Name: Peppermint Bark Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick); 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup cocoa powder; 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks; 1/2 cup white chocolate peppermint chips

Peppermint Bark Cookies are chewy, chocolatey, and have a delicious bite of peppermint. They are the perfect cookies for the holidays and are best served warm.

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This peppermint bark cookies recipe is made with chocolate chunks, white chocolate peppermint chips, and cocoa powder. They are the ultimate chocolate chip cookies! No one will be able to keep their hands out of the cookie jar (if they even make it in there!).

Chocolate cookies are standard this time of year and when you add in peppermint, they become especially tasty. If you can’t find peppermint bark chocolate, you can use crushed candy canes in the cookie dough instead. Now, there’s really no excuse for not adding them into your Christmas cookie rotation!

How to make peppermint bark cookies

Chocolate peppermint bark cookies are just as easy to make as any other cookie and don’t need to sit in the fridge to cool like sugar cookies.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Cream the butter and sugar with a stand mixer on medium high speed

butter-and-sugar-creamed-in-a-mixing -bowl

Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat together slowly and until just mixed together

Slowly mix in the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder

Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate chunks and peppermint chips in the bowl

Scoop the cookie dough onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop

Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the cookies are set and cooked through, about 12 – 15 minutes

Allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before eating

Recipe notes

In order to make the best cookies with peppermint bark, take a look at these notes and tips.

Prep Time: 10 minutes. Bake Time: 15 minutes.
My preferred cocoa is Hershey’s special dark but any unsweetened cocoa powder will work in this recipe.
Chocolate chips can be substituted for chocolate chunks.
White chocolate peppermint chips are widely available in grocery stores around the holidays. The most common brands are Ghirardelli and Andes. However if you cannot find them, you can substitute 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup crushed candy cane.
These cookies are best when served warm. I like to heat them for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave for that “fresh from the oven” taste.
To get an extra peppermint-y taste, you can add up to 3 drops of peppermint extract. Keep in mind, it’s strong, so only use a couple of drops.

How to store these cookies

Keep the cookies in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. They are best eaten as close to when you baked them as possible. If they get hard in the container, you can add a half piece of sliced bread to help add moisture back into the cookies.

You can freeze the dough before baking as well. This is a great trick in order to always have cookies on hand when you want some without having to mix them up. There are two options for freezing the dough. The first is to put the dough in a plastic freezer bag, flatten it into a disc, and then freeze it. The other is to start by making the balls, place them on a baking sheet or plate, put them in the freezer for 15 minutes, then put the balls in a freezer bag and back into the freezer.

Make sure to label the dough with what it is, the baking instructions, and the date. This makes it easier to bake them later when you’ve forgotten the details.