These Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies are holiday twist on a classic chocolate chip cookie with the addition of peppermint crunch.
Every year Christmas celebrating seems to start earlier and earlier.
This year at my local Walgreens there was Halloween candy on one side and Christmas on the other, in September.
Some people are sticklers about no Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, some not until December, and then there are those who get excited when the first Christmas song on the radio comes on.
Now some do go a little overboard.
There are my neighbors who put up Christmas lights in October.
Though I just really like to think of the lights as extra illumination to help with the Neighborhood Crime Watch, and not to think of them as Christmas lights until the end of November.
I think the reason why people rush into the holiday season and start wanting to decorate in August is because for most people the holidays are a happy time.
They want that recaptured.
And I guess the figure the quicker they start to celebrate it, the better. 🙂
My friend C doesn’t really start getting into the holidays early.
However she does usually start thinking about what cookie she will make for cookie exchange.
She consults me every year as to what she will be making.
She likes simple, as she is not a big baker (and yet still my friend :P).
This year she said she wanted to do a chocolate chip cookie.
But make it more holiday-ish with peppermint or something.
So these Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies are what I cam up with.
No these aren’t reinventing the wheel by any means.
But they are chocolate and mint and really, those are flavors you can’t go wrong with.
So if you are annoyed by your neighbors and all there early Christmas decorating, just figure that they are trying to be in a better mood.
A happier neighbor makes for a happier neighborhood.
P.S. It’s a great day to buy my cookbook Holy Sweet!
Want more peppermint recipes?
Peppermint Bark Red Velvet Cupcakes
Milk Chocolate Peppermint Fudge
Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Spiked Candy Cane White Hot Chocolate
Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 7 ounces milk chocolate chips
- 7 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the chocolate and peppermint chips.
- On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters.
- Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches long.
- Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours (do this part for real please).
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Slice the logs into disks ¾ inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- If the chips crumble out (and they will), simply push them back in, they reshape nicely.
- Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes.
- If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, as I do, err on the side of underbaking.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
Notes
Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz
Rosa says
Christmas is also a big commercial thing, therefore it starts earlier every year. Big money is to be made… ;-P Sads but true.
Those are lovely cookies!
Cheers,
Rosa
Susan: My Food Obsession says
These festive cookies look fabulous! Perfect of the Christmas table 🙂
Liz @ Blog is the New Black says
Although Christmas is a commerical holiday, I still do love the decor and the “spirit!”
Annnnd I love this idea for cookies!
Di says
Ooh, I just bought a bag of those Andes peppermint chips, and I’ve been trying to decide what to make with them. Your cookies look yummy.
bellini says
I like the way you summed up the decorating. Anything for a happy neighbourhood!!!
Runnergirl says
Are the Andes chips more like a chocolate chip or a crunchy piece of candy cane?!
Peabody says
They are more like a while chocolate bit (they aren’t shaped like chips) with crunchy peppermint pieces.
Joanne says
I SO wish I could find those peppermint crunch chips somewhere! I feel like I’m in the holiday spirit just from looking at them.
Deborah says
I’m one that is a stickler to waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to even listen to Christmas music. I love Thanksgiving, and think it always gets the short end of the stick! I was actually just thinking today that I’d like to make some kind of peppermint cookie, and you are here with this recipe. It must be fate!!
Jessica @ bake me away! says
It always bugs me when stores start rolling out the Christmas stuff in August. It’s usually 100F outside here! I’ll have to look out for those peppermint chips. These look so fun!
Joelen says
Hi Peabody! It’s been awhile since I’ve commented but it doesn’t mean I haven’t been following along 🙂 These look awesome and I’m bookmarking this to make for the holidays this year!
marcia says
These look soooo good! something I would realy enjoy, but I dont think we have andes pepermint chips in Canada eh? Maybe little bits of candycane would be just as good!
Kita says
My boss is fanatical about Christmas (and for the reason you mentioned) but our customer base doesn’t enjoy seasonal music or decorations until after Thanksgiving – and since they pay the bills…. You would have thought I shot Santa when I told him no holiday music until after Thanksgiving to keep out customers happy. There was angry texts and rage for 3 days. Oh well.
Back to your blog – these cookies look super yummy.
Runnergirl says
Thanks for letting me know what the chips are like…I think they would be perfect in my chocolate biscotti recipe! No I just have to find some!
Lisa @ The Cooking Bride says
Your neighbors should just do what a house in my neighborhood did – they put the Christmas decorations up over the Halloween decorations.
I am going to be making these cookies. I love chocolate and mint! Mmmm!
Becca says
For one, I’m one of those people that think Christmas celebrations should start December 1st and Halloween October 1st and Thanksgiving November 1st, and so on. But that doesn’t mean that i haven’t already been making plans on what to bake for the Christmas season 😛 and these look absolutely delicious! I think I’ll end up making these this year 😀
Franishnonspeaker says
Great combo- I’ll be these taste amazing! I refuse to acknowledge Xmas until Dec. 1. As of today, let the season begin!
Sues says
Oh, I’ve been dreaming about peppermint cookies for days now… These will definitely be on my menu for some time soon 🙂
Lynn says
I’ve got to find some of those mint crunchy bits. The cookies look delicious! A plate of those to every neighbor would score you good will all year long.
Nutmeg Nanny says
These look great! I have two bags of the peppermint chips hanging out in my pantry. I gotta get on using them!
Barbara says
Great idea to add peppermint crunch to the cookies. I have some left over from my cookie recipe this week and was wondering what to do with them!
One advantage to decorating early is you can sit back and enjoy the tree lights with a lovely drink in hand!
Stephanie @ Confessions of a Trophy Wife says
I am SO with you on Christmas starting too early now. I love Christmas, but not in the middle of September. I ranted about this earlier in the week 🙂
Sanjeeta kk says
Wow! What gorgeous cookies. Would be a perfect bake for the coming festive season. Lovely space.
Della says
First time poster, long time follower – these look fantastic and I’m on a mission to make them for this year’s cookie jars. Can’t find them on the East coast and can bring myself to pay $20 on Amazon, do you think coarsely chopped Peppermint Andes would work?
Peabody says
Yeah, that would work. Mint, is mint. 🙂
Claire says
Once again, delicious looking!
Danielle says
How many cookies does this recipe yield?
Peabody says
About 30…depends on how big you make them
Danielle says
Hi! Great recipe. I made the dough exactly as the recipe called for. I did chill the dough overnight, but did not do it for the full day and cut into logs. Sorry! I just didn’t have the time! I rolled them into balls like I would chocolate chip cookies and baked them for 15 minutes. Delicious! I thought the peppermint would overwhelm the cookie, but it didn’t.
My recipe made about 5 dozen. I got my Andes Mints at WalMart!
Thanks again and Happy Holidays! 🙂
Lorraine says
I live in South Africa and we don’t have Andes Mints here, please tell me are they just a mint or a peppermint chocolate? If available in London I will ask my daughter to send me a packet so I can see if there is anything here that compares. Many thanks.
Peabody says
@Lorraine They are a creamy chocolate mint
Natalie Rae says
Hi! I am currently in the refrigeration stage of this recipe! I am super excited. Thanks so much for sharing. One thing though… I could not find those peppermint chips anywhere! So… I just purchased some peppermints from the bulk section and threw them in the food processor…. I hope they turn out! We shall see. Woop woop! Thanks again:)
Peabody says
Peppermint chips are more like a white chocolate with a mint flavor. I hoped they turned out with your peppermints.
Bj says
How many cookies does this recipe make?
Peabody says
Depends on how thick you make them or how large. Maybe 24?
Trish says
For me, 3 weeks of December is not enough for Christmas music so I start playing it in November. I don’t mind seeing the isles of Christmas stuff. If it comes out that early it will be on sale by the time I’m ready to buy. These cookies look fantastic! I will definietly make them this year.
Mindy W says
Just made these and we are loving them. Thanks for a really tasty cookie! (my mint loving daughter thanks you also.)
Erin @ Making Memories says
Oh my gosh! I’m so making these for our cookie exchange this year! Thank you so much!
Ginger says
These look great. I found them on my great cookie exchange search. I am definitely going to add them as a contender. I am also featuring them on a cookie round-up that will hopefully go live some time before midnight 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Hearty Appletite says
Definitely can’t go wrong with chocolate and peppermint! I eat peppermint every day of the year =)
amy says
Great looking recipe! I found these chips at AC Moore craft store and just bought the bc they looked so good. Glad I found this recipe on pinterest!
Merry CHRISTmas!
Ang says
Do you think these would freeze well? They look delicious 🙂
Carla says
Hey all. I thought I would have to purchase the Andes on Amazaon, but I just went to target to run some errands and was surprised to see a whole self devoted to Andes ( and all there different flavors). I’m in NY, so for those having difficulty finding them, check your local target!
gloria says
Can I just crush candy cane instead of the Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips?
I am excited about trying these,but don’t have the time to run to the store for the Andes Chips. 😉
Peabody says
@Gloria- they are two different things. Candy Canes will leave a very different texture. The baking chips are more like a white chocolate with peppermint in them.
Taryn says
I make cookies just like this, but I use crushed-up candy canes. They are a different texture, but they’re still SO good!
ninja says
Just made these I love andes peppermint candies & when I saw this recipe I thought it’d be amzing but they are a bit strange in a cookie. It’s basically & chocolate chip cookie with peppermint. Very odd. Not exactly gross but not exactly good either.
Paula A says
Liked this recipe, but thought the milk choc chips made it too sweet; also not enough salt with unsalted butter. Semi Sweet & regular butter next time for me. YMMV. Also, there are no red marks like in the picture on mine, and I used the Andes chips…? Oh well, I love choc and mint together so will make again. 🙂
Peabody says
@Paula sorry you didn’t like the milk chocolate, it’s all about preference. Also which Andes Chips did you use. They have their regular ones and then Peppermint Crunch ones that are bright pink.
Crystal Pham says
Wow. I just made these. They are DELICIOUS!!! Thank you for such a fantastic recipe!!
p.s. I contacted the Andes co. through their website, and they told me where to buy the peppermint chips 🙂
Tracey @ Don't Mess with Mama says
Thanks for the recipe! I just tried it out using Trader Joe’s peppermint bark instead. They came out delicious!
http://dontmesswithmama.com/2011/12/20/peppermint-bark-cookies/
Marilynn says
I couldn’t find these in chip form, but I used the individually wrapped peppermint crunch squares and just broke them up in a plastic bag. They came out great!
Peabody says
@Marilynn- good thinking!
Danielle says
I made these with Brach’s Star Brites peppermint candies. I just put them in a baggy and crushed them with a hammer (if you are thinking of doing that you might want to find another way… it was messy… even double bagged…) and they turned out great! Not sure what the consistency of the peppermint was supposed to be like but the chunks in my cookies were almost taffy-like… very sticky but delicious. Because the chunks were so small, they didn’t stick to your teeth, they were just like a slightly sticky cookie. My family and I loved them!
Cathy says
I’m relatively new to your page. It’s Feb and I already can’t wait until Christmas to try this recipe out!
Laura says
Approx how many cookies does this reciepe yeild?
Peabody says
@laura- depends on what size you make your cookies. Probably the standard 2 1/2 dozen
linda says
Last year I had a Otis Spunkmeyer cookie that had these ingredients. I absolutely loved them. I have been looking for this recipe. Thanks
Kris Raso says
Walmart has the Andes Candies bits in their holiday baking section
Bobbie says
I made these a couple weeks ago. It made 4 rolls, and I froze 3 of them. Chocolate chip cookies and peppermint, what a great combination. They were delicious. I have since then baked the frozen ones, and they were just as good if not better than the first time around. Thanks for the great recipe. And, I think I will use this as my cc cookie recipe from now on minus the peppermint chips.
Mary says
Okay..so I just made the dough and it is SO, SO sticky . I added a bit more flour to the recipe but still really stick and messy to make into a log. I will be shocked if they come out! But if they are yummy as you all attest, I will admit!!
Lois says
Just made these cookies for my share in the town cookie plates they give to seniors. The recipe turns out perfect. Mine yielded 5 dozen following the recipe to a t. Thanks so much for giving such specific directions. My last dozen is in the oven now, since I signed up to make 4 dozen , this dozen is all mine !!!!
Linda says
I want to make these, but only have candy canes. Could I crush and use them?
Peabody says
@linda- yes though candy canes texture changes when baking
Riham says
Hi , I made these last week and they were a hit , I am making this fir pur cookie exchange . i just have 2 questions !! Why didn’t you use baking powder , and can I use this way ( refrigerate over night ) with any cookie dough recipe ?
Thank you
Peabody says
@Riham- Because it’s a cookie and I don’t need it to rise. And I can’t say if it will work for every cookie or not every recipe is different.
Linda says
I think I am going to try these with crushed candy canes – they sound wonderful.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Linda
Tabitha says
O I just wrapped these and put in fridge to set and started cleaning up when I see 1/2 stick butter sitting there sigh. Then realized I only put 1/2 stick butter in them not 1 stick….is this going to mess it up? What should I do? THanks
Peabody says
@Tabitha- yes it will mess it up you are missing a large ingredient that is important to the cookie. You can try and bake them but they will most likely be very dry.
Tabitha says
Thanks 🙂 I ended up calling my mom and she got me taking care of and the cookies fixed. The cookies are my new fav cookies Thanks for the recipe!
Allison says
I am making these for the third time now now and they are fabulous! I couldn’t find the peppermint chips either, so just used candy canes that I crushed in a ziplock bag. Also didn’t put them into rolls first, just scooped onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and they were great!
Caitlin says
I just made these tonight. I did not in fact, do the logs as intended, it was perfect and stiff that moment! Maybe because I did it by hand? So I did not do the refrigeration step and there was no harm done =D I also used the Andes mints in rectangle form. I chopped them up for 7 ounces (About a package and a short row). They came out great and everyone in this house loves them!
Sharon says
Do they freeze well after baking? I need to make quite a few and am starting early.
Peabody says
@sharon- if you use candy canes they will not freeze well (some people subbed candy canes instead of Andes chips). If you use the chips they should freeze well.
Amy says
I baked these tonight and they are delicious! However, they turned out very thin and flat. Is that normal, or did I do something wrong? The cookies in the pictures here look much thicker. Thank you!!
Peabody says
@Amy- could depend on a few things…mine could be thicker for the mere fact that I cut them thicker perhaps. If they spread too much try increasing your flour a little next time.
Dolores says
These were quite a hit at my office cookie exchange. I made them with the two flavors of Andes chips — the peppermint and the “after dinner” mint. Yum!
Juanita says
I just made these, and they’re delicious! I had to improvise a bit as I couldn’t find the Andes peppermint crunch chips in my local stores and I didn’t have time to order them from Amazon. I used the normal Andes mint chips and then the Tollhouse red and green semi-sweet morsels to add the Christmas-y look. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Ana says
What is the minimum time I could keep the dough in the fridge?
Peabody says
@Ana- my guess would be 2 hours but these really are best at the 24 hours
Ana says
Thanks 🙂
Juanita says
I made these last Christmas and this one, and they were delicious both times! Last year I wasn’t able to find the Andes mints at Publix or Walmart, so I used some Tollhouse chips. This year though, I found them at Walmart, in their holiday baking aisle.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
Peppermint & chocolate is my favorite Christmas flavor blend. Thanks so much for the cookie recipe – I can’t wait to try it. Pinning now!
Alicia says
I pinned this recipe over 2 years ago and I still come back to it each Christmas. Thank you for this! It is my all-time favorite cookie. I also love giving friends a roll or two of cookie dough with baking instructions.
Peabody says
@Alicia- thanks for coming back and telling me. I love hearing things like this!
Marilyn says
Great cookies but living at high altitude (above 8,000 ft) they came out flat. I even adjusted it for high altitude baking. Will work on that part but could use any tips anyone has! Do like the flavor of the cookies though!
Kellie says
I pinned this a few years ago and come back to it every year at Christmas time! I started to panic when it wouldn’t pull up on my phone today but my computer saved the day. Everyone in my family just loves these!
Ashley says
What if I don’t have brown sugar can I just substitute it for more regular?
Peabody says
@ashley yes that can work
Danielle says
I love these cookies! This is my third year making them. I use crushed up peppermint candy (or candy canes) instead of the chips and they turn out great!
Shar says
Since Andes chips no longer seem to be a thing I used Hershey candy cane kisses and chopped them up instead (7 oz = 1 200 gr bag – 2 kisses) . I did chill the dough but found the outside edges ended up really dark and hard and the inside was not even cooked yet. Maybe the hugs changed something about the dough in some way?? I know you really insisted on chilling the dough first but when I make these again I’ll most likely be skipping this step.
Peabody says
Well, the chilling is for flavor development. We still have Andes chips, I bought some this year. Having never made anything with candy cane kisses I’m not sure if that would cause issues. I know that regular candy canes cause them to get hard.