Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Super chocolatey and choked full of Andres Chocolate Mints, these Peppermint Mocha Cookies are sure to be a new Christmas favourite.

I’ll admit, I’m very particular when it comes to the whole, “mint chocolate” combination. I love Mint Chip ice cream (but only at the holidays), Ovation Chocolate Sticks, which are super hard to find, by the way, and I could eat my weight in Andes Chocolate Mints. I can also add these cookies to the list.

These Peppermint Mocha Cookies combine all the things I love: chocolate, coffee, Andes Chocolate Mints, and fun sprinkles! The cookies are a soft-baked chocolate cookie that are quite reminiscent of brownies, and then they’re dipped in white chocolate (my favourite is Valrhona, but whatever you can find will work), and then decked out with some festive sprinkles. I opted for a more wintery colour scheme with the sprinkles, largely because everywhere was sold out of red+green and I already had these on hand.

How to Make Soft Baked Chocolate Cookies

1. Melt the butter.  Like when making super fudgy brownies, if you melt the butter first, it helps to achieve a fudgier, chewy texture.
2. Use all Brown Sugar. Brown sugar is made by adding molasses to white sugar and therefore has more moisture in it. This helps the cookies stay moist, and chewy.
3. Add Cornstarch.  This is a handy trick I learned from one of my favourite Canadian chefs, Anna Olson. Adding cornstarch to cookies helps keep them soft and tender. You don’t need lots – just 2-3 tsp per recipe.
4. Do not over mix the dough. Overmixing the dough will incorporate air, which will make the cookies rise, but then fall after baking, and they tend to be denser and crispier. When you add your dry ingredients, try to do it in as few strokes as possible, and stop as soon as the flour is all incorporated.
5. Underbake the cookies. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but it’s best to underbake your cookies if you want them soft and chewy. I found that 7-8 minutes was more than enough time for these cookies to be perfectly underbaked.

Secret Ingredients

1. Espresso Powder:  This is my favourite secret ingredient to add to all chocolate desserts. Espresso will heighten the chocolate flavour, and give these Peppermint Mocha Cookies their distinctive coffee flavour. A little goes a long way. If you’re not aiming for a detectable coffee flavour in your chocolate desserts, just add 1-2 tsp, which is enough to bump the chocolatey flavour without being coffee-forward. You should be able to find instant espresso powder in the coffee aisle of any well-stocked grocery store (online for sure).
2. Andes Chocolate Mints: Okay, maybe these aren’t so secret, but these are what give these cookies their peppermint flavour. The peppermint in the mints was more than enough to give a distinct peppermint flavour in the cookies, so there was no need to use peppermint extract. If you don’t have, or can’t find Andes Chocolate Mints, you can use any other mint chip, or regular chocolate chips, and add 1 tsp of peppermint extract to achieve the same flavour.

Helpful Tips

1. Can I freeze the dough? Yes, absolutely you can. Make the dough, roll into balls, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Then, pop the whole sheet into the freezer.  Once the dough has frozen, place them in an airtight container and place back in the freezer.  Cookie dough is generally good in the freezer for about 3-months, although truth be told, I’ve kept my dough in the freezer for much longer and it’s still pretty good. When you’re ready to bake, let the dough thaw first on the cookie sheet you plan to bake them on.
2. Measuring Flour: Measuring using “US cups” can cause different final results for everyone based on how you’ve measured your flour. First, use a dry measuring cup. Second, give your flour a quick mix to loosen it up, then scoop it into the dry measuring cup using a spoon and do not shake the cup to level it out.  Make sure the cup is held still, and continue to scoop the flour into the cup until it’s overflowing.  Then, level it off with something flat, such as the back of a knife. Do not scoop directly into your flour bag, or pack the flour into the cup.
3. How to store cookies after baking:  I generally recommend storing your baked cookies in an airtight container on the counter for about 3-4 days. If you’re not going to eat them in this time frame, put them in an airtight container in the freezer instead.

Looking for other Holiday recipes? Check these out!

• Cranberry Bliss Cookies
• White Chocolate Lentil Shortbread Cookies
• Homemade Mint Hot Chocolate Mix
• Cuban Lunches
• Parmesan Popcorn

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

Soft baked chocolate cookies loaded with Andes Chocolate Mints and dipped in white chocolate and dressed up with festive sprinkles.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Andes Chocolate Mints, Christmas Cookies, Mint Chocolate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 cookies

Calories: 152kcal

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder not dutch-process
• 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• ¾ cup chopped Andes Chocolate Mints about 20-25 individual mints, or your favourite mint chips
• 6 oz quality white chocolate chopped
• Sprinkles

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
• Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. The butter should just barely be melted.
• Cream the melted butter and brown sugar together using a stand mixer or electric beater, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure everything is incorporated fully.
• Add the egg and beat until just barely combined, about 10 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix for about 20 seconds, then add the chopped Andes Chocolate mints, and mix on slow until just combined. You don’t want to overwork the dough, so stop mixing when you can still see just a few streaks of flour. Then mix the rest of the way by hand using a spatula or your bare hands.
• Scoop the dough into balls using a 1 ½ Tbsp ice cream/cookie scoop. Roll the balls in your hands to form nice, uniform balls.
• Place on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. I found that 7-8 minutes was perfect for me. You want to underbake the cookies so they stay soft. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Melt the white chocolate. Dip half of the cooled cookie into the white chocolate and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with your favourite festive sprinkles and allow to sit until the chocolate has hardened.

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional calculation was provided by WP Recipe Maker and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator

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