A hint of peppermint adds a festive touch to these fudgy Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies. A wonderful choice for your holiday baking list.
Looking for more Christmas cookie recipes? My Italian Cookies and Chewy Iced Molasses Cookies are on my must-bake list every year!
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These Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies have Christmas written all over them. From their snowy crackled tops to the fudgy mint chocolate centers, they are sure to put you in the holiday mood. If you’re looking for an easy cookie to add to your holiday baking list, this is it!
Long, long ago I discovered the chocolate mint crinkles that Panera has in their bakery case at this time of year. I have no idea what I had for lunch that day but that fudgy, minty cookie had a lasting impact on me.
To satisfy my craving at home, I decided to add some peppermint extract to my beloved and very easy chocolate crinkle recipe. The result was one of the most perfect Christmas cookies ever.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- I love baking with cocoa powder. There is no chocolate to melt which saves time and effort and it adds an exceptionally rich chocolate flavor to baked goods like these cookies and my Classic Fudge Walnut Brownies.
- For the best result, I recommend going with pure extracts, not imitation which are flavored with artificial ingredients. Pure vanilla extract gets its flavor from vanilla beans and pure peppermint extract is made with peppermint oil.
How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cocoa, granulated sugar, and vegetable oil.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and peppermint extract.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix well. The dough will be glossy and very sticky but will be easier to manage once it has been chilled.
- Cover the bowl and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Shape: Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. You can use a small cookie scoop if you want to be sure they are uniform size but most of the time I just eyeball it. Roll them in powdered sugar in a shallow bowl to coat them well and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just set. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love
- One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Bars
- Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Cookies
- Molten Chocolate Cakes with Sugared Raspberries
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Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until well combined. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. If not using either, coat the cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Place powdered sugar into a small shallow bowl.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls (use a #40 cookie scoop or just eyeball it). Roll the balls of dough in the powdered sugar to generously coat all sides. Transfer the coated dough to the cookie sheets and place them about 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until just set. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
Adapted from Allrecipes
This post was originally published on December 11, 2011. It has been updated with new text and images.
This recipe does not work, I tried it twice thinking I made a mistake. The dough is so sticky you can’t roll it into balls, even after refrigerating overnight. They really don’t taste good either . Use a recipe that calls for butter.
The dough is very sticky but you should be able to roll it just fine. Sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you, Jennifer. These are a favorite in our house!
This recipe was great turned out beautiful and tasty
What beautiful cookies! Peppermint and chocolate are just the most perfect combination!
Hi! Can i substitute the oil with creamed butter? Thanks!
Hello Guinevere! I would not substitute the oil for butter in this particular recipe. Chocolate Crinkles have a very distinctive, chewy texture and I think that using butter could change the result.
Made these and a variation of the eggnog thumbprints and loved them both! Is it possible to freeze these chocolate crinkle cookies?
Yes I think you could freeze them but I wouldn’t leave them frozen for too long for good quality cookies. It is better to freeze the dough, portioned out, so that it is easy to bake when thawed. I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies!
What beautiful cookies! Peppermint and chocolate are just the most perfect combination!
Your crinkles look so beautiful! I love the peppermint in them too! Sounds yummy!
Feeling very hungry by looking at this, yumm!
Hi Valerie-I love your chocolate crinkles and that you added peppermint. Just delicious! I have to check out your eggnog thumbprints. They look wonderful:)
These look like chocolate heaven! I love minty chocolate treats around Christmas and I think this will definitely make it to our Christmas cookie trays!
These are so gorgeous. I must try these out for Christmas.
These are so gorgeous – love the color contrast 🙂 My wife loves all things chocolate and mint, she’d adore these cookies.
Thanks Kiri! I hope you enjoy them.