These soft and delicious chocolate peppermint cookies are dipped in fudge for a classic Christmas cookie recipe you’ll make year after year!

It’s cookie exchange day, friends! Every year my blogger besties and I host a virtual cookie exchange, going so far as referring to ourselves as the Christmas Cookie Squad.

In short, below I’ve linked up every single Christmas cookie recipe you could possibly want this season, perfect for entertaining or gifting. I’m jumping into the game with these fudge dipped double chocolate peppermint cookies!

These chocolate peppermint cookies are melt in your mouth good and worth the tiny bit of effort it takes to crush up some candy canes! The result is a decadent, chewy cookie that’s still somehow not overly sweet.

How can a fudge dipped cookie not be overly sweet, you ask? It’s all about using dark chocolate morsels to make the ganache!

Ingredients for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

• Unsalted butter – While all good cookies have a speck of salt for balance, I prefer unsalted butter when baking. Different brands of butter contain more or less salt, so you have more control by using unsalted butter and then adding a bit of salt that you can measure for yourself.
• Sugar – Simple granulated sugar is creamed with butter and eggs.
• Brown sugar – Light or brown sugar works for this recipe, but I generally have light brown sugar on hand at all times so that’s typically what I use.
• Eggs – Use large eggs and set them out to allow them to come to room temperature before making your chocolate peppermint cookie dough.
• Peppermint extract – Of course, you need peppermint! Peppermint extract lends a minty flavor to these cookies.
• Vanilla extract – Alternately you could use fresh vanilla bean or vanilla paste for these cookies.
• Flour – Basic all purpose flour, gently sifted, are what we use for this chocolate cookie recipe.
• Cocoa powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder lends the chocolate flavor to this recipe.
• Baking soda – Many cookies use baking powder, but here I use baking soda.
• Salt – As noted above, I always add a tiny touch of salt to all cookies. It makes such a difference!
• Mini chocolate chips – Yup, these chocolate cookies also have mini chocolate chips inside. So good!
• Dark chocolate morsels – Simple dark chocolate morsels create a beautifully rich ganache perfect for dipping.
• Heavy cream – The second ingredient in my easy two-ingredient ganache recipe is heavy cream. Do not use half and half!
• Candy canes – You’ll need candy canes or another classic red and white peppermint candy for crushing and sprinkling over the cookies.

Do I Have to Chill The Dough?

This recipe is pretty straight forward, but make sure to leave time to chill the dough! The texture of these cookies totally depend on that time in the fridge.

If it’s easier, chill the dough overnight and then bake the cookies off in the morning. Or you can prep the dough over your morning coffee and bake when you’re home for work, whatever works best for you!

The result is a picture perfect cookie your friends will beg for every year. Seriously. These cookies are so so good.

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

If you want to prep these cookies in advance, you can totally freeze them! Freeze in an airtight container, then allow them to come to room temperature on the counter when you’re ready for them.

That said, I suggest making the ganache and dipping the cookies once they’ve thawed as opposed to dipping them and then freezing them. The ganache will likely melt when thawing, making one big mess.

How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

1. Cream together the butter and sugars
2. Add eggs, vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat
3. In a second bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until combined
5. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix – the dough will be thick and sticky
6. Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight
7. Remove and allow to warm slightly, 20 to 30 minutes
8. Use a cookie scoop to form dough balls and place on a baking sheet roughly 2″ apart
9. Bake at 350° for 8 to 9 minutes
10. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes before dipping

How to Make Fudge Ganache

1. Place dark chocolate morsels in a heat safe mixing bowl
2. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot and just barely boiling
3. Carefully remove heavy cream from the stove and pour over chocolate. Let sit for 3 – 4 minutes without stirring.
4. Whisk together heavy cream and chocolate until silky and smooth.

How to Assemble Fudge Dipped Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

1. Dip cooled cookies in fudge ganache
2. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the ganache
3. Refrigerate for 5 – 10 minutes to help ganache set

These are the cookies that are perfect for gifting your co-workers, bringing to the family Christmas party or packaging up to give your postal worker or UPS and Fedex drivers!

You can download cute [and free!] printables to go along with them here, here or here! Keep scrolling for the recipe and all the cookie exchange recipe links, too!

Christmas Cookie Squad Cookie Exchange

Latte Joy Espresso Cookies from Julie Blanner
Classic Frosted Cutout Sugar Cookies from Freutcake
Mini Gingerbread Alphabet Cookies from Lovely Indeed
Gingerbread Egg Nog Cookie Sandwiches from Paper & Stitch
Christmas Sprinkle Cookie Cups from Inspired By Charm
Iced Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies from Pizzazzerie
Chocolate Linzer Cookies from The Effortless Chic
Mac Hack: Decorating Store-bought Macarons For The Holidays  from Proper
How to Make Holiday Wreath Meringue Macarons from Sugar & Cloth

Fudge Dipped Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Yield: 36

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These soft and delicious chocolate peppermint cookies are dipped in fudge for a classic Christmas cookie recipe you’ll make year after year!

Print

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon peppermint extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups mini milk chocolate chips

For the Fudge Ganache

• 8 oz dark chocolate morsels
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 large candy canes, crushed

Instructions

For the Cookies

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until creamy
2. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until creamy and fluffy
3. Add in eggs, vanilla and peppermint extracts and beat on high until combine
4. In a second mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
5. With the mixer on slow, gradually add dry ingredients into the wet ingredients
6. Add the chocolate chips on high speed, resulting in a thick, slightly sticky dough
7. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for 3 - 4 hours, or overnight
8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°
9. Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to warm slightly to room temperature, 20 - 30 minutes
10. Use a cookie scoop to scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1.5" in size
11. Place on a baking sheet about 2" apart
12. Bake for 8 - 9 minutes (cookies will be slightly puffy when they're done)
13. Allow cookies to cool five minutes before dipping in the fudge

For the Fudge Ganache

1. Place dark chocolate morsels in a heat safe mixing bowl.
2. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until hot and just barely boiling.
3. Carefully remove heavy cream from the stove and pour over chocolate. Let sit for 3 - 4 minutes without stirring.
4. Whisk together heavy cream and chocolate until silky and smooth.
5. Add brandy or liqueur (if using) and whisk again until combined well.
6. Use right away or refrigerate. Ganache will thicken as it cools to room temperature.

To Assemble

1. Dip cooled cookies in fudge ganache
2. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the ganache
3. Refrigerate for 5 - 10 minutes to help ganache set

[Art direction by Cyd Converse | Photos byAlice G. Patterson.]