These peppermint brownie crinkle cookies have crisp edges, soft and fudgy middles, shiny crackly tops, and a delicious chocolate peppermint flavor. To make them even more festive, I dipped the tops halfway into white chocolate and crushed peppermint candy canes - like a classic peppermint bark! They're one of the most festive cookies you could make for the holidays. And you could make them ahead of time and they store great so they're perfect for including in cookie boxes and cookie exchanges for the holidays!
If you love peppermint, chocolate, brownies, and peppermint bark - these cookies are for YOU. Plus there's no chill time.
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🍬 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Fudgy: They're soft and fudgy in the centers - like brownies.
- Easy: You could even make this without an electric mixer, you just need a wire whisk and a minute extra of your time!
- Peppermint chocolate brownie: There's nothing more delicious than a dark chocolate peppermint brownie and these are that but in cookie form. With crisp edges and a fudgy center.
- White chocolate peppermint: I dipped the tops into peppermint flavored white chocolate and crushed candy canes for that full, classic peppermint bark flavor.
- No chill time: We love a cookie without a chill time because sometimes you just need cookies asap.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Cocoa powder: Dutch processed cocoa powder gives these cookies a rich, chocolatey flavor. I recommend using Dutch processed over natural cocoa powder. Dutch processed has a darker brown color and richer, less tart chocolate flavor.
Semisweet chocolate chips: I love using these for brownies and therefore these brownie cookies because they're easy to find and not as sweet as typical dark chocolate. Make sure that they're labelled as real semisweet chocolate chips and not "semisweet baking chips," Alternatively, use a semisweet chocolate baking bar.
Butter: This recipe will work with both salted and unsalted butter. Don't forget to reduce the amount of salt if you're working with salted butter.
White chocolate: I used good quality white chocolate bars for this recipe. Be careful if you use white chocolate chips, most aren't actually real white chocolate. They're much more difficult and finicky to melt and don't have that classic, rich and buttery white chocolate flavor.
Candy canes: Peppermint candy canes are much easier to crush than round peppermints. I highly recommend using peppermint candy canes. Make sure that they're peppermint flavored and not cherry! Cherry might result in a very strange flavor combination.
Peppermint extract: This gives the brownie cookies and the white chocolate that they're dipped into a beautiful, refreshing peppermint flavor. You should make my easy peppermint swirl fudge or my peppermint sugar cookies if you have leftover extract.
👩🍳 How to make peppermint brownie cookies
Peppermint brownie cookie dough step by step
Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Step 1: Combine butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan and melt the mixture on low heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Remove it from heat as soon as it melts.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk with a wire whisk until very thick and creamy. It will fall of the whisk in ribbons. Add vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt.
Step 3: Add the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Then, sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl. Fold the mixture with a wire whisk until there aren't any more streaks of flour.
Step 4: Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop or a piping bag to scoop portions on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie. The cookie dough is very batter-like
Step 5: Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, until they're shiny on top. Remove the cookies off the parchment paper with a spatula and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat until you've baked all of the cookie dough.
Peppermint bark step by step
Step 1: Melt the white chocolate, coconut oil, and peppermint extract.
Dip the tops of the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate.
Step 2: Then, sprinkle crushed candy canes over the white chocolate. Place them onto a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet to set. You can pop the cookie sheet into the fridge to set faster.
✔️ Expert brownie cookie tips
- Whisk the eggs and sugars until foamy and thick: This is important to get the crackly top. You can use an electric mixer or a handheld whisk, this will take about one minute.
- Carefully fold the brownie cookie dough after adding the melted chocolate and flour to avoid knocking out too much air from the dough.
- Don't let the cookie dough rest before baking. The sooner you bake it the shinier the tops will be.
- If the cookies are uneven, use a spoon to push any edges in while they're on the baking sheet right out of the oven.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
These cookies are great to make ahead for cookie boxes! You can freeze the baked cookies with pieces of parchment paper in between to prevent sticking. Then dip them in the chocolate a day or two before putting the boxes together. I'd be cautious about freezing the candy cane and white chocolate dipped cookies long term, because the cookies have moisture and this can cause the candy canes to melt into a syrup.
The white chocolate and candy cane coated cookies store really well at room temperature in an airtight container for 4-5 days. You can pop them into the fridge to store for up to 1 week.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Yes you can these are a great cookie for cookie boxes! I baked the brownie crinkle cookies ahead of time, froze them, and then dipped them the day before assembling and gifting the cookie boxes. The cookies will keep well at room temperature for 4-5 days.
No you don't need to. The brownie cookies are so delicious and flavorful on their own. You can also drizzle the white chocolate on top and sprinkle the candy canes over it as an alternative.
I haven't tried it but it should work if you substitute the all purpose flour for 1:1 gluten free flour. If you try it please let us know how it goes in the comments!
A high sugar content and whisking the sugar with eggs until foamy gives brownies and brownie cookies that desired crinkly top. This is why it's important not to reduce the amount of sugar in these cookies! It might seem like there's a lot of sugar but it's perfectly balanced with a touch of salt and the bitterness of the cocoa powder.
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📖 Recipe
Peppermint Brownie Bark Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Peppermint Brownie Cookie Dough
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour 60g
- ½ cup dutch processed cocoa powder
Peppermint Bark Dip
- 6 peppermint candy canes
- 2 white chocolate bars 100g (3.5oz) each
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil or butter
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
Peppermint Brownie Cookie Dough
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan and melt the mixture on low heat on the stovetop, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Remove it from heat as soon as it melts.1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, ½ cup unsalted butter
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk with a wire whisk until very thick and creamy. It will fall of the whisk in ribbons. Add vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt.2 large eggs, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture. Then, sift the flour and cocoa powder into the bowl. Fold the mixture with a wire whisk until there aren't any more streaks of flour.½ cup dutch processed cocoa powder, ½ cup all purpose flour
- Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop or a piping bag to scoop portions on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each cookie. The cookie dough is very batter-like
- Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, until they're shiny on top. Remove the cookies off the parchment paper with a spatula and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat until you've baked all of the cookie dough.
Peppermint Bark Dip
- Crush candy canes by rolling a rolling pin over them while they're in the wrappers. Then, open the wrappers over a plate to release the pieces. Set aside.6 peppermint candy canes
- Melt the white chocolate, coconut oil, and peppermint extract in a bowl in the microwave or over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir frequently to prevent it from burning.2 white chocolate bars, ½ teaspoon coconut oil, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Dip the tops of the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate. Then, sprinkle crushed candy canes over the white chocolate. Place them onto a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet to set. You can pop the cookie sheet into the fridge to set faster.
Notes
- Whisk the eggs and sugars until foamy and thick to get a crackly top.
- Carefully fold the brownie cookie dough after adding the melted chocolate and flour.
- Don't let the cookie dough rest before baking. The sooner you bake it the shinier the tops will be.
- If the cookies are uneven, use a spoon to push any edges in while they're on the baking sheet right out of the oven.
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