White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Festive, fun and delicious, these white chocolate peppermint cookies are a treat you’ll love this holiday season! Soft, chewy cookies are packed with creamy white chocolate and crushed candy canes for the perfect sweet and minty combination. They’re simple to make and impossible to stop eating!
These white chocolate peppermint cookies are a fun twist on my double chocolate peppermint cookies and I have a feeling they’re going to become another Christmas favorite! The dough is made with brown sugar and vanilla for a soft, chewy texture, then loaded with white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes. I love the little bursts of peppermint crunch in every bite!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfectly festive. Peppermint extract and crushed candy canes give these cookies plenty of classic holiday flavor without being overpowering.
- Soft and chewy. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape while keeping the centers soft and chewy.
- A tried-and-true base. These cookies start with my favorite sugar cookie dough, then get dressed up for the holidays with white chocolate and peppermint.
- The perfect use for candy canes. Have extra candy canes after decorating? Crush them up and add them to these cookies for little bursts of peppermint crunch (just like my chocolate peppermint cake!).
Ingredient Notes
- Cornstarch: This secret ingredient helps give the cookies a soft, tender texture. If you don’t have it on hand, you can leave it out.
- Eggs: Using one whole egg plus an extra yolk helps bind the dough and gives the cookies their chewy texture.
- Unsalted butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the dough. The butter should be melted and slightly cooled.
- White chocolate chips: Sweet and creamy white chocolate pairs perfectly with the minty peppermint flavor.
- Peppermint extract: A little goes a long way! It adds extra peppermint flavor without overpowering the cookies.
- Crushed peppermint candies: Sift the crushed candy and leave out the fine powder. The powder can cause the cookies to spread too much while baking.
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Dip or drizzle with chocolate. Take these cookies to the next level with melted white or dark chocolate. Once the cookies have cooled, melt your chocolate, and dip half of each cookie into the chocolate or drizzle it over the top. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place them on parchment paper to let the chocolate set.
Garnish. While the chocolate is still melted, sprinkle the cookies with crushed peppermint or your favorite holiday sprinkles. You can also add a few toppings right after the cookies come out of the oven.
Switch up the chocolate chips. If you don’t like white chocolate, swap in semisweet or dark chocolate chips, or try peppermint baking chips. You can even mix and match!
Add nuts. Stir ½ cup of chopped macadamia nuts, walnuts, or pecans into the dough for extra texture and flavor.
How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk, vanilla, and peppermint extract; beat until combined, 20–30 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the dough.
- With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the white chocolate chips and candy cane bits by hand.
- Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
- Roll the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
Measure your flour correctly. For the most accurate results, weigh your flour with a kitchen scale. No scale? Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it with a knife. Avoid packing it down.
Use room temperature ingredients. This helps everything mix together smoothly and gives you a more even cookie dough.
Sift the peppermint. Sifting removes the fine candy dust, which can cause the cookies to spread. For extra peppermint crunch, press a few larger pieces onto the dough before baking.
Don’t skip the chill. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you can. This helps prevent spreading and gives the cookies a chewier texture and better flavor.
Adjust the batch size. Easily double or halve the recipe depending on how many cookies you need.
Storage and Make-Ahead Recommendations
Store baked cookies. Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze baked cookies. Wrap cooled cookies in plastic wrap, then place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months for the best freshness.
Make the dough ahead. Refrigerate the dough for up to 48 hours. Let it sit at room temperature just until it’s soft enough to scoop, but still chilled.
Freeze cookie dough. Scoop and roll the dough into balls, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding about 2 minutes to the baking time.
Recipe FAQ
The dough may have been too warm, or the baking sheet may have been hot when the cookies went into the oven. Too much crushed peppermint can also cause spreading. Be sure to sift the crushed peppermint and discard the fine candy dust, as the extra sugar can make the cookies spread.
Overbaking is usually the main reason. Take the cookies out when the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look soft.
Yes, you can halve the peppermint extract or omit it completely. The cookies will still taste delicious and have that nice peppermint crunch with less strong of a flavor.
Related Recipes
‘Tis the season for peppermint. Here are some more recipes you will love!
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Get the Recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 (1) large egg, room temperature
- 1 (1) egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) peppermint extract
- 1 cup (182 g) white chocolate chips
- 3 (3) candy canes, crushed and sifted (see notes) (equivalent to 12 mini candy canes)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Beat until combined, 20 to 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the dough. Careful not to over beat. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the white chocolate chips and candy cane bits by hand.
- Cover cookie dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 48 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough, roll into a ball. Slightly flatten the ball and place on prepared cookie sheet. If you want, add a few candy cane bits on top for visual appeal. Repeat with remaining dough and place on prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
