These double chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies are super chocolaty and such a delicious holiday treat! These are a soft chocolate cookie filled with a gooey chocolate ganache and topped with bits of peppermint crushed candy cane.

Chocolate peppermint cookies on a plate with a bite missing from the top cookie.

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Why We Love Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

These cookies remind me of peppermint hot chocolate, and feel really decadent. They have a great sweet crunch on the outside but are soft when you bite into them.

The real star of this cookie is the smooth gooey ganache in the center of the cookie. It’s rich, chocolaty and just makes you want to say yum with that crushed peppermint on top.

If I am being totally honest, these cookies are a little bit fussy. Mostly that the ganache needs to set for a while before you can put the cookies away, I guess I’m just not patient. Don’t skip that setting time for these cookies, they aren’t a recipe to make the same day as a party.

The cookies are however one hundred percent worth the wait when your family and friends are enjoying them. I considered not adding this recipe to the website and my husband, daughter, and friend’s daughter all fully protested loudly that they enjoyed the cookies. You would have thought I told them they couldn’t have any more cookies!

They are rich, chocolaty and full of chocolate peppermint flavor. They really stand out as a Christmas cookies, and I recommend you make them for a recipe that is a little different from classic Christmas cookies.

For another great chocolate mint dessert try these Andes Chocolate Cookie Cups filled with mint frosting and topped with an Andes Mint. These Peppermint Twist Candy Cane Cookies that are shaped just like a candy cane are adorable. They all look pretty on a cookie tray next to these homemade peppermint patties dipped in rich dark chocolate or slices of fudgy Andes mint brownies.

Ingredients For Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

A list of ingredients for chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.

Ingredients For The Cookie Dough

butter unsalted, softened
white sugar divided
brown sugar
eggs
vanilla
peppermint extract – can also use mint extract
flour
cocoa powder
baking powder
salt

Ingredients For The Chocolate Ganache Center

heavy whipping cream
chocolate chips – semi-sweet
vanilla
peppermint pieces about 3 crushed candy canes, can also use round peppermints to make the crushed peppermint candies on top

I used to think ganache was something really serious bakers made and was always really impressed. But making ganache in the microwave for the fudgy center of the cookies is really easy, it’s mostly blending with a whisk. I prefer to use a better-quality chocolate chip for the ganache, and (Ghirardelli chocolate chips are one of my favorites. You can also chop chocolate for a nice smooth melted center.

How To Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Making The Cookie Dough

Place the butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Mix well until smooth. Add two eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract to the butter mixture and mix well until combined.

A metal bowl with creamed butter and sugar together with eggs, vanilla and peppermint extract on the table nearby.

In a second mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and mix until well blended.
Add the dry to the wet ingredients and mix until a thick sticky chocolate dough forms. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

Gooey chocolate cookie dough in a mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Making The Chocolate Ganache Filling

Place the heavy whipping cream in a heatproof bowl. Place the chocolate chips and vanilla in a large bowl. Put the heavy whipping cream in the microwave and heat for 1 minute.
Pour the whipping cream over the chocolate chips. With a whisk, blend the chocolate chips with the whipping cream until smooth. Set the chocolate to the side.

A glass bowl with a whisk mixing warm cream and chocolate together.

A bowl filled with chocolate and candy canes.

Adding The Peppermint Topping

Unwrap the candy canes or peppermint candies and place them in a thick ziploc bag. With a rolling pin, crush the candy canes in the bag until they are the size of large sprinkles.

Candy canes in a plastic bag next to a rolling pin.

Baking And Filling The Double Chocolate Cookies

Place the remaining ¼ cup sugar into a small bowl. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop and roll the cookie dough into balls. Roll each cookie dough ball in the sugar then place on a cookie sheet leaving two to three inches in between dough balls. With a teaspoon press the round part into each cookie dough ball.

Chocolate peppermint cookie dough balls being rolled in a small bowl of sugar.

Unbaked chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies on a baking sheet with holes pressed into the center of each cookie.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. When the cookies have just come out of the oven, push the teaspoon again into the center of each cookie to make the space to hold the ganache a little larger. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
Slide a large piece of parchment paper under the wire rack. With a small measuring cup carefully pour the chocolate ganache to fill the center of each cookie.

A glass measuring cup pouring liquid chocolate ganache into the center of a chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookie.

Chocolate candy cane cookies on a cooling rack with half the the thumbprint spots full of chocolate filling.

Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with crushed candy canes. Allow the ganache to fully set, (see notes) then enjoy!

Chocolate peppermint cookies on a white plate with candy canes, other peppermint and chocolate chips nearby on the table.

Serving a crowd? Try this super creamy slow cooker hot chocolate which is perfect so everyone gets a glass!

How Do I Store These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies?

The ganache does need some time to set up before you store these cookies, it was about 2 hours after filling the cookies before the chocolate center had set enough to stack the cookies. Once the ganache sets you can stack these cookies in an airtight container (like tupperwear.)

I also found that staggering the cookies as you place them in the container can help the cookies keep from squishing each other in case the ganache isn’t fully set in the middle of your cookies.

What Kind Of Peppermint Is Best On Top Of This Chocolate Cookie Recipe?

I’ve mentioned using candy canes in this recipe for the peppermint sprinkles on top of the cookies. But don’t let that limit you, any kind of hard peppermint candy can be broken up and used as sprinkles.

You can process the candy into pieces in a food processor to grind it up into sprinkles. You can also place the candy in a heavy ziploc style bag and crush the candy with a rolling pin or heavy can.

Be careful with really old peppermint candies. ( I tried using some peppermints I had stashed away.) Sometimes the candy starts to break down, which can cause the peppermint to be too sticky.

My Chocolate Ganache Tastes Grainy, Can I Fix It?

If you haven’t yet filled all of the cookies, you can fix the ganache! Sometimes the ganache will not quite melt the chocolate enough when you add the cream. Or if the temperature of your cream was too hot it can also cause the ganache to split which can cause a grainy or even oily texture.

If the ganache that has split, gently heat up just a few more tablespoons of cream in the microwave. Use a whisk to stir the ganache, add the warm cream just a tablespoon at a time while whisking. This can help to bring the ganache back together and smooth everything out.

Add only a little bit of cream at a time though. If you add too much cream you may make your ganache too thin. This can be fixed if the mixture is warm but adding another small handful of chocolate and continuing to whisk until everything is smooth.

When you finish whisking you want your chocolate and cream to be equal or almost parts in the mixture. So if you ended up adding a quarter cup extra cream you may need to melt in a few more chocolate bits. This helps the ganache to be firm enough inside the cookie, a pourable style ganache will be too liquidy.

Check out here for more tips on how to fix a grainy ganache,

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

I have not tried freezing these cookies before. The dough is similar to other cookies I have frozen and should freeze fine, however the ganache is the biggest concern.

Ganache usually can be frozen, but if you try to cool the cookies too fast in the freezer the ganache may split or become grainy. I recommend cooling the cookies fully on the counter before you try and freeze them. Once the chocolate has set enough in the middle to stack the cookies, you should be able to freeze them.