It's hard not to get excited about holiday baking recipes! Chocolate crinkle cookies are a longstanding family favourite made better with the addition of peppermint extract. Chocolate and peppermint are such a classic winter duo — fresh yet rich, light yet decadent, and all around delicious.
Get into the spirit with some chocolate mint truffles, frosted eggnog cookies, or slightly silly Grinch cupcakes, too!
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Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chocolate: use semi-sweet or dark chocolate for this recipe (55-80% cocoa solids). We recommend using a chocolate bar or baking chocolate because chocolate chips have additives to prevent full melting. Milk or white chocolate don't have enough cocoa solids and the cookies won't crack properly.
- Peppermint: you can swap out the peppermint extract for any flavour extract you like. Orange would be good. If you want a straight up classic chocolate crinkle cookie, substitute the peppermint for vanilla extract.
- Powdered sugar: substitute the powdered (icing) sugar for regular granulated sugar or even cocoa to roll the cookie dough balls in.
- Make it dairy-free: use a good quality vegan butter in block form, like Miyoko's. The texture won't be quite the same but the cookies will still be good.
Method
Step 1: melt the butter and add the chocolate. Mix to combine.
Step 2: mix in the cocoa and sugar.
Step 3: beat in the eggs and mint extract.
Step 4: add the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
Step 5: scoop balls of the cookie dough into sugar and roll to coat.
Step 6: place the coated cookies onto a lined baking sheet.
Step 7: bake for 10-12 minutes.
Step 8: cool the cookies fully on a wire rack.
Top Tips
- Make it without a microwave: if you don't own, or don't want to use a microwave, simply melt the butter in a small pot on the stove top and transfer to a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Mix while hot: add the chopped chocolate to the butter while the butter is still hot for better melting.
- Make it with precision: we recommend using an oven thermometer to achieve accurate temperatures for baking. If your bakes aren't turning out as expected even when using weight measurements, it might be that your oven is off.
Recipe Notes
Sometimes the powdered sugar stays perfectly white on the outside of the cookies, and sometimes it gets absorbed into the cookies. If you're not afraid of a little added sugar, try rolling the cookie dough balls in regular white granulated sugar before you roll them in powdered sugar to help prevent this!
You can make smaller or even larger cookies if you want, but the baking times will change. This recipe has been tested using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop which produces about 16 cookies between 32-37 grams each.
Use a handheld mixer or stand mixer if you don't want to make cookies by hand. Be careful not to over-mix when adding the dry ingredients in that case, though – for that we do still recommend mixing carefully by hand.
The main key to success is to make sure you have a good coating of powdered sugar on the cookie dough balls before you bake them. The bright white sugar emphasizes the cracks on the cookies, giving this holiday darling its traditional crinkled look.
How To Store Crinkle Cookies
Storage: keep cookies in a sealed container for up to a week at room temperature.
Freezing: once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container and freeze for up to a month.
FAQ
Can I use essential oil instead of peppermint extract?
No. Essential oils are not meant to be used in baking or cooking and are highly concentrated. Look for peppermint extract in the baking section of a grocery store.
What makes crinkle cookies crinkle?
The crinkle look comes from the cookies being rolled in sugar before baking. The added chocolate in the dough makes the cookie spread and crack in a way that exposes the chocolate interior during baking.
Why won't my cookies crinkle?
If your cookies didn't get the crinkle effect, it's likely due to using the wrong chocolate or reducing the amounts of sugar or butter. This is a recipe that needs to be followed carefully for perfect results.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
If you make this Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookie recipe or any other cookie recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl must be microwave safe
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Wire rack
- Fine mesh sieve
- Shallow bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
Ingredients
- â…“ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate not chips
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat the butter on medium power until it is fully melted. Add the chopped chocolate to the melted butter and stir. If the chocolate does not melt after stirring, reheat the entire bowl for 10-15 seconds.
- Add the sugar and cocoa to the bowl. Whisk smooth. Add the eggs and peppermint extract, and again, whisk until smooth.
- Sift the flour into the bowl of chocolate and add the baking powder and salt. Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and fold the wet and dry ingredients together until the flour is just mixed in.
- Sift the powdered sugar into a separate shallow bowl. Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the cookie dough directly into the powdered sugar.
- Use a spoon to roll the scoops of dough around in the sugar until they are well coated on the outside. Use your hands to quickly and gently roll the dough portions into balls. Re-dip any bare spots of chocolate into the sugar. Place 12 of the dough balls, evenly spaced apart, on the prepared baking sheet.
- Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove the baking tray from the oven and transfer the sheet to a wire cooling rack. Leave the cookies on the sheet to cool before serving or storing.