Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies
WELCOME TO COOKIE WEEK 2020, MY FRIENDS!!
Caps intentional, because yes — I’m that excited. After what has been the strangest year of our lives, I really needed these five glorious days to look forward to.
I mean, don’t we all?
This first cookie of #COOKIEWEEK2020 may be my favorite of them all.
(wait, am I not supposed to be choosing favorites? just like moms aren’t supposed to choose favorite children… even though my brother was 100% the favorite. #itsfineimfine)
Irregardless. In my opinion, chocolate + mint is one of the best combinations ever created (second only to chocolate + peanut butter, of course). I love putting a twist on that classic combination, and enjoying all things chocolate + peppermint over the holidays.
However, if you’re in the Peter Bartash camp of “chocolate + peppermint is gross, yucky”, never fear! He has given these cookies his stamp of approval (and sometimes even goes back for seconds).
Dark chocolate peppermint crunch cookies.
Yup, you heard right. It’s a bit of a mouth full — but in the most delicious way possible.
You may remember my funfetti cookies from many, many moons ago. Those delectable little treats were a take on the classic Betty Crocker cake mix cookie recipe. These dark chocolate peppermint crunch cookies are another variation, holiday style.
In case you’ve never made cookies from cake mix before, you should know that it’s my very favorite baking hack of all time. You only need a few extra ingredients to turn an unsuspecting box of cake mix into scrumptious little cookies that taste as though they were made from scratch. and the best part is that these cookies can be made from both regular (gluten full) cake mix OR your favorite gluten-free cake mix!
Betty Crocker is my favorite ‘regular” cake mix, hands down. The result is a fluffy, cake-like cookie that truly tastes homemade — turns out perfect every single time. You’ll probably get about two dozen cookies when all is said and done.
When it comes to gluten-free options, I’ve tested King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix and Pamela’s Chocolate Cake Mix. Both turned out equally as delicious, producing nearly 3 dozen cookies! What was most interesting to me is that the gluten-free cake mixes each required a bit more liquid than their gluten full counterpart. While this recipe typically calls for 2 tablespoons of milk, the gluten-free cake mixes needed closer to 1/4 cup of milk in order for the dough to fully form. The end result is super fudgy, brownie-like cookies that literally melt in your mouth. YUM.
As mentioned approximately 45 times in my no-bake homemade thin mints post from last year’s cookie week, I have a special place in my heart for Andes Candies.
(okay, fine. I mentioned it once)
Andes makes these delicious little peppermint crunch baking chips, which are perfect for this recipe (and also for melting into my homemade hot chocolate). You could probably substitute bits of crushed candy canes if you were in a pinch, but I highly recommend tracking down the Andes Candies baking chips.
So, if you’re looking for a quick, easy cookie recipe for your holiday celebrations or cookie boxes, this is it, my friends. You can get 2-3 dozen cookies on the table in less than 30 minutes! Allergen-friendly! You can even make them with your kids!
I mean, they probably won’t be on the table in less than 30 minutes that way, but you get the picture.
- 1 box of your favorite brand of chocolate cake mix (see Notes)
- ½ cup oil (coconut, avocado, canola, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons milk (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup Andes peppermint crunch baking chips (see Notes)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth, using either an electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Fold in the dark chocolate and peppermint baking chips.
- Shape dough into balls that are slightly more than a tablespoon in size, and place two inches apart on your cookie sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies just start to brown; the centers will likely still be a little soft.
- Cool for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
DAIRY-FREE: Use a dairy-free milk option; I usually have my homemade almond milk or cashew milk on hand.
I have found that your typical Betty Crocker or Dunkin Hines (i.e., gluten-full) cake mixes need only 2 tablespoons of milk. However, gluten-free cake mixes generally need a bit more liquid, and are initially very crumbly with only 2 tablespoons of milk. Add additional milk to the dough, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until a dough forms; I've found that nearly ¼ cup of milk is usually the magic number.
If the dough is too sticky to handle, toss it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before rolling out into balls.
If you don't love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, you can substitute white chocolate chips (or more dark chocolate chips) in this recipe instead.
I’ll catch all you cool cats and kittens tomorrow for the second cookie of #COOKIEWEEK2020. and maybe I’ll tone down the caps by the end of the week.
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