These peppermint shortbread cookies are crisp, buttery, and packed full of peppermint pieces and chocolate chips! They’re rolled in a homemade peppermint sugar before baking. They’re slice and bake cookies so you don’t actually have to roll them out to get pretty circle shapes. You can use crushed candy canes or peppermint candies. They’re the perfect easy holiday cookie!
These soft gingerbread men cookies are also perfect to make for the holidays.
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Why you will LOVE this recipe:
- Make ahead: You can make ahead the dough way in advance. Cut and bake the cookies the day of or before you need them for freshly baked cookies every time!
- Chocolate chips: The cookie dough has mini chocolate chips as well to give them so much more flavour. You can leave them out but I really love how they elevate the cookies.
- Texture: The peppermint shortbread is buttery, tender, and crispy - exactly how shortbread should be!
- No rolling and cutting: They’re slice and bake cookies so you roll the dough into logs and slice them into cookies. No cookie dough waste and less mess! Also way easier.
Chocolate and peppermint
I love the addition of mini chocolate chips in shortbread so I felt like they would work perfectly in this recipe too! Chocolate and peppermint is a classic flavour combo. These peppermint shortbread cookies are dipped in chocolate (optional) for some extra chocolatey goodness!
The texture
These peppermint shortbread cookies have the best buttery, crisp, melt in your mouth texture. It has a mixture of powdered and granulated sugar for a buttery crisp texture. The little bits of candy cane inside the shortbread give a bit of crunch and a whole lot of flavour! Combine with little melty morsels of chocolate, these cookies will delight everyone at your holiday table.
The cookie dough is rolled in a mixture of peppermint candies and coarse sparkling sanding sugar. This gives it even more crunch and flavour.
Slice and bake
You can't get any easier than slice and bake cookies! The cookie dough is shaped into logs which are then chilled and cut into slices to make cookies. No need to roll and individually cut out cookies.
This makes it so easy to freeze the cookie dough logs and cut of a slice whenever you need a cookie!
Key ingredients
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below. But read through these for all the tips you will need for success!
Peppermint candy: You can use candy canes like I did here or any other similar candies! Peppermint sticks and round peppermint candies will work just as well.
Sparkling sugar: Coarse or sparkling sugar can be found in the baking section of grocery stores or in craft stores. Alternatively you can just use a coarse sugar.
Salted butter: I love using salted butter in shortbread cookies for so much more flavour! If you use unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon sea salt to the butter and sugar.
Peppermint extract: This is important to really have that peppermint flavour shine. If you don't want to use any you will get a more subtle flavour from the peppermint candies.
Mini chocolate chips: These will give the peppermint shortbread so much more flavour! If you don't like chocolate you can just leave them out. I don't recommend using regular size chocolate chips because they will be too large and won't look good at all. They'll also be much harder to slice.
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.
Step by step
Step 1 - Wet ingredients. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and sea salt. Beat with a paddle attachment until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times so that everything mixes evenly. Add vanilla and peppermint extract into the butter mixture, beating well until combined.
Step 2 - Dry ingredients. Sift flour right into the same bowl and mix together well, just until you stop seeing streaks of dry flour. Don’t overmix. Add crushed peppermint candies and chocolate chips, fold just until combined. The dough will be crumbly and that’s ok.
Step 3 - Peppermint sugar. Combine the sugar and crushed peppermint candies to make the peppermint sugar. Make sure the peppermint candies are crushed very finely.
Step 4 - Make logs. Pour out the dough and any pieces onto a flat clean surface. Divide the dough into two. Press and roll each half into a log, about 2” thick. Roll each log into the peppermint sugar, coating the sides well and pressing the sugar in if needed.
Step 5 - Chill. Wrap and refrigerate the rolls for about 30 minutes so that they solidify. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 6 - Slice cookies. Remove one log from the fridge and trim the edges so they’re straight. Using a large sharp knife, cut ½” slices all the way down the log. Arrange each slice on the lined baking sheet, leaving 2” of space between each cookie.
Step 7 - Bake the peppermint shortbread cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are barely golden. Remove from oven and use a spatula to transfer to a cooling rack immediately. Let cool completely.
Step 8 - Melt chocolate (optional). Bring a saucepan with a few inches of water at the bottom to a simmer. Find a heat safe bowl that fits right on top of the saucepan. Place chocolate chips and coconut oil into the bowl and put on top of simmering water. Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir the chocolate frequently until completely melted and smooth.
Step 9 - Dip cookies. Dip the baked and cooled cookies in the chocolate and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with more peppermint sugar and sprinkles (optional). Let the dipped cookies set in the fridge for about 10 minutes and serve!
FAQ
Place candy canes in a thick zippered bag and crush with a rolling pin. Cutting the candy canes with a knife risks sharp pieces flying around and your knife slipping.
Shortbread gets so much flavour from the high butter ratio. Salted butter gives it so much more flavour. If you use unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon sea salt when creaming butter and sugar.
They will still turn out great if you leave out the chocolate chips, sans the chocolate.
I don't recommend using regular size chocolate chips in the cookie dough because it's going to be really hard to cut through regular chocolate chips. Also, mini chocolate chips give a much better chocolate to shortbread ratio!
Make sure that the peppermint candies are chopped very finely for the peppermint sugar. That way you won't end up with giant pools of melted candies all around the edges of the cookies. If you do end up with pools of melted candy canes, not a problem at all. Just push them back into the cookies with a spoon as soon as they come out of the oven.
Related holiday cookie recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- large cookie sheet
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour 300g
- ¼ cup coarsely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Peppermint Sugar
- ¼ cup sparkling sugar coarse or sanding sugar
- ¼ cup finely crushed peppermint candies or candy canes
Chocolate Coating (Optional)
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil or butter
Instructions
Cookies
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and sea salt. Beat with a paddle attachment until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times so that everything mixes evenly.1 cup salted butter, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar
- Add vanilla and peppermint extract into the butter mixture, beating well until combined.1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Sift flour right into the same bowl and mix together well, just until you stop seeing streaks of dry flour. Don’t overmix.2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- Add crushed peppermint candies and chocolate chips, fold just until combined. The dough will be crumbly and that’s ok.¼ cup coarsely crushed peppermint candies, ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- Combine the sugar and crushed peppermint candies to make the peppermint sugar.¼ cup finely crushed peppermint candies, ¼ cup sparkling sugar
- Pour out the dough and any pieces onto a flat clean surface. Divide the dough into two. Press and roll each half into a log, about 2” thick.
- Roll each log into the peppermint sugar, coating the sides well and pressing the sugar in if needed.
- Wrap and refrigerate the rolls for about 30 minutes so that they solidify.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove one log from the fridge and trim the edges so they’re straight. Using a large sharp knife, cut ½” slices all the way down the log.
- Arrange each slice on the lined baking sheet, leaving 2” of space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are barely golden.
- Remove from oven and use a spatula to transfer to a cooling rack immediately. Let cool completely.
Chocolate Coating (optional)
- Bring a saucepan with a few inches of water at the bottom to a simmer. Find a heat safe bowl that fits right on top of the saucepan.
- Place chocolate chips and coconut oil into the bowl and put on top of simmering water. Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water.1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil
- Stir the chocolate frequently until completely melted and smooth.
- Dip the baked and cooled cookies in the chocolate and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with more peppermint sugar and sprinkles (optional).
- Let the dipped cookies set in the fridge for about 10 minutes and serve!
Noah
Easy to make, and the results are immaculate! I didn't think I'd get obsessed with a recipe this fast. Especially the step by step instructions with pictures made it super easy to keep track of things... I'm not the best at making any kind of pastry, but this recipe was definitely an exception 🙂 thanks for this recipe! Can't wait to make it again 🙂
Mary
I'm so happy you loved it, thank you so much! 😀