My White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are famous. Crushed candy canes and white chocolate chips combine for the best Christmas cookie!
I’ll try and give the short version as to why these cookies are famous. I know you want to get to the recipe! My recipe for Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookies has been called “mind-blowing”. Everyone who tries them are hooked and raves about them.
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Most recently, I baked 28 dozen cookies over a four week period for my son’s football team. I think of them as good luck now. My son’s team went on an unforgettable playoff run to make it to the regional final game (Ohio, Division 2) for the first time since 2008. It was his Senior season. He was their starting Center. It was incredibly fun and an experience that he (and me) will cherish forever.
Anyway, that’s 336 cookies that I recently baked. This recipe is the exact same as that recipe. Except that instead of peanut butter and chocolate chips, these contain white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes. And I recently changed them up even further. You can bake them with one cup of white chocolate chips and one cup of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead. And if you like nuts, chopped Macadamia nuts would be a great addition to them too. However you choose to make them, I promise you will love these cookies!
Ingredients for white chocolate peppermint cookies
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour.
- Butter – Make sure to soften your butter before you start making the dough. I usually use the soften setting on my microwave to do this.
- Light Brown Sugar – Be sure and pack it down into the measuring cup.
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg – Use one large egg. Try to remember to get it out of the refrigerator a few minutes before you start making the dough.
- Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt
- Peppermint Extract – Helps to enhance the peppermint flavor of the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract
- White Chocolate Chips – I always use Ghirardelli brand. I have not personally tested another brand. Please let me know your experience in the comments if you bake these with a different brand of white chocolate chip.
- Candy Canes – I have tested both and I prefer using candy canes instead of peppermint candies.
How to make peppermint white chocolate cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Crush the candy canes and put them into a small bowl.
- Using a stand mixture, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. If you don’t own a stand mixer, use a hand mixer and large mixing bowl.
- Add the egg and extracts and beat again until combined.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda and salt.
- Add the flour mixture and the white chocolate chips. Mix on low speed for about a minute until the dough is smooth and well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to form 24 cookie balls.
- Dip the top halves of the cookies lightly into the crushed candy canes.
- Place the cookies, peppermint side up, onto cookie sheets lined with either silicone baking mats or parchment paper, 12 cookies per sheet.
- Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.
Pro Tips
- You can easily double or triple this recipe.
- Be sure and rotate your baking pans halfway through baking time. Front to back and top to bottom if you are baking two pans of cookies at a time.
- Here are some great methods for softening your butter quickly.
- The cookies will look a bit underdone when you take them out of the oven. They will set up as they cool on the cookie sheets.
- Make sure to double bag your candy canes in Ziploc bags. Then use a hammer to gently crush them into tiny pieces. You can use a rolling pin if you don’t have a small hammer.
Storage Directions
Keep these cookies in a cookie tin or other type of air tight container on your counter for a few days. These also freeze well. Place them in layers in an airtight container. Be sure and separate the layer with sheets of wax paper. They will stay fresh in the freezer for up to one month.
Kitchen Tools
I have been baking cookies for many years. These are my favorite, time-tested tools…
- Nordic Ware Commercial Half Sheet Pans
- Silpat Silicone Baking Mats
- OXO Medium Cookie Scoop
- Chopnotch Measuring Cups and Spoons
- OXO Bent Icing Spatula (for leveling off flour and sugar)
- OXO Cookie Spatula
More Christmas Cookie recipes
White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups white chocolate chips I use Ghirardelli brand
- 8 miniature candy canes crushed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the butter, sugar and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low until combined and then beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Beat in the egg, peppermint and vanilla extracts until light and fluffy.
- In a separate clean bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Stop the mixer and add the flour mixture and the white chocolate chips. Mix on low speed until a cohesive cookie dough forms, about 1 minute.
- Use a medium size cookie scoop (about 1 1/2 tablespoons capacity) to form 24 cookie dough balls. Lightly dip the top half of each cookie dough ball into the crushed candy cane pieces. Place the cookies, candy cane side up, on baking sheets lined with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper (12 cookies per baking sheet).
- Bake the cookies for 10 - 12 minutes. I rotate the pans front to back and top rack to bottom rack halfway through baking time.
- The cookies should look a bit underdone when you take them out of the oven. They will set up as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 15 minutes, or until they've firmed up. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool to room temperature.
- Cookies are best eaten within a day or two. If you'd like to freeze the cookies, layer them into an airtight container, separating the layers by sheets of wax paper. They will stay fresh in the freezer for up to one month.
Notes
Nutrition
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Amy Nash says
Good call on the peppermint and white chocolate combo! It’s one of my absolute favorites and I just want to reach into the screen and nab one of these delicious looking cookies!
Laura says
They look amazing and I do love white chocolate. I am actually not a fun of peppermint candy. Never mind, I will make them anyway, they look deliciouse
Marvellina | What To Cook Today says
These will be gone FAST at our house!!!!
Andrea @ The Petite cook says
YUM! Love the white chocolate & peppermint combo, Im sure these cookies taste amazing as they look!
Jenn says
My husband eats peppermint candies like they’re his lifeline. He would LOVE these!
Cathy says
How many peppermint candies does it take to make that half cup. I’m assuming just a few, but I want to make a triple batch. They look amazing!
foodtasticmom says
So sorry for the late reply on this. I think it took me about 20 of the starlight mints (round peppermint candies).
Deborah Johnson says
Wanted to make these for Christmas gifts,but am hesitant because of your comment that they are best eaten in 1-2 days. Usually cookies are good to eat for several days or more. What are your thoughts?
foodtasticmom says
It’s really a personal preference. As in I’m super picky about my cookie texture, LOL They do freeze well, so you could freeze them and then take them out before gifting. These are fine for a few days, I just personally prefer the taste after just a day or two. Hope that helps!
Mary says
What a fun Christmas cookie!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you Mary!
Emily Hill says
These are perfect for holiday cookie platters and neighbor plates. Totally pinning this recipe!
foodtasticmom says
Thanks so much for the Pin. I appreciate it!
Natalie says
I love white chocolate and peppermint together! These cookies would be perfect for Christmas!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you Natalie!
Valentina says
Peppermint is one of the best inventions of all time! I adore it in my cookies (and ice cream!) during the holiday season. These are lovely, and I could eat them by the dozen. 🙂
foodtasticmom says
I agree, love peppermint during the holiday season!
Tisha says
These cookies scream Christmas!!! Adding them to my holiday treat list!
foodtasticmom says
Totally agree and thank you!
Marty says
Could Ghirardelli peppermint chips be subbed for the white chocolate chips and crushed candy?
Linda Erlenbusch says
I made these and they turned out horrible! They spread all over the baking sheet. I realized it says 1 1/4 cup flour. That maybe should be 2 1/4?? If I try these again, I will add an extra cup of flour. The color of mine were not as pristine white as the pic shows. I wondered tight away w the brown sugar in there. They do taste good though.
foodtasticmom says
I’m really sorry this recipe didn’t work for you Linda. I’m not sure what the problem was. It’s definitely not 2 1/4 cups flour. This is the same recipe I have made for years (as a chocolate chip cookie). I simply cut the amount of salt (only by 1/2 teaspoon) and used white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips. See the original recipe here (https://www.foodtasticmom.com/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/). Maybe your baking powder was inactive? Maybe I pack my flour down more in my measuring cups? I try not to though. I scoop out from my container and then lightly level with a knife. Maybe the butter was too soft? Lots of things can go wrong, but in general this recipe is very consistent for me. Again, I’m sorry these didn’t work for you!
Debbie says
These turned out absolutely perfect!!! Used my Kitchen Aid to mix everything up according to directions and baking time. Topped them with Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips after 11mins baking and returned them to the oven for one min more for beautiful, tasty holiday cookies! Will definitely use this recipe again.
foodtasticmom says
Love the tip about Andes Peppermint Crunch. These cookies are on my list to remake (again) and test various ways they might be not working for my readers. Thank you so much for the positive rating. I’m going to find some Andes Peppermint Crunch!
Suzanne says
My Peppermint melted. lol They still tasted ok. I switched from the hard peppermint candies to Andes peppermint pieces and they didn’t melt.
foodtasticmom says
So interesting! Glad to hear the substitution worked for you. I’ll have to look for those…
Kathy says
I made these last night but my peppermints melted they still tasted good but looked aweful plus the cookie didn’t stay puffy can you help me with this I would love to make them for Christmas
Thanks
foodtasticmom says
Ovens can run hot. Maybe lower the temperature by 25 degrees. Plus make sure to cream together the butter and sugars with the salt, baking powder and baking soda until very pale and fluffy. Maybe longer than a minute. Plus be sure your baking powder is fresh. Those are the tips I have. Hopefully they help!
Susan says
So delicious!
foodtasticmom says
Yay! Thank you!
Jenna says
These were awesome! I didn’t have enough peppermint on hand (I went with crushed candy canes) so I added 1 tsp of peppermint extract. So tasty!
foodtasticmom says
Great, thank you for the positive review!
Deseree says
These were a great success at my work. Even the pickiest people surprisingly loved these cookies. I followed the recipe but was wondering if i used salted butter instead of unsalted, would that effect them at all?
foodtasticmom says
I personally like a little extra salty flavor in my cookies, so I don’t think so.
Barb says
Excellent!! I doubled the batch thank goodness as I didn’t pay attention to not over cooking these cookies. After that they were excellent and my husband loves them, too!
foodtasticmom says
Thank you for the positive review!
Simone Foley says
OMG these cookies were amazing and I will be making more. Very easy to make and so delicious. I always want to make something new every year for Christmas and I am so glad I found this recipe.
foodtasticmom says
I’m glad you found the recipe too and were pleased with it. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate!
Madisen says
So I don’t know what happened, the cookies tasted amazing but they flattened out and spreader out really far. Did I do something wrong?
foodtasticmom says
I have had a few comments about this. After doing some research, not enough flour might be the reason. Sometimes when you scoop and flatten with a measuring cup, the amount of flour can vary (rather than weighing it). I’m sorry this happened, but that they still tasted good. I might need to alter the recipe to include another 1/4 cup of flour. I’ll have to test it. The few times I’ve made them, I have not had the issue. Thanks for your feedback.
Lisa says
These cookies are, literally and figuratively, a HOT MESS. I am an experienced baker with cookies being my specialty. Whenever I try a new cookie recipe, I ALWAYS make the recipe as directed and make only one cookie to see how the dough responds. With this recipe, I had a big melted mess. I ended up using 2 cups of flour. And as for the crushed peppermint candy on top—melted away. The crushed candy made the cookies hard. I added 3/4 t. vanilla and 1/4 t. peppermint extract and did not use the crushed candy on the other cookies. Btw, the picture with the recipe CANNOT be the picture of these cookies. I think the picture is of bakery cookies purchased and photographed.
foodtasticmom says
I can assure you that the cookies in the photographs are NOT from a bakery. They were made by me and from this recipe posted. If you search my site I have many, numerous positive reviews. And I’ve published 800+ recipes at this point. I take pride in my work and the content that I share.
That being said, I have been having some troubling reviews on this particular recipe. But, I’ve also had a lot of success stories. I’m going to make them again – to see if I can somehow replicate the spreading or the candy melting. I’m really at a loss because I have made them a few times in the past and they always turn out.
But I promise you, I would not ever photograph something that I didn’t make myself and try to pass it off as my own. I take offense to that implication. I’m sorry these didn’t turn out for you.
Cindy says
I made these cookies last night and they were a hit. They were not as pretty as yours, but it it is the taste that matters , on that score it is a definite winner. They did spread a bit, but I put the blame on using butter that was a little too soft, which is a baker error, not a recipe error. In the end this recipe is now going to be a part of our Christmas baking fest each year. Thank you!
foodtasticmom says
I wonder if it depends on the type of peppermint candies people use? The basic recipe is foolproof for me. Maybe the ingredients in the peppermints differ enough to affect the end result of the cookies. I’ve baked this recipe a couple of times and I use the individually wrapped starlight mints. Just thinking out loud… I’m really glad you enjoyed the flavor of these cookies. And that you’ll be making them again. Thanks for taking the time to write a review!