🍫 Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Classic chocolate crinkle cookies with a festive candy cane crunch!
These Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are soft, fudgy, and rolled in snowy powdered sugar, then topped with crushed candy canes for the perfect Christmas twist. They’re easy to make, beautiful on a cookie platter, and bursting with chocolate-mint flavor in every bite!
⭐ Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Rich, brownie-like centers
- Pretty crackled tops with powdered sugar
- Festive peppermint crunch from candy canes
- Perfect for cookie swaps, gifting & holiday baking
- Dough can be made ahead!
📝 Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract (optional but recommended)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For Rolling & Topping
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup finely crushed candy canes (about 5–6 canes)
- Baking sheet
- Measuring cups / spoons
- Bowl
- Whisk
- Spoon
- Wire cooling rack
- Rolling pin (for candy canes crushing)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Mix Wet Ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla and peppermint extract. - Add Dry Ingredients
Stir in cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and flour until a thick dough forms. - Chill Dough
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). This step is key! - Prep for Baking
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment. - Shape Cookies
Scoop tablespoon-sized balls. Roll first in powdered sugar, then gently press tops into crushed candy canes. - Bake
Place 2 inches apart and bake 10–12 minutes until tops crack and centers look just set. - Cool
Let cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
❄️ Tips for Perfect Crinkles
- Chill dough well so cookies don’t spread too much
- Roll generously in powdered sugar for bright cracks
- Don’t overbake — they should stay soft inside
- Crush candy canes finely so they stick better
🎄 Variations
- Extra Chocolate: Add ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- Mocha: Add 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- White Chocolate Drizzle: Drizzle cooled cookies with melted white chocolate
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
🧒 Kid-Friendly Baking Tip
Let kids help crush candy canes in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin and roll dough balls in powdered sugar—messy fun guaranteed!
More Kid-friendly recipes:
- COOKING WITH KIDS recipe Collection (a lot of kid-friendly baking / cooking activities)
- Chocolate-Dipped Candy Canes (with kid-friendly decorating section)
- Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing (with kid-friendly decorating section)
- Snowman Marshmallow Pops (kid-friendly activity)
- Edible Gift Jars (kid-friendly activity)
- Holiday Stuffed Mushrooms (kid-friendly activity)
- Chocolate Peppermint Mousse Cups (kid-friendly activity)
- Hot Cocoa Thumbprint Cookies with Marshmallow Frosting (kid-friendly activity)
- List of Santa’s Favorite Christmas Cookies
📦 Storage & Make Ahead
- Store in airtight container up to 5 days
- Freeze baked cookies up to 2 months
- Dough can be chilled up to 48 hours
❤️ Perfect for Gifting
Pack in holiday tins or cellophane bags tied with ribbon for a sweet homemade gift everyone loves.
Please leave a review, and share the recipe with friends to spread Christmas joy.
Merry Christmas!
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