The first time I baked these Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, my whole kitchen filled with the warm, buttery aroma of sugar cookies mingling with the cool scent of peppermint. It instantly reminded me of wrapping presents by the fireplace as a kid. I remember making that first batch on a snowy afternoon, leaning over the mixing bowl as the crushed candy canes swirled into the dough like tiny shards of Christmas magic. When they came out of the oven with their glossy chocolate centers and sparkling peppermint bits, I knew they were something special—simple, nostalgic, and everything I love about holiday baking.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’ll love this recipe because it gives you the perfect mix of melt-in-your-mouth cookie softness, rich chocolate fudge filling, and refreshing crushed peppermint without feeling overpowering. If you appreciate a cookie that looks beautiful on a holiday platter but doesn’t require complicated techniques, this one is going to feel like a gift.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- ⅓ cup crushed candy cane
- ½ tsp mint extract
Chocolate Fudge Filling:
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 6 oz chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp butter
You can swap the mint extract for vanilla if you prefer a gentler peppermint flavor, or even use peppermint baking chips instead of crushed candy canes for a slightly chewier texture. Dark chocolate chips also make a deeper, richer filling if milk chocolate is too sweet for you. I’ve even used gluten-free flour in a one-to-one blend, and the cookies still turned out beautifully soft.
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer or hand mixer
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
- Small saucepan
I prefer using parchment paper because it keeps the bottoms of the cookies from browning too quickly and makes cleanup ridiculously easy. A cooling rack is essential to help the chocolate filling set properly. If you don’t have a saucepan for the fudge filling, a microwave-safe bowl works well too—just heat in small increments to avoid overheating the chocolate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
When I start making these cookies, I always begin by softening my butter until it’s still cool to the touch but easily dented with a finger. Too soft and the dough becomes sticky; too firm and it never creams smoothly. Once the butter is ready, I beat it with the sugar until it becomes pale and fluffy—this is what gives the cookies their delicate, tender texture.
Next, I mix in the egg yolks and mint extract, watching the dough transform into a silky, fragrant mixture. When I fold in the flour and crushed candy canes, the dough starts to look wonderfully festive. The little red and white flecks peek through like tiny ornaments. The first time I made this, I accidentally used too many candy cane pieces, and they melted into sticky puddles. Now I stick to the measured amount and make sure the pieces are finely crushed so they distribute more evenly.(See the next page below to continue…)