Peppermint Brownie Cookies Recipe (2024)

By Vaughn Vreeland

Peppermint Brownie Cookies Recipe (1)

Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
5(2,871)
Notes
Read community notes

Brownies can be contentious. You may be an edge person or someone who loves middle pieces, a fudgy fanatic or a cakey purist. These cookies will please all brownie lovers, with chewy edges, tender centers and crunch from crushed peppermint candies. While any unsweetened cocoa powder will work in this recipe, Dutch-processed cocoa will make the cookies taste more chocolaty and round out their peppermint flavor. Whisking the eggs and sugars for a long time may seem fussy, but this process gives the cookie body, makes the batter easier to scoop and ensures a shiny top, the hallmark of any good brownie.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 cookies

  • 4ounces/113 grams semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (¾ cup)
  • ½cup/42 grams unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  • ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter
  • 2large eggs, at room temperature
  • ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
  • ½packed cup/107 grams dark brown sugar
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
  • teaspoons peppermint extract
  • ¾cup/90 grams all-purpose flour
  • ¼cup/41 grams crushed peppermint candy

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

265 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 150 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Peppermint Brownie Cookies Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Step

    2

    Put chocolate and ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa powder in a small heatproof bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly but not browned, and pour over the chocolate. Without stirring, let the mixture sit so the residual heat can melt the chocolate thoroughly while you whip the eggs and sugar.

  3. Step

    3

    Put the eggs, both sugars and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pillowy and the sugars have begun to dissolve, 6 to 8 minutes.

  4. Step

    4

    Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. If any solid pieces remain, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second bursts until everything is melted.

  5. Step

    5

    With the mixer on low speed, add the peppermint extract and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then add the flour and remaining ¼ cup/21 grams cocoa, and mix on low until a few streaks of flour and cocoa remain. Use the spatula to finish folding in the dry ingredients to avoid overmixing. The dough will be looser than traditional cookie dough but not as thin as brownie batter.

  6. Step

    6

    Use a ¼-cup cookie scoop or measuring cup to scoop 12 (2-ounce) balls of batter onto the prepared sheets and bake. After 10 minutes, take the sheets out of the oven and bang them once on the counter to create a craggy surface and dense texture. Sprinkle a bit of crushed peppermint candy in the center of each cookie and return to the oven for another 2 minutes.

  7. Step

    7

    Let cool completely on the baking sheets. The cookies will keep for 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Ratings

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2,871

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

mechteach

I've just made these today, and made a few small changes based on the existing comments. The resulting cookies taste great, and (mostly) look like the picture in the recipe. My suggestions:1) After step 5, take the whole mixing bowl and put it in the refrigerator (not freezer) for about 10 minutes. 2) Make 24 rather than 12 cookies (keep cook time the same).3) Don't break up your peppermint candy too much - you don't want any peppermint powder. 4) Really whack those trays on the counter.

Sara

I made the recipe as instructed but also added about a teaspoon of espresso powder to enrich the chocolate flavor. It made 16 cookies for me and they SPREAD when they bake, so space accordingly. Otherwise, this is a great cookie that came together easily and quickly.

Sherri

I almost always make several types of dough over one or 2 days, and refrigerate them all. Then all the cooking takes place on another day. Try it with cold dough.

Allie

Recipe was easy to follow and they turned out delicious. My only complaint is that the 1/4 c scoop made gigantic cookies. Obviously the photo accompanying this recipe used a different sized scoop. NYT food stylist photos are notoriously deceptive. Super annoying.

Tsh

Here's the accompanying video —it's a helpful visual: https://youtu.be/BFEgBiFIDu4

Brittany

Really enjoyed these cookies, made them a little smaller than suggested. Of note the candy cane amount works out to about 3 regular sized candy canes.

H

They didn't spread for me too much, but I made them smaller like others suggested, maybe too small. I like the espresso idea as others have suggested and I switched vanilla for peppermint because I don't like peppermint. They need the flavor boost of espresso. Added hazelnuts on top instead of peppermint because I prefer hazelnuts and had them on hand and also because my roommate eats everything I bake without asking but can't eat hazelnuts and I need to save these for a party later.

mary ann

I loathe peppermint so left out both peppermint ingredients. The result was a seriously delicious and elegant brownie! I may never make brownies as bar cookies again!

sara g.

Please start adding “divided” in your ingredient lists!

Blossom

For Sandra:I've frozen both unbaked cookie dough and already baked cookies with success.For dough, roll it into balls, then freeze the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. Then transfer the frozen balls to a bag or container for storage in the freezer. Frozen dough takes a few minutes longer to bake.You can freeze already baked cookies the same way.

Kathy

People with GF concerns may want to look at the King Arthur Flour site. Along with GF recipes they can provide guidance on substitutions. There is a phone number for calling their customer service site with questions on baking concerns. Good luck.

anonymous

I want to thank whoever made this because it actually worked😭 i’ve been looking for a good brownie recipe and my hopes were exceeded with this one. the cookies spread and overall they look and taste fantastic! if you’re on the fence about them MAKE THEM!!!!

Margy ABQ

I like more of a hint of peppermint with chocolate, so omitted the peppermint extract and added a half tsp of vanilla. I made them much smalller, about a tablespoon of batter and baked 8 minutes plus about 45 seconds back in the oven so the peppermint chips would adhere. Scrumptious two-bite treats!

David I

You should be able to substitute with an all purpose GF flour. I'm going to give that a shot.

Sarah

I made these today according to the recipe except I don't have any scoops and I ended up with about 18 smaller cookies. They were great. I wish I had read the comments and used some instant coffee in these to enhance the chocolate flavor, which I normally do. Next time, I might add a little bit of vanilla extract, too. Definitely making again this holiday season. If you want a more traditional cookie, then yeah, chill the dough, but they turned out like the photo without chilling for me.

cat

Vaughn, you have a new fan. These cookies are fantastic as written. Tip from someone who learned the hard way - f you use individually-wrapped round peppermint candies, don’t whack them with your wooden rolling pin. They are so hard that they dent the wood.

mdc

I’ve never mixed eggs and sugar by themselves for a cookie or even brownie recipe before…and ‘pillowy’ seemed vague so I mixed it for probably longer than needed (tried to ensure the sugar granules were incorporated). As another commenter recommended, you really do need to whack the cookie sheet, which was short-lived therapeutic. These went super fast at our family get-together, highly recommend.

PRA

I use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients so my measurements are correct. The batter was too thin to scoop and very sticky. I had to refrigerate more than 2 hours to form into balls. I think this is a recipe where you need to use a scoop because of the sticky batter. The cookie texture and taste is excellent, chocolatey and minty but the batter made it a hassle. I made the cookies between 35-40 grams which makes a good size. Did anyone else experience the thin batter? I didn’t overbeat it.

MKW

Following the suggestions of others, I cut down on peppermint extract and-used 1/2 tsp and 1 tsp vanilla. Added 1 tsp espresso powder. I happened to have peppermint candy bittersweet chocolate bars so used that for 1/2 the chopped chocolate. I refrigerated the batter overnight. Used a much smaller cookie scoop, but kept the baking times the same. These were delicious, the texture is wonderful. I made 6 batches over the holidays and everyone loved them!

MKW

Forgot to add that I made it GF by using Bob’s Red Mill one to one gluten free flour. No one could tell. Worked great.

Hillary

So good! My mom made these for me with gluten free flour and they are my new favorite cookie! Perfect combo of sweet, a hint of salt, peppermint and chocolate- just delicious!

Sharon

Made these vegan with egg replacer (Bob's Red Mill) and vegan butter (Miyoko's). Used Scharffen Berger Bittersweet dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet. Took the recommendations of others and reduced the peppermint extract to one-half teaspoon and added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Chilled the dough and made smaller cookies. Best vegan cookie I've ever made!

AW

These are lovely - perfect brownie consistency. I made the cookies slightly smaller (the recipe made 18 total), refrigerated the dough for 15 mins prior to baking, and kept the baking time the same. They didn’t spread too much and came out of the oven dense and fudgy. Even better at room temp the next day!

Jessica

I made these and they came out really well! I followed some suggestions made here— made 24 instead if 12. Also stuck my batter in the fridge for a little while(15 min) before scooping out and baking.

BLT9

These are excellent, but make sure the candy canes are pretty finely smashed. Large chunks of candy in such a chewy soft cookie is not a good combination of textured.

mairedodd

vaughn, you nailed it! love these - and they are now a go-to. my only changes were to use a #30 disher for scooping and refrigerate overnight. perfect bites of brownie edge with a chewy center. really really nice.

minca

These cookies were a hit. I made them with peppermint chips instead. They were still brownie-like and not overly sweet. I refrigerated the dough overnight, used my smallest cookie scoop, and added only a minute to bake time. Don’t be tempted to leave cookies in the oven if still soft as this will yield a less fudgy texture. I think this recipe will work well with a gluten free flour if needed.

tslowik

1 tsp of diamond crystal salt would make these unpalatable. I used half a teaspoon (based on other disasters and they were very, very salty. I added a little superfine sugar at the end to counteract. If I make them again I'll start with 1/4 tsp of diamond crystal salt.

Kirsten Plonner-Beatus

These were delicious! Easy to make with my 10YO daughter, but also has some complexity to the recipe. The cookies were chewy on the inside, with a slight peppermint crunch on top. A holiday keeper, for sure!

Carrie

These turned out really well! I love brownies, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise. I was not able to get the cookies to "crack" on top, but it didn't affect the look or tast.

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Peppermint Brownie Cookies Recipe (2024)

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