Bring something fun and irresistible at your next holiday cookie exchange and bake up these peppermint chocolate sandwich cookies. They are bursting with peppermint frosting and studded with peppermint candies.
Every year for the holidays I bake like a fiend and give away sweet goodies to teachers, my friends and my family. I usually make about a dozen different recipes from cookies, cakes and bars. Yeah, I’m nuts.
Sure, I could just go shopping and buy something and give it as a gift, but I have found that homemade gifts are appreciated a lot more than store-bought.
And it doesn’t have to be just sweet treats either. It can be anything, spice mixes, soaps, hand balms, liqueur… But I do enjoy baking and cooking for my family. And today I’m highlighting one family favorite cookie for the holidays. These chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies!
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Why this recipe is so awesome
One of my favorite flavors for December is the chocolate peppermint combo. They really are made for each other. I have made a chocolate peppermint mug cake and even chocolate peppermint unicorn cake.
Have you ever tried those peppermint Joe’s Joe’s from Trader Joe’s? They are available in December and are very addicting. Well these chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies are like Joe’s Joe’s on steroids!
Two chocolate cookies schmeared with peppermint frosting in between and rolled in oodles of crushed peppermints. These cookies are not only festive for the holidays, but pretty delicious.
Ingredients you need
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- Unsweetened cocoa powder: You can use regular or dark cocoa powder. Do not use Dutch processed.
- Pantry Staples: All purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter: Butter is used for the cookie dough as well as for the frosting filling.
- Egg
- Powdered sugar: Granulated sugar is used for baking while powdered sugar is preferred for frosting as it blends in more easily with no grittiness.
- Peppermint extract: If you want regular vanilla filling, then substitute with vanilla extract.
- Peppermint candies: You are going to roll the assembled sandwich cookies in crushed peppermints. You can use red or green, and you can also use candy canes.
- Red food coloring (optional): If you want the filling to be pink, then add a drop of red food coloring. You can alter the color for any holiday you are baking for, or omit altogether.
Step-by-step directions
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- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix butter with granulated sugar until creamed and light yellow in color. Mix egg into the butter mixture.
- Add dry ingredients. Over low speed, gradually add flour mixture in two batches until incorporated. Do not over mix as this will create a tough cookie.
- Chill. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
- Roll and flatten. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Using your hand or a glass, flatten ball to 2-inch rounds. The edges will crack and that’s perfectly fine.
- Bake and cool. Bake cookies at 350ºF until cookies they no longer look wet, about 11 minutes. Do not over bake! Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes after removal from oven and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make frosting. To making the peppermint frosting, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix butter with powdered sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add peppermint extract and food coloring (if desired).
- Crush peppermints. Place peppermints or candy canes in a resealable bag and crush with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin.
- Assemble. To assemble the cookies, spread about a tablespoon of peppermint frosting on the flat side of one cookie then press second cookie over it. Roll cookie edges over crushed mints.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQS
You can bake the cookies a day before assembling. For filling options you can use red or green peppermints, or skip them altogether.
These sandwich cookies can be decorated for other holidays, too. Omit the peppermint and dye the frosting orange for halloween. You can roll the cookies in other things, too, like:
- Festive sprinkles
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts
Store in a single layer in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in a refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
If you need to get an early start on your holiday baking, freezing cookie dough is a time saver. Raw cookie dough will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Peppermint
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
Filling Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 drops red food coloring optional
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candies
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt.
- Using a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment mix ¾ cup butter with granulated sugar until creamed (light yellow in color).
- Mix in egg to the butter mixture.
- Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, and beat until incorporated.
- Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll into balls.
- Place balls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Using the bottoms of a glass or your hands, flatten each ball to 2-inch rounds. Edges will crack.
- Bake until cookies no longer look wet, about 11 minutes. Do not over bake!
- Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes after removal from oven and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- For the filling, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix ¾ cup butter with powdered sugar until creamed (light yellow in color).
- Add in peppermint extract and red food coloring.
- Beat until light pink and well blended. Add more food coloring by the drop fulls if darker pink color is desired.
- Spread 2 heaping teaspoons of filling evenly over the flat side of 1 cookie all the way to the edge.
- Top with another cookie, flat side down, pressing them gently to adhere.
- Repeat with remaining cookies and peppermint filling.
- Place crushed peppermints on a plate.
- Roll edges of cookie sandwiches into the crushed candies.
- Store in a single layer in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
So much fun with the (big) kids in the house – thanks for the great step by step instructions!
Part of me admires your devotion and talent in baking, and part of me thinks you must be out of your mind. 25 days of making cookies? You must have some happy family, friends and even just acquaintences. I've never had cookies with peppermint, but I love the colors!