Melt-In-Your-Mouth Peppermint Cookies

These melt-in-your-mouth Peppermint Cookies are the ultimate Christmas treat! These Peppermint Sugar Cookies have a delicately sweet sugar cookie base.

They are topped with the best peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes which will have you dreaming about Christmas all year round!

Our Thanksgiving weekend was filled with family fun, decking the halls, making ornaments together, building a gingerbread village and taking long walks through our neighborhood.

Spending a rare weekend at home relaxing has given me the opportunity to reflect. Though Thanksgiving has past, I’m feeling more grateful than ever – especially for some of the friendships I’ve made over the years.

If you love peppermint as much as I do, you’ll have to check out my peppermint dessert guide! It’s filled with great recipes and detail about this delicious winter flavor.

‘Tis the Season For Peppermint

One of the flavors I look forward to during the holidays is peppermint! I love peppermint everything! A few of my favorite recipes include:

• Peppermint Ice Cream
• Salted Peppermint Bark
• Peppermint Fruit Dip
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate Bombs
• Merry Mint with Peppermint Schnapps
• Peppermint Molten Lava Cakes
• Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
• Perfectly Peppermint White Russian

The Best Holiday Cookie Recipe for a Cookie Exchange

For the cookie exchange I decided to do a new twist to one of my all-time favorite recipes – melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies. I’m dubbing pretty Peppermint Christmas Cookies as peppermint drops.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies disappear almost as quickly as they are made. I added a hint of peppermint into the creamy frosting for a festive twist and a few crushed candy canes for a little crunch and color.

Peppermint Cookies Ingredients

• Butter – Unsalted, sweet cream butter is best for all cookie recipes as this allows us to control the amount of salt that goes into the batter. Just make sure to leave out for at least one hour to come to room temperature. You will need 4 sticks for both the cookie and the buttercream.
• Vegetable Oil – The oil adds more moisture. Use any flavorless oil such as vegetable or canola.
• Sugar – Regular, granulated sugar makes the cookies sweet, but also adds texture.
• Powdered Sugar – One of the many secrets that make this peppermmint cookie recipe melt-in-your-mouth. Powdered sugar contains a bit of cornstarch which gives the cookies a softer texture. It will be also used a bit later when we make the frosting.
• Vanilla – A touch of sweetness you just can’t get from sugar.
• Eggs – Eggs bring moisture and help bind the peppermint sugar cookie dough. Purchase large, organic, free-range eggs, if possible.
• Flour – I use unbleached, all-purpose flour for all my baking recipes since it is the most minimally processed. My preferred brands are Pillsbury and Gold’s Medal.
• Salt – Fine sea salt is best. Believe it or not, but salt actually helps the cookies taste sweeter!
• Cream of Tartar – Another little one of my baking secrets! Cream of tartar adds lift, giving these peppermint sugar cookies that mouthwatering texture.
• Baking Soda – Combined with the cream of tartar, baking soda is another leavening ingredient that helps make the cookies rise.
• Milk – Whole milk works best for the peppermint buttercreamand I like to buy Organic, if possible. You can substitute 2% or 1%, if that is all you have on hand.
• Peppermint Extract – The hint of peppermint flavor is all in the extract. And it is quite potent. A mere 3/4 teaspoon is all you need to help the peppermint flavor come through in the icing.
• Crushed Peppermint – For crunch, flavor and that beautiful red and white pop of color! More on where to buy and how to make in a bit!

How to Make Peppermint Sugar Cookies

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, beat together the butter, oil, sugars, and vanilla. Add in eggs, one at a time.
2. Add flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
3. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour, but longer, if possible.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Use a small cookie scoop to make dough balls, place onto parchment lined baking sheet, and gently press with the bottom of a flat glass.
6. Bake 8 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool on baking sheet.
7. Combine butter, powdered sugar, milk and peppermint extract. Ice cookies when completely cool. Dip in shallow bowl of crushed peppermint, for topping.

How Do You Make the Candy Cane Topping?

They’re like candy cane cookies! You can crush your own candy canes or peppermints or purchase crushed peppermint (like I do) for convenience!

To garnish, pour crushed peppermint candies into a shallow bowl. After icing the cookie, simply dip the icing side into the crushed candy canes and flip back over. Allow to completely set before transporting to your cookie party!

These Peppermint Cookies have the best combination of textures. I mean, who can resist a melt-in-your-mouth cookie with a crunch?

Can I Make Peppermint Christmas Cookies in Advance for My Cookie Exchange?

Sort of. Feel free to make the peppermint cookie dough and buttercream 1-2 days in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container. Then bake, frost and garnish on the day of your cookie exchange for the best flavor and texture.

And just in case you plan to ship any of these sweets, my tips for packing and shipping cookies.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

• White Chocolate Cookies (White Christmas Cookies)
• Meringue Cookie Recipe
• Gooey Butter Cookies
• Elf Cookies
• (Gooey Butter) Eggnog Cookies
• Shortbread Cookies (with Sugar and Spice)
• Chocolate Fluffernutter Cookies
• Meringue Cookies (Snowball Cookies)