Brown Butter Peppermint Bark Cookies
These are rich, fudgy chocolate cookies loaded with chunks of homemade peppermint bark, finished with melty pools of chocolate and crisp candy cane bits. The brown butter adds depth, the peppermint keeps things bright, and chilling the dough gives you that perfect thick, bakery-style texture.
If you want a holiday cookie that actually tastes as good as it looks—this is it.
Ingredients
Cookies
170 g all-purpose flour
42 g cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
70 g browned butter, cooled
50 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp honey
100 g granulated sugar
100 g light brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1–2 tsp peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
225 g peppermint bark (recipe below), chopped
Peppermint Bark
155 g dark chocolate, melted
155 g white chocolate, melted
75 g crushed candy canes, divided
15 g crushed candy canes (for topping)
Instructions
Make the Peppermint Bark
Stir half of the crushed candy canes into the white chocolate, and the other half into the dark chocolate.
Pour both chocolates onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, alternating between the two.
Gently swirl for a marbled effect—don’t overmix.
Sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes.
Chill until fully set, then chop into chunks.
Make the Cookies
In a bowl, cream together the browned butter, softened butter, honey, and both sugars until light, smooth, and slightly fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the egg, egg yolk, peppermint extract, and vanilla bean seeds to the butter mixture. Mix until fully combined and glossy.
Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms—don’t overmix.
Fold in the chopped peppermint bark. Scoop into cookie dough balls and press a few extra bark pieces on top.
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for best flavor and texture.
Note: You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 1–2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Space cookie dough balls apart on the tray.
Bake for 14–15 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly soft.
Remove from the oven and gently “scoot” the cookies for that perfect round shape.
While warm, top with extra peppermint bark pieces.
Finish
Let cool slightly so the centers set but stay soft. The result: rich chocolate cookies with gooey pockets of peppermint bark and crisp, buttery edges.
Exactly the kind of cookie that disappears fast.
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Brown Butter Peppermint Bark Cookies
These are rich, fudgy chocolate cookies loaded with chunks of homemade peppermint bark, finished with melty pools of chocolate and crisp candy cane bits. The brown butter adds depth, the peppermint keeps things bright, and chilling the dough gives you that perfect thick, bakery-style texture.
Ingredients
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 42 g cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 70 g browned butter, cooled
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1–2 tsp peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
- Seeds from ½ vanilla bean
- 225 g peppermint bark (recipe below), chopped
- 155 g dark chocolate, melted
- 155 g white chocolate, melted
- 75 g crushed candy canes, divided
- 15 g crushed candy canes (for topping)
Instructions
- Stir half of the crushed candy canes into the white chocolate, and the other half into the dark chocolate.
- Pour both chocolates onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, alternating between the two.
- Gently swirl for a marbled effect—don’t overmix.
- Sprinkle with remaining crushed candy canes.
- Chill until fully set, then chop into chunks.
- In a bowl, cream together the browned butter, softened butter, and both sugars until light, smooth, and slightly fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, peppermint extract, and vanilla bean seeds to the butter mixture. Mix until fully combined and glossy.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms—don’t overmix.
- Fold in the chopped peppermint bark. Scoop into cookie dough balls and press a few extra bark pieces on top.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for best flavor and texture.
- Note: You can also freeze the dough balls for up to 1–2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 extra minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Space cookie dough balls apart on the tray.
- Bake for 14–15 minutes, until edges are set and centers look slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and gently “scoot” the cookies for that perfect round shape.
- While warm, top with extra peppermint bark pieces.
