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These festive white chocolate-dipped peppermint sugar cookies are so quick and easy to make! They are perfect to take to your Christmas cookie exchange or give as gifts to friends and family. Crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy in the middle, these holiday sugar cookies with fun crushed peppermint on top are so good!
These might just be the absolute best peppermint sugar cookies you’ll ever make or eat. Slightly crispy on the outside, incredibly chewy on the inside, and super festive for the holidays all around! And they’re actually not overly sugary, or too pepperminty strong, which makes them perfect for dipping in white chocolate and decorating.
“These beat all other cookies in the cookie exchange I hosted. Everyone loved them! They turned out picture perfect both times I made them. This is my new favorite Christmas cookie.” – Jessica
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a glance
- Ingredients you’ll need to make peppermint sugar cookies
- Popular substitutions & additions
- How to make peppermint sugar cookies
- Tips for making the best peppermint sugar cookies
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH PEPPERMINT SUGAR COOKIES
- How to store white chocolate dipped sugar cookies
- Frequently asked questions
- For more holiday treats:
- Peppermint Sugar Cookies Recipe
Recipe at a glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Can easily be made vegan
Key Flavor: Sweet Peppermint
Skill Level: Easy
Summary
- Cookie Exchange: Bring on the holiday cookie exchange; everyone loves this sweet and pepperminty combination.
- Perfect for beginners: A simple sugar cookie recipe that’s great for beginner bakers. They also give creative freedom in decoration choices.
- Festive Decorations: A perfect addition to any holiday dessert spread, satisfying those sweet and spicy flavors of white chocolate and peppermint.
- Gift Giving: Peppermint sugar cookies are a wonderful treat to wrap up for a holiday work party, a Secret Santa gift, or a way to put everyone in the holiday spirit.
Ingredients you’ll need to make peppermint sugar cookies
- Cane Sugar: Provides sweetness and contributes to the texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and flavor. For a vegan version, use dairy-free butter.
- Water: Moistens the dough.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Contributes to the soft texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a classic sweet vanilla flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: The base for the cookie’s structure.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Leavening agents for a light, airy texture.
- Sea Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
- White Chocolate: for dipping or drizzling, adds creamy sweetness.
- Peppermint Candy: For a festive touch and the signature flavor of this cookie.
Popular substitutions & additions
- Chocolate Alternatives: Swap out white chocolate for dark or milk chocolate or a combination of white, milk, or dark chocolate.
- Crunchy Toppings: Add nuts, sprinkles, toasted coconut, and granola for another crunchy bite.
- Peppermint Twist: Short on peppermint candies? Try using mini candy canes, peppermint bark, mint chocolate chips, or chopped andies mints to impart that peppermint flavor in other ways.
- Peppermint extract: You can add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cookie dough if you prefer a stronger peppermint flavor. You do not want to use mint extract it will give the cookies that spearmint toothpaste flavor.
How to make peppermint sugar cookies
- In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter.
- Add the remaining wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Fold in the dry ingredients (pre-combined in a separate bowl)
- Use a rubber spatula to mix until there are no more streaks of flour. Then, chill the dough.
- Roll the dough into balls. You can flatten them if you’d like, but it’s not necessary at all.
- Bake in the oven and allow them to rest in the pan for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Dip the cooled cookies in melted white chocolate and sprinkle the crushed peppermint on top, if you’d like. My kids always like! 🙂
“These cookies were such a hit! Super easy to make and so tasty. Made this recipe over the weekend for a housewarming holiday party and I definitely plan to make them again!” – Gail
Tips for making the best peppermint sugar cookies
- Don’t worry about an aftertaste of the apple cider vinegar. It simply reacts with the baking soda and does not leave a taste, and helps the cookies rise a bit since we’re not using eggs.
- Refrigerate the dough for one hour before baking. This is optional, but it helps keep the sugar cookies from spreading too much when baked and creates a softer center.
- Let the cookies cool to room temperature before dipping in chocolate. This allows the chocolate to stick to the cookies properly without melting all over.
- Mix in some coconut oil or butter into the melted white chocolate if it is too stiff. White chocolate wafers melt easier, but you can use white chocolate chips and loosen it with some fat so it’s easier for dipping.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PEPPERMINT SUGAR COOKIES
How to store white chocolate dipped sugar cookies
Once the cookies are cooled, store them in an air-tight container at room temperature and they will be good for about 5 days. This means they are ideal for taking to cookie exchanges or giving as gifts throughout the holiday season.
How long do peppermint sugar cookies last in the fridge?
These will last for about two week in the fridge, but may be harder to bite into or chew straight from the fridge so best to take it out for 15 mins before serving or eating.
Can I freeze sugar cookies with peppermint in the freezer?
The cookies can be frozen already decorated with chocolate and peppermint, however, to prevent the candies from falling off in the freezer, freeze before decorating. Freeze cookies for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
Typically, sugar cookies are sweeter than shortbread ones and they have a lighter and crisper texture. Because they are lighter, they are perfect to decorate, making them ideal for Christmas.
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. This base cookie dough recipe is amazing for many different types of cookies, so double or triple the batch and save the rest for later. You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Bake them until they just start to get a hint of color and before the edges turn golden. They will look slightly cracked across the center.
These peppermint white chocolate dipped sugar cookies are a nice mix of holiday flavors with a traditonal sugar cookie base and peppermint candies. If you’re looking for a cookie that feels like winter, these peppermint sugar cookies have got your back!
For more holiday treats:
- Ginger Cookies
- Pistachio Cookies
- Reindeer Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Peppermint Mousse
- Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- White Chocolate Lemon Cranberry Cake
If you try this healthy-ish feel good White Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cane sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup melted white chocolate optional
- Peppermint candy optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until combined. Add the water, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined.
- Divide the dough into 1 ½ tablespoon-sized balls using a spring-loaded scoop. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden brown at the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Dip the cookies in melted white chocolate and sprinkle with peppermint, if desired.
Notes
- Instead of butter, you can use any neutral oil or plant-based butter to make them vegan.
- To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This is now my new “go to” recipe for Sugar Cookies ~ they were heavenly devine, easy to make and the ultimate cookie when biting into all that deliciousness!!! 😋
Yay! So glad they turned out amazing! Thank you so much!
we made this last week for gifts and they were delicious!
That’s amazing!
These cookies are our new family favorite. Great recipe and a great-tasting cookie for the holidays.
That makes me so happy to hear! Yay!!
These beat all other cookies in the cookie exchange I hosted. Everyone loved them! They turned out picture perfect both times I made them. This is my new favorite Christmas cookie.
Wow, that’s amazing to hear! Yay!!!
These were so easy to make and turned out delish. Everyone loved them. Definitely adding to my yearly Christmas baking list.
Thank you! That’s great to hear!