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These Peppermint Bark Cookies are soft and fudgy cookies topped with a creamy peppermint buttercream and chocolate peppermint bark.
Peppermint bark is a Holiday favorite and loved by everyone! These cookies are soft and chewy, incredibly rich, and delicious that makes them a must for your holiday cookie tray. Even though these look impressive, you will love how easy these are to make. I get requests to make these every Christmas!
Ingredients Needed
These fudgy chocolate cookies combined with the white chocolate peppermint frosting are simple to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- Sugar: You will need three types of sugar for this recipe. A combination of brown sugar and white granulated sugar for the cookies and powdered sugar for the frosting. These will be used to sweeten the cookies, you will also use light corn syrup for added sweetness.
- Flour: You will need all-purpose flour for this recipe along with baking soda to help the cookies rise in the oven.
- Cocoa Powder: Because this recipe contains a lot of sugar, I recommend using unsweetened Hershey’s brand cocoa powder, but sweetened works if you want a sweeter and rich cookie. You will also need semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips or almond bark for the bark.
- Peppermint extract: You can add as little or as much of this to the frosting depending on how strong you like it. You will also need vanilla extract for additional flavor.
- Candy Canes: These will be crushed on top of the bark. You can add a lot or as little as you want.
How To Make Peppermint Bark Cookies
Before making your peppermint bark cookies, make sure that your ingredients layed out to make things easier.
- Chocolate Cookies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and use parchment paper to line cookie sheets. In a large bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar and beat to combine until light and fluffy. Put in the egg and vanilla and combine again before adding in the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix again to form a dough. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
- Bake. Make 6 portions of dough balls and arrange them onto the prepared sheet. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes to make. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes on the pan before placing them on a wire rack to cool thoroughly. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the bark.
- Peppermint Bark. Place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat-safe bowl and melt in 30-second increments in the microwave until smooth. Do the same with the white chocolate. Spread out thinly onto a sheet of parchment paper. Add the white melted chocolate on top before sprinkling crushed peppermint on it. Set it aside to harden.
- Make the Frosting. Add the butter into a large bowl and beat. Pour in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and combine. Pour in the milk and vanilla and combine again until light and fluffy. Put the frosting into a Ziplock bag with the corn cut off. Pipe the frosting in a swirling motion on top of the cookies before breaking up the peppermint bark and adding it on top. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies – you can chop a semi-sweet chocolate bar, use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks mixed into the batter.
- Color the Frosting – You can use food coloring to make the cookies look even more festive. I like using red or green food coloring.
- Topping Variation – You can use different colored candy canes to sprinkle on top of the cookies.
- Make sure to sprinkle the broken candy cane bark onto the frosting before allowing it to set, so they don’t fall off.
- Piping – If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a Ziploc bag with the corn snipped off to add the frosting.
Storing
- Storing – These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- Make Ahead – Prepare the cookie dough and store it in the fridge for up to two days. Prepare the buttercream when you are ready to make them.
- Freeze – You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months if you want to have cookies to bake whenever you want!
Peppermint Bark Cookies
These Peppermint Bark Cookies are soft and fudgy cookies topped with a creamy peppermint buttercream and chocolate peppermint bark.
Servings: 24 Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoon white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Peppermint Bark
- 1/2 cup semisweet chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or almond bark
- 1 Tablespoon peppermint crushed
Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper then set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until light and fluffy. Next mix in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Next mix in the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt and mix until a dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Separate the dough into 6 balls and place them on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool the cookies completely. Meanwhile, make your peppermint bark.
Peppermint Bark
- In a microwave-safe bowl melt your semisweet chocolate chips in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Repeat with the white chocolate. Spread the melted semisweet chocolate out thin on a piece of parchment paper. Spread the white chocolate on top of that. Sprinkle with the crushed peppermint and set aside to set.
Buttercream Frosting
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer whip your butter. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and whip again. Add in the milk and vanilla and beat again until light and fluffy.
- Transfer the buttercream to a Ziploc bag with the tip snipped off or a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe the buttercream in a swirl on top of the cookies. Break the bark into pieces and place them on top of the cookies.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Serving: 24g | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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