Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies {From Scratch}
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Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies are the perfect blend of chocolatey brownies, soft crumb cookies, sweet buttercream frosting, and cool, festive peppermint. Try these out for your Christmas cookie exchange, neighborhood gifts, or even to leave out for Santa!
That’s right, two peppermint-frosted cookies in two days! I just posted these Peppermint Sugar Cookies yesterday and it got me thinking of other peppermint cookies I’d like to make this season. Three years ago I posted a very similar recipe to these but that started with a box mix, these Peppermint Brownie Cookies however are made entirely from scratch ingredients!
These cookies are so soft and moist. I love how they are perfectly fudgy along with just the right intensity of chocolate flavor (so as not to overpower the peppermint flavor and the cream cheese frosting). Using a box brownie mix will work, but this is definitely a noticeable upgrade. Plus, I didn’t want a cookie so rich you could only take a few bites. The overall contrast between the textures of this cookie is simply dreamy! I love the creamy frosting atop the chewy cookie and the slight crunch from the tiny peppermint pieces.
Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies
The trick to these brownie cookies? Real melted chocolate. You can get good chocolate flavor with cocoa powder (especially a dutch-processed cocoa powder), but I’ve found that using melted chocolate keeps the cookie dough incredibly moist, almost like brownie batter. After you melt and cool the chocolate, you use the whisk attachment for the bowl of a stand mixer to whip the chocolate into the butter and dark brown sugar mixture. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and fold it into the chocolate mixture when ready. The consistency should be thick enough to use a cookie scoop, but soft enough to be smoothed with a rolling pin. Don’t overbake—trust me!
You will love this cookie recipe, I mean how could you not? Here we have a brownie cookie, cream cheese frosting, and peppermint candy all in one! They may even become a new holiday favorite! They’re perfect Christmas cookies for a cookie swap or neighbor gift.
Enjoy!
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Frosted Peppermint Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, diced into 4 pieces
- 1 cup (6 oz) good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, roughly chopped
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2/3 cup packed (148g) light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese , softened
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- Crushed peppermint candy canes , for topping
Instructions
- To a microwave safe bowl add chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate and butter. Heat on HIGH power in 20 second increments, stirring between intervals until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool, about 25 - 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-high speed, whip together eggs, egg yolk, brown sugar and granulated sugar until pale, fluffy and creamy, about 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Mix in cooled chocolate mixture.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir dry mixture into egg/chocolate mixture just until combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill until partially set, about 45 minutes (it should be easier to roll and chilling will reduce spread). Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 10 minutes of chilling.
- Scoop dough out about 2 - 2 1/2 Tbsp at a time (35g each) and shape into balls. Place dough balls on Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 8 - 11 minutes (cookies should look slightly under-baked they'll continue to cook slightly once removed from oven).
- Cool on baking sheet about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool frost with 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, whip together cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. Add peppermint extract and powdered sugar and mix until pale and fluffy.