These peppermint mocha cookies are soft-baked with a generous dunk in white chocolate and sprinkle of candy cane crunch. They taste like brownies and are always the first to disappear at a cookie exchange!
Like chocolate crinkle cookies and mocha cheesecake brownies combined, these soft-baked cookies have been dubbed “the best thing to happen to Christmas cookies.” And that’s a direct quote from a taste tester!
Peppermint mocha cookies are soul-warming and pepperminty and I guarantee you’ll love them even more than your peppermint mocha beverage. 🙂
These Peppermint Mocha Cookies Taste Like Brownies
If you closed your eyes and took a bite of these peppermint mocha cookies, you’d be surprised to find a cookie instead of a brownie in your hand. These cookies taste just like fudgy brownies! We can thank my basic chocolate cookie dough for that, a go-to base I use when making double chocolate chip cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies too. There’s a reason my team and I turn to this cookie dough often (and why so many readers love it as well)… it WORKS! The magical dough creates rich, thick, and chewy chocolate cookies that stay soft for days. We’re talking soft cookies even on day 7.
(If in the very strange event that your chocolate cookies last that long. Who are you?)
How to Make Peppermint Mocha Cookies
The full printable recipe is below, but let’s walk through the recipe so you understand each step before you get started.
- Cream the wet ingredients together. As detailed in the recipe below, cream the butter and sugars together before adding the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract.
- Mix the dry ingredients together. This includes the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt.
- Combine both and add the chocolate chips. The dough will be very thick and sticky.
- Chill the cookie dough. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Roll cookie dough into balls. Use about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per ball. A medium cookie scoop is helpful for this!
- Bake. Let the cookies cool completely.
- Melt the white chocolate.
- Dip each cookie halfway into the white chocolate. Place each cookie onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate. Repeat this process with the rest of the cookies.
- Refrigerate the cookies to set the chocolate.
Secret Ingredient: Espresso Powder
Espresso powder gives the cookies their unbelievable mocha flavor. I use just two teaspoons and the flavor is unreal. If you can’t find espresso powder in stores, you can use instant coffee instead. You’d need a little more instant coffee since it isn’t as strong or rich as espresso powder. I find espresso powder at my regular grocery store, but you can also find it online. I don’t recommend using ground coffee because it’s not as flavorful as espresso powder or instant coffee, both of which have super concentrated flavor.
Peppermint extract is another power player here. Always be careful when using peppermint extract! It’s very potent—a little goes a very long way. And just like when you make peppermint snowball cookies, make sure you are using peppermint extract, not mint extract. The latter tastes like spearmint toothpaste. It’s not good.
Everything You’ll Love About Peppermint Mocha Cookies
As if you need more reasons to bake these cookies:
- They’re super chocolatey and taste like brownies. Sometimes I add mini chocolate chips to the cookie dough for extreme chocolate flavor.
- You’ll love the combination of white chocolate + regular chocolate.
- They’re totally festive and stand out on holiday cookie trays.
- The bites with the white chocolate and candy cane crush are the best. The candy canes add a soft crunch—perfect if you love texture like me!
- Peppermint + mocha = perfection. (It’s a winning combo in these peppermint mocha cupcakes, too!)
Whenever I go to a cookie exchange I always make these cookies; they’re really unique and everyone goes wild for them! They add beautiful variety on a platter next to sugar cookies, peanut butter blossoms, and spritz cookies. Or if you prefer frosting on top of your cookies, you’ll love these peppermint frosted chocolate cookies.
And if you need even more holiday baking inspiration, here are 75+ Christmas cookies with all my best success guides & tips.
Print
Peppermint Mocha Cookies
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes (includes setting)
- Yield: 20-22 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These peppermint mocha cookies will be the star of your holiday cookie tray and cookie exchanges! The candy cane crunch and white chocolate put them over the top!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (51g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder or 1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1Â cup (180g) mini or regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3 large candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined and then beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be thick and very sticky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
- Scoop and roll dough, 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, into balls. A medium cookie scoop is helpful for this step. To ensure a thicker cookie, make the balls taller than they are wide (almost like a cylinder or column). Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheets. The cookie dough is certainly sticky, so wipe your hands clean after every few balls of dough you shape.
- Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool.Â
- Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. For the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each completely cooled cookie halfway into the white chocolate and place onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate. Repeat with the rest of the cooled cookies. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to help the chocolate set, about 1 hour.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Baked cookies (without white chocolate and candy cane) freeze well for up to three months. Decorate after they thaw. Cookie dough balls freeze well for up to three months. Bake from frozen, no need to thaw—just add an extra minute or two to the bake time. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Medium Cookie Scoop | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler (optional for melting chocolate)Â
- Chill Cookie Dough:Â Make sure you chill the cookie dough for at least 3 hours. Chilling helps the flavors develop, prevent spreading, and makes the otherwise sticky cookie dough easy to handle.
- Larger Batch: The recipe is easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming your mixer. Simply double all of the ingredients. Dough chill time remains the same.
I noticed that you say that this is based off of the double chocolate chip cookie recipe, but that recipe calls for 1 tbsp of milk. Why doesn’t this recipe need the milk? I’ve made it twice now (once as written, once with a couple of customizations) and love the brownie-like quality of these cookies. I’m just curious why one recipe needs milk and this one doesn’t. The 1 tsp of peppermint extract is the only other liquid that this recipe calls for that the double chocolate one does not. Thanks!
Hi Shan, the milk in those cookies helps initiate just a little more spread. You can use it here if desired for a slightly flatter cookie. Hope this helps!
These were addictive! I think next time I make them (because I *will* make them again), I’ll drizzle the white chocolate on top instead of dipping. A bit less messy that way. I used 1 tbsp instant espresso.
AMAZING! LOVE, LOVE this!
Do you think it would be okay to leave out the espresso?
Hi Michelle! You can, though you will not have the mocha flavor.
Do you think i could omit the chocolate chips and use a peppermint kiss in the middle?
Hi Ashley! Yes, we’ve tried that before and it works great.
Can I use instant espresso ? Same measurement?
Hi Deb, yes! That will work just fine.
Im excited to try this recipe! Do I need to make any adjustments for high altitude?
Hi Elvia, I wish we could help, but have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
They actually turned out just like the picture! My husband said these are the best chocolate cookies he has ever had – which is saying something. I was very generous with the white chocolate and candy canes so ended up using more than what is called for but that is a personal choice. Everything else I followed exactly.
These are amazing , I made them today, great recipe, thank you for sharing. This is a staple cookie on my Christmas baking list.
Hi! I love every recipe of yours I try. I had a lot of cracking in my cookies with baking. Any idea why and any tips to avoid?
Hi Bee! Does the dough seem dry? How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post. Also make sure not to over-bake.
OK, I think this is what I’m making for a cookie swap party this weekend!! Even though I’m not a food blogger (I’m a home blogger) everyone expects me to make the most amazing cookie AND bring a handmade swap gift every year..the pressure is on Sally!!
In the comments you mentioned you sometimes add mini chips to intensify the chocolate flavor. How much do you add?
Hi Jen, you can add 1 cup (180g) mini or regular size semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I love this cookie so much! Delicious! But do you know roughly how many calories would be in one cookie? Thank you!
Hi Stephanie! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
What kind of white chocolate did you use? And how did you melt it? I have such a hard time melting white chocolate for dipping, but I really want to make these cookies.
Hi Jenny, Bakers or Ghirardelli bars. Both sold in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips. Do not use chocolate chips when dipping. They’re unbelievably hard to work with.
i like to use almond bark. super easy to melt and tastes great
I’ve made these three years in a row and they never disappoint! Delicious and festive!
For how long can these cookies be stored in an airtight container after baking?
Hi Catherine! Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Wonderful recipe! I know you stated that they taste like brownies, but if I wanted to make them as actual brownies would there be any modifications I need to make?
Hi Tullsters! You can try baking this recipe as cookie bars/brownies in a 9×9 inch baking pan. Let us know if you give it a try.
love! cookies crumbled a bit when dipping in white chocolate, so there was one casualty that luckily I was able to eat. Very delicious and got lots of compliments!
Can you make these without the coffee?
Hi Carol, absolutely, you can omit the espresso powder if desired.
This recipe sounds delicious! Am I able to make these ahead to freeze them? How would you recommend I do that?
Hi Melissa, you absolutely can! See the recipe notes for make ahead and freezing instructions.
I’m wondering if the coffee be left out of this recipe? Can it be completely left out or substituted?
Hi Angela, the espresso powder is what gives them their mocha flavor, but you can certainly leave it out if you just want a chocolate and peppermint cookie!
I’m not much of a peppermint person but love using peppermint as decoration on desserts for the holidays. I didn’t use the peppermint extract and just used more vanilla instead. They were so delicious! These cookies were so beautiful in the cookie boxes I gave out as gifts! <3
BEST COOKIES! My family and I are completely obsessed. SO many compliments at Christmas. The softest, best tasting cookies ever…like thin mint flavor, but soooo soft and chewy..omg, don’t miss giving this a try. I’m about to make them again without peppermint extract, and using PB chips to make a choc PB variation!