If you have leftovers (lucky you!), you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, then store them in the fridge for up to a week.
Though peppermint white chocolate cookies never last that long in our household… 🙂
Tips and Tricks
- Portion control: Only roll a few doughs into balls, i.e. the ones you will be eating immediately. Put the rest of the dough aside to make later (see Make Ahead section above). Portion control now, more yumminess later! Win win!
- Enjoy while warm: I highly recommend eating them warm because warm cookies are seriously the best, or microwave them for a few seconds if they are not fresh out of the oven.
- Thicker cookies: if you would like a taller (thicker) cookie, refrigerate cookie dough for 20 minutes before rolling into small balls. This chill time will help the cookie dough set and prevent the cookies from spreading too when baking. Using softened (not melted) butter will help with it too.
- Adjust flavor intensity: if you prefer a stronger peppermint taste, add more peppermint pieces or a drop of peppermint extract. Or add other extracts for a variety of taste!
- Cook evenly: try to roll the cookie dough into balls of the same sizes so that they cook at the same time. Consistency is the key.
- Monitor baking time closely: ovens vary, so keep an eye on your cookies. They should have slightly golden brown edges when done.
- Do NOT overcook cookies: Check cookies at the 10-minute mark and remove them promptly from the oven if they ready. Cookies should still be slightly soft when you pull them out. Let cookies sit on the baking sheet for only 1-2 minutes. Remove using a flat bendable/more flexible turner/spatula (I find that non-bendable or wooden ones will break warm soft cookies) and cool on cooling rack. This is important because cookies will continue cooking on baking sheet. You want to remove it from the baking sheet after a few minutes so that it won’t overcook!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, there isn’t much difference. These are produced with the same ingredients in different shapes and forms. Use whichever you have on hand.
Refrigerate the dough for about 20-30 minutes to firm it up before rolling.
For softer cookies, reduce the baking time slightly. The cookies will continue to set on the baking sheet after being removed from the oven.
Try refrigerating the dough before baking, which makes the cookies thicker and fluffier. When butter is warm and fully melted, it makes the product flatter. Refrigerating it will harden it slightly.
Allow the cookies to cool completely on the cooling rack before stacking or transporting. The peppermint pieces will firmly adhere to the cookies as they set while baking in the oven.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
Other Fun Holiday Desserts and Treats
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Mini Chocolate Chess Pie
- Easy Apple Crisp
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
- Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Brownies with Andes Mint
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies (by Savory Nothings)
White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup peppermint pieces
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Chop peppermint into small pieces until you have about 1/3 cup.
- In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients – butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Then add dry ingredients – flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Fold in white chocolate chips.
- Roll dough into about 18 small ~1.5-2 inch balls, then dip dough balls onto the peppermint pieces to coat the top of the dough balls. Press peppermint pieces onto dough balls gently so that they stay on, then place them on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes. Check at the 10-minute mark. Once it is done (it will still be slightly soft), let cookies sit on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before carefully removing them and placing them onto a baking rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
These are so festive and pepperminty! My entire family loved them! We’ll definitely be baking another batch before Santa comes to visit!
Wonderful! So glad to hear! Happy holidays!
We loved these!! Making them again for my cookie platters at the holidays!
I hope you love them just as much! 🙂
These were easy to make and I love peppermint year round. Thanks for the recipe. They were great!
Thank you so much!
Such gorgeous cookies. You’ve given me a delicious soft cookie with a delicious peppermint crunch.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Jane!
Hi Joyous Apron,
I loved the ease of making these cookies and they turned out beautifully. However, the peppermint taste is very mild. Next time, I will use Peppermint Extract instead of Vanilla (or half & half).
Hi Colleen! That sounds like a great idea if you like these cookies with more peppermint taste. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! Made these for a cookie exchange and they were a hit with everybody!
That’s great, Amy! Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
These cookies were INCREDIBLE!! Gone too fast too lol!!
Hahaha – it sure has that effect on people! 😉 Glad you loved it!
Soooo yummy. I’ll be adding some Peppermint extract next time but they were otherwise perfect!
Great idea! So glad you enjoyed it!
Very good !! Nice and chewy !
Thanks, Lilian! I’m glad you liked it!
This is the second year I’ve come back to this recipe! Tasty and oh so easy.
I must be overlooking something when it comes to the prep process, as delicious as these cookies are, I can never get them to look like the ones in the image. They end up flat and spread over the cookie sheet. What would be some of your recommendations to make sure they are soft and fuller like yours? I have a picture I can send. Thank you!
Try refrigerating the dough before baking! That should help make the cookies thicker and fluffier. When butter is warm and fully melted, it makes the dough flatter. Refrigerating it will harden it slightly.
These cookies are seriously amazing! I made a large batch for a cookie swap and had a ton extra to gift to different people and have gotten so many compliments! I actually put the candy cane pieces in the blender to just turn them to peppermint dust and then I roll the cookies in that. Also I did half of the amount of vanilla extract it calls for and then add in peppermint extract instead. Great recipe I will use for years to come!
Thank you so much! Love the idea of crushing the peppermints in the blender! Appreciate you sharing that 🙂
Obsessed with these cookies, make them every winter and everybody’s just as obsessed when I do 😍 I’m wondering if they freeze well and if the texture changes after unfreezing? Thank you!
Hi Dee, thank you so much for sharing! So happy to hear this has been a yearly treat for you 🙂 I have not tried freezing them before but from what I understand most cookies freeze really well!
These are amazing! I make them at Christmas and they are a huge hit.
That’s wonderful! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m thinking about making these as bars. Have you done that before? If so, what size baking tin did you use, and how long did you bake them for? Thanks! These cookies are delicious!
Unfortunately I have not tried that before. Sorry!
Batter was dry and would not hold together especially when trying to put peppermint pieces on them. Recipe calls for 1 egg but you say add eggs. So maybe it should have been two eggs? They tasted pretty good!
Only 1 egg is required! Batter should be crumbly and not wet 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the taste.