Peppermint Sugar Cookies are loaded with crushed candy canes and white chocolate chips! These cookies make gorgeous Christmas cookies, AND they are easy!
No rolling, cutting cookies out, and no frosting! If you’re in a hurry this is your kind of cookie recipe!
This post was originally published in 2015. It was updated in 2020 to include new images and more tips! It’s the same cookie recipe.
Sugar cookies with peppermint are Santa’s favorite!
You guys I just don’t have time to mess around with intense recipes during the holidays, but I still want to make fun Christmas cookies for my family.
If you haven’t tried “drop” sugar cookies you’re missing out! These cookies are so soft and have all the flavor of classic sugar cookies without the time commitment.
They’re a cross between peppermint bark and sugar cookies!
YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS RECIPE…
- It’s made with simple ingredients.
- Quick…no chilling time.
- These cookies are easy to make with my simple instructions.
- If you want a new Christmas cookie this is it! It’s close enough to a classic to still be traditional, but different enough to be new and exciting!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED…
- Granulated Sugar
- Butter – use real salted or unsalted
- Whole eggs
- Peppermint Extract – in the spice section of the grocery store
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder, baking soda, salt, cream of tarter
- White chocolate chips, OR Andes Peppermint Chips
- Candy canes. OR Andes Peppermint Chips
HOW TO MAKE PEPPERMINT COOKIES RECIPE:
STEP 1: Cream butter and sugar.
STEP 2: Add eggs and extract. Cream.
STEP 3: Add dry ingredients. Mix.
STEP 4: Add vanilla chocolate chips and candy canes.
STEP 5: Shape into balls. Roll in crushed candy canes.
STEP 6: Bake.
Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: Rolling the cookies in crushed candy canes is optional. It does make them extra pretty on the top though! Gently press the top of each cookie into candy cane crumbs.
COOKIE BAKING PRO TIPS…
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Crush candy canes in a blender or food processor. If you don’t have either, you can add them to a heavy sealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin or a hammer. Sometimes crushed peppermint candies are available in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
- Andes Peppermint Chips can be substituted for both the candy canes and the white chocolate chips.
- For a less “minty” cookie reduce or omit peppermint extract. The candy canes will still give it a subtle peppermint flavor.
- To make Peppermint Bark Sugar Cookies drizzle cookies with melted milk or semi-sweet chocolate.
- This recipe doesn’t require chilling, however, if you want a thicker cookie chill the dough before baking. Increase the baking time by 2-3 minutes.
FAQs ABOUT SUGAR COOKIES…
Yes! Mix the cookie dough and shape it into cookie dough balls. Set on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and store in a freezer sealable bag. To bake cookies remove dough from the freezer. Set it on a baking sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake as directed.
Using butter that is too soft will allow the cookies to spread too much while baking. Try refrigerating the cookie dough for an hour or two then baking. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of flour to prevent overspreading.
Since these sugar cookies don’t have icing store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep the cookies soft.
MORE EASY CHRISTMAS DESSERTS…
- Mint Sugar Cookies – green cookies with chocolate chips
- Christmas Crack – the BEST 20-minute candy recipe
- Graham Cracker Toffee Bark – a microwave candy recipe
- Peppermint Cupcakes – cake mix cupcakes with a cream cheese filling
- Coconut Sugar Cookies – sugar cookie bars
- Microwave Caramel – the most amazing caramel…and EASY!
White Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preaheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar for about three minutes. It should be fluffy.
- Add eggs and peppermint extract. Cream for another 2-3 minutes.
- Measure dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture. Mix until just combined.
- Add chocolate chips and most of the crushed candy canes. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of crushed candy canes to dip the cookies in.
- Make cookies using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll cookies to make them smooth if you like or leave them the way they are. Dip tops of cookie dough balls in the remaining crushed candy canes. Place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes then remove to wire cooling rack.
I had to try these right away, and they are truly delicious! I couldn’t find the Andes chips, but my local bulk store had some minty white chips with red and green nonpareils attached! They taste fantastic, but mine didn’t spread and crackle like yours did. I used half butter and half margarine as I didn’t want to make a trip out for more butter (lazy me!) – could that have caused the difference in appearance, do you think? Thanks for sharing this cheery holiday recipe!
Different kinds of oils (butter, margarine, and shortening) will definitely make a difference in the way the cookies look. Since I live on a dairy farm I almost exclusively use real butter. No immitations around here! I think it is the healthiest choice, and the best tasting too! Regardless of which you choose they should still be yummy!
I tried this recipe today and they are delicious! Mine did not crackle for some reason, but it is very possible that I made an error since I made them with my three boys underfoot. 🙂 Even without the crackle, they are tasty. Thank you!
Oh my heavens, I can so relate…I have three boys too! I’m not sure what would cause them to not crackle, but at least they tasted good, and you got to spend time with your boys! Love it!
I’m not sure of the Andes peppermint chips you used. Could you provide a link or a screenshot of exactly the variety you used? I’m seeing Andes (hard, crunchy like broken up candy canes) peppermint pieces and I’m seeing Andes Peppermint Crunch (flat candies that are kinda like the white version of the original & individually wrapped). I can’t tell from the photo which you used and am not finding a product w/ the specific name you give when I do a Google search. I’m wanting to make these this Sat to add to my goodie tins for my kid’s teachers, etc. Thank you!!
I haven’t been able to find them in my grocery store this year either. Last year when I posted this cookie recipe I found them in the baking isle, near the chocolate chips. Here is a link to amazon, although I think they are super overpriced. https://www.amazon.com/ANDES-Peppermint-Crunch-Baking-Chips/dp/B00551WO6C/ref=sr_1_4_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1481988514&sr=8-4&keywords=andes+mints+baking+chips
These look wonderful. When do you add the cream of tartar or is that a mistake. Thanks:)
I add it with the other dry ingredients in step 3. Hope that helps! Merry Christmas!
Want to make these tomorrow for a New Year’s Party to accompany some fancy hot chocolate!! I do not have the Andes. Can I use crushed candy canes? instead? Leave out the white choco chips? We are drinking the chocolate! 🙂
Crushed candy canes would be a fantastic choice! Enjoy your New Years party!
Do you think that you could make these as a bar cookie? If so, how long do you think you would bake them?
Yes! Making these into a bar cookie would save lots of time! I like that! You would need to adjust cooking time depending on what size pan you use. Since I haven’t tried it before I can’t say exactly how long to cook them but if I was experimenting with it I think I would put the cookies in a half sheet baking pan. I’m guessing it would take about 20 minutes to bake them in that size pan. I’d set the timer for 15 and keep checking from there! Let me know how it goes!
These were fantastic! I made them for my roommates, and they made the house smell amazing. I added quite a bit more peppermint extract as I like mine quite minty. Thanks for the recipe, and have a merry Christmas!
I can imagine that wonderful smell right now! How lucky are your roommates to have you! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Merry Christmas to you too!
I just baked these and they are SO good. I bought cream of tartar months ago thinking I’d need it for a recipe and finally! I’m writing this one down on a recipe card for sure.
Yay! It’s a good thing you grabbed that cream of tarter! Glad you enjoyed them!
These worked great! I actually used the ghiradelle chips because that’s what I had but they were delicious!
You can’t go wrong with Ghiridelle chips! Sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed them!
Just made a batch!! OMG – delish!!! Making more of these for sure!
Yay! I’m glad you love them! Merry Christmas!