Easy Peppermint Bark Cookies Recipe for Holiday Baking and Cookie Trays
These peppermint bark cookies recipe turns the classic layered candy into a chewy chocolate cookie studded with chopped chocolate and crunchy bits of candy cane. They take about 20 minutes of hands-on time plus a 2-hour chill, and the sliced-dough method means every cookie comes out the same size with no scooping.
My kitchen smells like a candy shop every time I make this batch. There’s something about chocolate and peppermint together that just feels like the holidays, even before the oven is on.
This peppermint bark cookies recipe came out of wanting peppermint bark without the fuss of tempering chocolate layers. So the chocolate and the peppermint go right into a chewy chocolate cookie dough instead, sliced off a chilled log so every cookie bakes up the same size.
They’re easy enough for a weeknight and pretty enough for a cookie tray, which is really all I ask of a holiday cookie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastes just like peppermint bark, but in cookie form
- Sliced-dough method means no scooping and even sizing every time
- Make the dough log ahead and slice fresh whenever you want a few
- Great for cookie exchanges and holiday gift boxes
- Only one bowl and one spoon to wash
Ingredients
- 12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (57g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp peppermint oil (or 1 tsp peppermint extract)
- 1 1/4 cups (150g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/4 cup (43g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped — chopped bar chocolate beats chocolate chips here, since chips tend to drag through the dough and leave divots once sliced
- 1/4 cup (43g) white chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup (33g) crushed hard peppermint candy or candy canes
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until just combined and smooth, not light and fluffy. Overbeating here pulls in extra air, and the cookies will puff and spread more than you want once baked.
Step 2: Add the Flavorings
Mix in the vanilla, salt, and peppermint oil. A little peppermint oil goes a long way, so start light if you’re using extract instead and taste the dough before adding more.
Step 3: Mix in the Dry Ingredients
Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix just until a soft dough comes together. Stop as soon as you don’t see dry streaks — overmixing here makes the cookies tough instead of tender.
Step 4: Fold in the Chocolate and Peppermint
Fold in the chopped bittersweet chocolate, white chocolate, and crushed peppermint candy by hand so the pieces stay whole instead of streaking through the dough.
Step 5: Shape and Chill the Dough
Shape the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long. Wrap it tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, or until firm all the way through — a log that’s still soft in the center will squish instead of slice cleanly.
Step 6: Let the Log Soften
Take the dough out and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes before slicing. Straight from the fridge it’s too firm to cut without cracking.
Step 7: Slice the Cookies
Slice the log into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Measure your first slice with a ruler — a slice that looks right by eye is usually thinner than it looks, and thin slices are the ones that crumble. A little crumbling at the edges is normal; just press the loose bits back into the cookie.
Step 8: Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they look puffed and the centers no longer look wet. They’ll still feel soft and a bit fragile right out of the oven — that’s expected, not a sign they’re underdone.
Step 9: Cool Completely
Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before moving them. They firm up as they cool, and moving them too soon is the easiest way to end up with broken cookies.
Tips for the Best Results
- Use chopped bar or wafer chocolate instead of chips — chips drag through the dough and leave holes once the log is sliced
- Chill the log fully before slicing; a soft center makes it squish instead of cut clean
- If making a gluten-free version, plan on extra time in the oven since these often need it
Peppermint Bark Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together until just combined.
- Mix in the vanilla, salt, and peppermint oil.
- Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix just until a dough forms.
- Fold in the chopped chocolates and crushed peppermint candy by hand.
- Shape the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long, wrap, and chill at least 2 hours.
- Let the log sit at room temperature 30 to 45 minutes to soften.
- Slice into 1/2-inch rounds and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes until puffed and no longer wet-looking in the center.
- Cool completely on the baking sheet before moving.
Notes
- Use chopped bar chocolate, not chips, since chips leave divots once the log is sliced.
- A firm, fully chilled log slices cleanly; a soft one will squish instead of cut.
- Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients and will vary with brands and portion size.
These little cookies always disappear fastest off my holiday trays, chocolate and peppermint just seem to do that to people. I love tucking a few into a gift tin since they hold up well and still taste fresh a few days later.
If you give this peppermint bark cookies recipe a try, I’d love to hear how it goes. Leave a star rating and a comment below so other readers know what to expect too.
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