Double chocolate peppermint cookies start with a soft, fudge cookie that is filled with white chocolate peppermint chunks and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy. Made with chocolate cake mix they are super quick and easy. Perfect for the holidays or any time of year you feel like a special treat.
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These double chocolate peppermint cookies are perfect for the holidays.
They are made with chocolate cake mix, filled with chopped white chocolate peppermint bark, and sprinkled with crushed peppermint candy. They are rich and decadent, and so soft and chewy. The texture of these cookies is much like a brownie, and they stay that way even days after baking.
Because they are so easy to make they are perfect when you need something quick, but don’t want a lot of work.
What are Cake Mix Cookies?
Cake mix cookies are just as they sound. They are cookies that are made from boxed cake mix.
The reason this works so well is that all the dry ingredients you need are in one, handy package so all you need to add is the wet ingredients and any fun add-ins you like.
You can make cake mix cookies in any flavour you like, they work equally well with chocolate cake mix as they do vanilla, lemon, confetti, or any other flavour you can find.
Because you can often find boxes of cake mix on sale for as little as $1 you can make a batch of cookies for much less cost than store-bought and you can have fresh baked cookies quickly and easily.
Why We Love This Recipe
It’s easy – Because the base for these cookies is made with cake mix, there is very little measuring involved and very few dirty dishes to wash when you are done. They are perfect when you want a fresh-baked cookie, but don’t feel like a lot of work.
It’s quick – It is super quick to whip up a batch of these cookies. From mixing to baking it will only take about 30 minutes to have fresh baked cookies on the table.
They are delicious – You may be surprised, but cookies made with cake mix are delicious! They are soft, chewy, just the right amount of sweet and you can make them any flavour you want just by changing the mix you use and what you add to them.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these delicious chocolate peppermint cookies.
- Chocolate cake mix – We’ve used Devil’s food cake chocolate cake mix, but you can use any chocolate cake mix you have on hand.
- Instant coffee – You can use any instant coffee or espresso you like. You won’t taste it in the cookies, but the coffee will help bring out the rich, chocolate flavour.
- Vegetable oil – You can use vegetable or canola oil for this recipe, or melted unsalted butter if you prefer. This is what keeps the cookies super moist.
- Eggs
- Peppermint bark – Peppermint bark is made of white chocolate with crushed peppermint candy. There are a few brands available, and sometimes you can find it in bulk, like I did. If you can’t find peppermint bark you could use white chocolate chips instead and add a couple tablespoons of crushed peppermint candy.
- Peppermint candy – You can use candy canes, peppermint sticks, or even the small peppermint candies. Whatever you can find is fine.
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Begin by pouring the cake mix into a medium-sized bowl then add the espresso powder.
Add the egg and oil and stir until you have a thick dough. It will feel dry at first, but just keep stirring and it will come together.
Stir the chopped peppermint bark into the dough, then let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes before continuing.
Pro Tip – One of the keys to these cookies being soft and chewy is in letting the dough rest before baking. Letting the dough rest allows the dry ingredients to hydrate. It may seem insignificant, but don’t skip this step. It really makes a difference.
After you’ve let the dough rest, scoop the dough, roll it into balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between them.
Pro Tip – I use a cookie scoop to form all of my cookies. It ensures the cookies are an even size and does most of the work of forming the cookie balls for you. The cookie scoop I use is 1.5 tablespoons.
Bake the cookies at 350°F for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the candy is slightly melted and the edges of the cookies feel set.
Remove from the oven, allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.
Additions and Substitutions
There are so many ways you can customize these cookies to suit your needs based on preference or what you have on hand.
- If you can’t find peppermint bark you can swap it out for white chocolate chips and a tablespoon of fine crushed peppermint candy, or you can add 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint extract to the dough.
- If you don’t like white chocolate swap for milk or dark chocolate.
- Instead of peppermint bark, use chopped Andes mints.
The instant coffee in this recipe is used just to elevate the flavour of the chocolate. You should not be able to taste it. However, if you are sensitive to the taste of coffee, or if you simply don’t have any on hand, you can leave it out if you prefer.
Vegetable oil can be substituted with canola oil, melted coconut oil, or melted unsalted butter.
FAQS
Yes, you can. You can store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag and they will keep for several months.
If your cookies are not soft it is usually because they are overbooked or the dough was not allowed to rest long enough before baking. Be sure to let the dough rest so the dry ingredients have a chance to hydrate and bake only until cookies are set.
More Chocolate Treats
More White Chocolate Cookies
No-Bake Avalanche Cookies
Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies – by Fresh Coast Eats
Printable Recipe
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) box chocolate cake mix
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant espresso or coffee powder
- ¼ Cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ Cup peppermint bark chopped, 3 oz by weight
- 2-3 candy canes crushed. or ¼ cup peppermint candy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
- Add the cake mix to a medium-size bowl then add the instant coffee powder.
- Add the vegetable oil and eggs and mix until you have a thick dough. It will seem dry at first, but it will come together.
- Add the chopped peppermint bark and stir to combine.
- Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes, then scoop the dough into approximately 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet leaving 2 inches between them.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes then remove from the oven and sprinkle crushed candy cane on top. Return to the oven and bake for 2-3 minutes longer until peppermint candy is partially melted and the edges of the cookies feel set.
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes then move to a cooling rack.
Notes
- If you can’t find peppermint bark, you can substitute with white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate and 1 tablespoon of crushed peppermint candy or 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint extract.
- You won’t taste the coffee in the cookies, but it will help elevate the chocolate flavour. It can be omitted if you don’t have any.
- Don’t skip resting the dough. It is key to soft, chewy cookies.
- Don’t overbake. Make sure you remove the cookies when the edges just feel set, the tops will still be soft, and that’s ok.
- These cookies will store for about a week in an airtight container or they can be frozen for several months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Jamie
Friday 28th of January 2022
These were such a hit during the holidays! That bit of espresso powder gave these chocolate cookies so much flavor. You can't go wrong with this recipe, it's a keeper!
Deanna
Wednesday 2nd of February 2022
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed them.
Susan
Saturday 1st of January 2022
These were the first cookies to be eaten on the holiday cookie tray! I had multiple people ask for the recipe thanks for the tradition