Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies Recipe delivers buttery vanilla edges, cool peppermint crunch, and soft centers. It suits holiday bakers, peppermint fans, and kids at heart, and you can finish a batch in about 1 hour 20 minutes. I still stash candy canes in my desk in July, so you know I take mint seriously.
Why You Should Try This Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies Recipe
Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies Recipe packs big mint flavor with a classic buttery sugar cookie base. The dough rolls cleanly, holds shape, and bakes with crisp edges and tender middles. You get holiday sparkle without fussy steps.
These cookies please kids and grown-ups, ship well, and look great on a cookie platter. You can glaze them or drizzle with white chocolate, then shower them with candy cane crunch. The dough chills fast and works for last-minute baking bursts.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All-purpose flour, 2 3/4 cups or 330 g (use a scale for best texture; a 1:1 gluten-free blend also works)
- Baking powder, 1 teaspoon (gives lift without too much spread)
- Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon (balances sweetness)
- Cornstarch, 1 tablespoon, optional (adds extra tenderness)
- Unsalted butter, 1 cup or 226 g, softened to room temp (Kerrygold or Plugra taste great, but any quality butter works)
- Granulated sugar, 1 cup or 200 g
- Large egg, 1
- Pure vanilla extract, 1 1/2 teaspoons
- Peppermint extract, 1 teaspoon (use pure peppermint extract, not generic “mint,” which leans spearmint)
- Milk or cream, 1 to 2 tablespoons as needed (loosens dough if dry)
- Crushed candy canes, 1/2 to 3/4 cup, divided (buy pre-crushed “candy cane bits” to save time)
For the peppermint glaze or drizzle:
- Confectioners’ sugar, 1 1/2 cups
- Milk, 2 to 3 tablespoons, plus more as needed
- Peppermint extract, 1/4 teaspoon
- Pinch of salt
- White chocolate, 4 ounces, melted, optional (chips or baking bars both work)
Pantry shortcuts and swaps:
- Use store-bought vanilla frosting thinned with a splash of milk if you need a super quick glaze.
- Swap half the vanilla with almond extract for a bakery-style twist.
- Skip candy cane in the dough and just top the glaze if you want extra smooth cut edges.
Equipment:
- Stand mixer or hand mixer, mixing bowls, and a flexible spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons or, better, a kitchen scale
- Rolling pin and cookie cutters
- Rimmed baking sheets and parchment
- Wire rack
- Zip-top bag and rolling pin to crush candy canes
How to Make Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes per batch
- Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch until combined.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add egg and extracts. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract until smooth, scraping the bowl.
- Bring the dough together. Add the dry ingredients in two additions and mix on low until a soft dough forms. If the dough looks crumbly, mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.
- Fold in minty bits. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely crushed candy cane if you want peppermint inside the cookies. Keep pieces small for clean cuts.
- Chill. Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap, and chill 30 minutes. This step helps the dough roll cleanly and hold shape.
- Prep to bake. Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disc to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut shapes and place them 1 inch apart on lined sheets. Gather scraps and re-roll once for best texture.
- Bake. Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges look set and the centers look matte. Pull the cookies before they brown for soft centers.
- Cool. Let cookies rest on the sheet 2 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze or drizzle. For glaze, whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, peppermint extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth and spoonable. Dip or spread over cooled cookies, or drizzle with melted white chocolate.
- Finish with crunch. Sprinkle remaining crushed candy canes over the wet glaze or chocolate. Let set until firm, then plate or pack.
Tips & Tricks
- Measure flour with a scale for consistent texture; too much flour makes dry cookies.
- Keep candy cane pieces small to avoid jagged edges and sticky puddles.
- Work with one dough disc at a time and keep the other chilled.
- Roll between two sheets of parchment for easy transfer and fewer cracks.
- Bake a test cookie to nail the timing in your oven.
- Rotate the pan at the halfway mark for even color.
- Add a drop of red gel food color to half the dough and twist the two colors together for a peppermint swirl effect.
- Top only after cookies cool fully so the glaze sets smooth.
What to Serve with Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Serve these peppermint sugar cookies with hot cocoa, peppermint mochas, or a bold cup of coffee. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies turns them into easy ice cream sandwiches. Pair them on a dessert board with chocolate crinkle cookies, peppermint bark, and fresh citrus slices for a bright, minty lineup.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Store iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Layer parchment between cookies to protect the glaze and candy cane bits.
- Freeze unbaked dough discs for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll and bake. You can also freeze cut shapes on a sheet pan, then bag them and bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes.
- Freeze baked cookies without glaze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature, then glaze. For a quick refresh, warm plain cookies at 300°F for 3 to 4 minutes, then cool before topping.
Nutrition Information
- Serving: 1 cookie of about 30 cookies per batch
- Approximate per serving: 135 calories, 6 g fat, 18 g carbs, 11 g sugar, 2 g protein, 95 mg sodium
- These numbers are estimates and will vary with cookie size, toppings, and brands used.
Christmas Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Delicious and festive peppermint sugar cookies perfect for Christmas celebrations.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
- Beat in egg, peppermint extract, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually blend in the dry ingredients.
- Add milk to make the dough soft and pliable.
- Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in crushed peppermint candies if desired.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For a stronger peppermint flavor, add extra peppermint extract. Use crushed candy canes for topping to enhance the holiday look.