Peppermint Bark Cookies are the perfect holiday cookies! Chocolate cookies dipped in white chocolate with crushed peppermint candy topping.
Peppermint Bark is an easy holiday treat that is addicting and perfect for holiday gifting. This Cookie Recipe adds the festive white chocolate and peppermint bark to the top of Chocolate Cookies. What could be better for the holidays?!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Peppermint Bark Cookies Recipe
Chocolate and candy cane cookies are perfect for bringing to a cookie swap or holiday parties. The white chocolate and peppermint topping make them look and taste very festive. Everyone is sure to love the seasonal combo of chocolate and peppermint flavors.
The chocolate cookie base is quite simple and quick to make. You prep the dough in just a few minutes, then bake for about 10 minutes and let them cool a bit. After that, all you have to do is add the melted chocolate and candy cane topping, then let them dry, and they’re done. These cookies taste so amazing you definitely want to make extra if you plan on gifting them.
Ingredients
- Butter: Make sure you give the unsalted butter a little bit of time to soften before starting the recipe. Otherwise, it won’t properly cream with the sugar.
- Cocoa Powder: To give the cookie base the delicious deep chocolate taste you’ll use ¾ cup cocoa powder. For a dark chocolate cookie, use dutch process cocoa powder.
- Espresso Powder: Adding a little espresso powder to chocolate baked goods is an easy trick to give you the most incredible chocolate flavor. The slightly bitter coffee flavor enhances the chocolate’s natural sweetness and rich taste.
- Peppermint Bark: To make the candy cane bark coating, all you need is melted white chocolate chips and peppermint candies. Crush the peppermint, so you can sprinkle it over the melted chocolate to finish the Candy Cane Bark Cookies.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Baking Sheets: You’ll need a half sheet cookie tray to bake these cookies, large enough to spread out the cookie dough balls so they aren’t touching. If you want, you can use two sheets.
- Parchment Paper: Using parchment paper on your baking sheets not only keeps your cookies from sticking to the pan but helps them bake more evenly. The baking paper creates a barrier so the heat distributes better.
- Cookie Scoop: The cookie scoop makes your cookies all the same size so they all bake the same. It also lets you shape the cookies without handling them too much so they don’t spread flat when they bake.
How to Make
Time needed: 50 minutes.
- Prepare for Baking
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients
Add the softened butter and granulated sugar to your stand mixer. Use your paddle attachment to cream butter for about 2 minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and espresso powder to the mixing bowl. Continue mixing until the wet ingredients are smooth.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients
Sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt into a separate bowl. Once you’ve sifted the dry ingredients together, add them to the butter mixture. Mix at the lowest speed until the flour mixture is just combined into the dough.
- Shape the Cookies
Spoon dough into balls with a tablespoon-sized scoop. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheet with 2 inches between each one.
- Bake the Cookies
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Stop at an 8-minute cook time for softer cookies, or add 10 minutes for a crunchier chocolate cookie base. Then let the cookies cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.
- Candy Cane Bark
Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler, stirring as you go, until melted and smooth. Then dip half of each cookie into the white chocolate. Gently scrape excess melted chocolate from the bottom, and place them on wax paper or the cooled parchment paper.
- Decorate and Serve
Sprinkle with candy cane pieces before the chocolate dries. Then let the Peppermint Bark Cookies cool completely before serving.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes! You can definitely make the Peppermint Bark Cookie dough ahead of time. Simply mix the dough as usual then wrap the dough ball up with plastic wrap and store in an airtight plastic bag. It will stay good in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. If the dough is frozen, thaw it overnight in the fridge then scoop the chilled dough as usual. You can also scoop the dough into balls first then freeze on a baking sheet, then store them in a freezer bag. When you are ready to make the cookies, bake the dough balls from frozen.
Nutritional Facts
Baking Cookies Tips & Tricks
Make these Cookies Crispy or Soft
You can make the cookies more chewy or crispy for this recipe depending on how long you bake them. However, if you want an easy trick to make sure your cookie recipe turns out chewier, you can set aside a little time to let the dough chill in the fridge. The chill time cools down the butter, so it takes longer to melt and for the cookies to spread and flatten in the oven.
Use a Cookie Scoop
The key to keeping your cookies from spreading and getting uniform, perfect cookies is to use a cookie scoop. When you shape cookies by hand, the warmth of your hands can melt the butter which will make your cookies spread.
What to Serve with Peppermint Bark Cookies
Cookie Platter: If you’re making this cookie recipe for a get-together or holiday party, then you can add it to a cookie tray with other favorite treats. Gingerbread Cookies, Brown Sugar Cookies, and Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are always crowd-pleasing options.
Drinks: This delicious Christmas treat is even better served with a mug of Peppermint Hot Chocolate. You can dip the chocolaty cookies into the creamy drink for the ultimate Christmas Eve indulgence.
How to Store
Store: Make sure you give the white chocolate enough time to harden before storing the Candy Cane Bark Cookies. To keep the cookies fresh, put them in an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also store then in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze: You can also freeze this cookie recipe for up to 6 months. Freeze them first in a single layer on a baking sheet then transfer to a container. Enjoy them straight from the fridge or thaw first before serving.
Frequent Questions
Peppermint Bark is a delicious easy candy recipe that is melted chocolate that is spread thin and topped with a layer of melted white chocolate. The whole thing is topped with crushed candy cane pieces and the chocolate sets until it’s hardened. When it is set, you break the chocolate apart in to big chunks and serve.
Cookies will spread and flatten if the butter gets too warm in the dough before you bake them. You want the butter to melt slowly while the cookies bake so they don’t spread out.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peppermint candies , crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and espresso powder until smooth.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on the lowest speed setting until just combined.
- Add a heaping tablespoon of rolled cookie dough per cookie to the sheet, 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 minutes for soft cookies or 10 minutes for crunchy cookies.
- Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.
- Melt the white chocolate chips in a double boiler gently stirring until completely melted.
- Dip half the cookies in the melted chocolate, gently scrape excess off the bottom.
- Place on wax paper or back onto the cooled parchment paper.
- Sprinkle immediately with peppermint candies.
Nutrition
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Variations
Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies: If you want the cookies to have a richer, dark chocolate flavor, you can replace the regular cocoa powder with dark chocolate cocoa powder. You can also add dark chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate to the cookie dough for an extra dose of chocolaty flavor.
Chocolate Coating: If you prefer, you could also replace the white chocolate bark coating with milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
Toppings: You can add other toppings to the melted bark besides candy canes. Try seasonal sprinkles, red cinnamon candies, or colorful chunks of gum drops for more festive additions.
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