Say hello to your new favorite holiday cookie: the frosted peppermint brownie cookie! So rich, so decadent, and soooo dreamy.

Let’s talk about the recipe. You probably recognize the brownie cookie dough. It’s actually a twist on my Fudgy Brownie Crinkle Cookies; the process of making the cookies is identical, however, a few slight ingredient changes gives us a thicker, slightly fudgier cookie. (And who doesn’t like that?!)

To turn the festive dial up a notch, I add two special ingredients to the brownie cookie dough: peppermint extract and espresso powder. These are what give the cookies their intense chocolate & peppermint flavor. Always be careful using peppermint extract; that stuff is scary potent. (I learned the hard way). A little goes a long way. And make sure you are using peppermint extract, not mint extract. The latter tastes like spearmint toothpaste (and trust me, it’s not good.)

For the espresso powder— if you can’t find this stuff in stores, you can use instant coffee instead. (Which is found in nearly all major grocery stores). You’d need a little more instant coffee since it isn’t as strong or rich as espresso powder. You can find espresso powder in some grocery stores if you’re lucky, or do what I do & order it on Amazon. Whatever you do, don’t use ground coffee…

If you’re looking for a cookie to take to your holiday potluck party or a cookie to give to your friends and family this Christmas season, I highly recommend these Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies.

I mean… what’s better (and more festive) than a fudgy brownie cookie with a hint of peppermint, fluffy, rich, minty frosting, and crushed candy canes on top?! Not much, guys. Not much.

Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies

Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 60 mins
Yield: 10-12 cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

• ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup dark brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• Crushed candy canes, for topping

Instructions

*Before you start… get all of the ingredients measured out, two baking trays lined with parchment paper, and the oven preheated to 350°F. You’ll want to scoop all of the cookies immediately, and then bake the pans separately.*

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water to create a makeshift double boiler. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally until fully melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for the moment.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugars for exactly 5 minutes.* Once the eggs have been mixing for exactly 5 minutes pour in the chocolate mixture & peppermint extract and mix for a minute or so to combine.

4. Meanwhile whisk together the pre-measured dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly until just combined. Use your spatula to give one last mix, scraping the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.

5. Use a 3-tbsp ice cream/cookie scoop to form the cookies (the batter will be a little on the wet side). Make sure to leave plenty of space between each cookie.

6. Bake in the preheated for 12 minutes; only bake one tray at a time! The cookies will be soft so allow them to cool on the baking trays for at least 5 minutes before carefully removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost with the Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting then sprinkle with crushed candy canes

   For the frosting— In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. Add peppermint extract & powdered sugar and beat.until smooth.

7. ENJOY!*
   

*Notes

1. This step is crucial. Beating the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes incorporates air into your batter and ensures that your chocolate has enough time to cool down slightly so that it’s slightly warm when you add it, but not so warm that it scrambles your eggs… chocolate scrambled eggs is not what we’re looking for here.

2. These cookies will keep for 3-4 days but are best within the first 2 days.