Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are the “must-have” Christmas cookies at our house! They’re everything you love about mint chip ice cream in a melt-in-your-mouth cookie! They’re soft and chewy in the center with barely crispy edges!
I’ve always been a mint chocolate fan! I’ll take this flavor combo anytime, but it’s especially perfect for the holidays! If you love minty goodness as much as I do be sure to check out my Mint Christmas Crack and Double Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies!
I love adding a few unexpected treats to my Christmas goodie trays. Mint chocolate chip cookies are perfect because they’re a pretty green color and have the best Christmas flavor!! Lemon fudge and gingersnaps are two other fun ones to add.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Quick to make! There’s no chill time with this recipe.
- Can substitute ingredients! This recipe calls for simple ingredients and I have suggestions on how to substitute with what you already have on hand.
- No fuss sugar cookies! They taste like sugar cookies without having to roll out, decorate, or frost cookies.
Ingredients:
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are really simple, normal baking ingredients. Let’s talk about a few of them though.
- Peppermint Extract: It’s in the spice section of the grocery store.
- Green Food Coloring: This is optional, but it does make them pretty. You can use more or less to make them darker or lighter green.
- Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips: I like to use the kind that are already chopped up and in a bag can usually be found in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips, or in the seasonal baking area at the grocery store. If you can’t find them you can buy the wrapped candies and chop them yourself. You can also use green mint chips.
How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies:
These cookies are pretty easy to make! I’ve included this video and step-by-step instructions.
STEP 1: In an electric mixer cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes. It will be light and fluffy!
STEP 2: Add eggs, green food coloring, and peppermint extract. Beat for 2-3 more minutes. I prefer using food coloring instead of gel, although either can be used. Start with a few drops and then add more to get the desired color. If the cookies are too yellowish-green you can add a tiny bit of blue food coloring to make the cookies more mint green instead of lime green.
STEP 3: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt to a separate bowl. Whisk to combine. Add to the creamed butter/eggs mixture. Beat until combined.
STEP 4: With the mixer on low, add chocolate chips and Andes mints. Mix until incorporated. I usually have to use a spatula or spoon to make sure they are all completely incorporated.
STEP 5: Using a 2 Tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, drop mint cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
STEP 6: Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for one minute, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- After dropping cookies, and before baking, you can roll each cookie between the palms of your hands to make the cookies perfectly round, smooth, and pretty. I never do this and they’re just fine.
- It’s optional, but you can press a few chocolate chips and mint chips on top of the dropped or rolled cookie dough just to make them pretty!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! I like to make the cookie dough, shape it into balls, and then freeze them. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper set cookies on paper, and freeze for a couple of hours. Remove from the baking sheet and put in a freezer air-tight container. When you’re ready to bake the cookies take them out of the freezer and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet to thaw. Then bake as directed. You can also bake them when they are frozen, but you’ll need to add baking time. Probably about 3-5 extra minutes. Watch them closely!
I’m perfectly okay to add food coloring to my cookies so I haven’t experimented with other options. You could try matcha but may need to decrease the amount of flour used.
Other Mint Desserts:
For some reason, I always save mint desserts until Christmas time. I’m not sure why because I love it so much! Here are a few other minty recipes you’ll love!
- Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Mint Cookie Ice Cream
- Peppermint Christmas Crack
- Christmas Magic Bars
- Mint Kiss Cookies
- Homemade Grasshopper Oreos
- Peppermint Chocolate Streusel Bars
- Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars
I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2-3 drops green food coloring I used about 3 drops, use how many you want to make the cookies the color green you like
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 6 ounces Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar for about three minutes. It should be fluffy.
- Add eggs, green food coloring and peppermint extract. Cream for another 2-3 minutes.
- Measure dry ingredients in a separate bowl or sifter. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix until combined.
- Add mint and chocolate chips. Gently stir until incorporated.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop cookies using a 2 Tablespoon size cookie scoop.
- Bake for about 9-11 minutes, watch closely so they don't over bake. They'll start cracking when they are about done. They'll still be a tiny bit jiggly in the centers. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to cookie rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Jamie Cooks it Up
Stop using dye says
Stop using food dye. I just don’t get it, it adds no flavor and is absolutely horrific. Just one of many articles on how horrible food dye is:
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/Health_amp_Fitness_11/article_9970.shtml
Amy Engberson says
You know I actually don’t use dye very often. However once in awhile I love to make festive foods! Soon I am going to post a recipe for Green Eggs and Ham that don’t use dye! You will have to come back and check it out!
Julia @ It's Always Ruetten says
Yummy! I’m signed up for a dessert for a girls get-together next weekend and may just have to take these! (… on another note, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I found your post originally through Pinterest, but it linked to a site that didn’t give you any credit. You can find it here: http://www.recipesblog.org/mint-chip-sugar-cookies-recipe/ … just wanted to let you know).
J
Amy Engberson says
I’m glad that you found me even though it was in a round about way. Thanks for letting me know about this. I will look into it. These sugar cookies are a winner for me every time! I’m going to be posting some Loaded Grasshopper Cookie Bars on Monday that are just as yummy as these!
Joy @ Yesterfood says
Amy, I’m so glad you brought these (green!) cookies to Treasure Box Tuesday…..they go from Christmas to St. Patrick’s Day- perfect! 😀
Amy Engberson says
Thanks for hosting! These cookies are a hit no matter what I make them for!
Hope says
How many does this recipe make?
Amy Engberson says
About 4 dozen depending on how big you make them! Good luck!
Stefan says
Thank you for this fabulous recipe. I pinned it and a gf of mine made them yesterday, she said they turned out fabulously and were just as simple as you said!
I am gonna try to make some today or the next couple days, I have cinnamon bun dough rising right now….I have to constantly keep in mind,…”one Pinterest baking project at a time” LOL
I’ll try and post how mine turn out if I get a chance, and if not thank you again!
-S
Amy Engberson says
I can already smell your cinnamon buns baking! Yum! I’m so glad that your friend tried these cookies and loved them! I’m making them for St. Patties Day too! Let me know how they turn out!
Catie Cottle says
Hi there, was just wondering what Andes Baking Chip are? Are they just like normal choc chips? I’m in NZ and have never seen those chips here before.
Thanks 🙂
Amy Engberson says
These are in the baking isle near the chocolate chips. They are easier to find at Christmas time. If you can’t find them you could use a combination of semi-sweet chocolate chips and mint chocolate chips! I hope you find something that works!!
Candace says
I am baking these now, and like others have said, I will need to put way more than 3 drops of food coloring to get that pretty green color like yours! Also, mine stayed kind of lumpish and didn’t flatten out. I’m blaming that on my hand mixing by wooden spoon. I need to splurge on on one of those fancy mixers! Great recipe though, love that my house smells like peppermints!
Amy Engberson says
Glad your cookies were so tasty. Yes, others have mentioned that more than three drops of food coloring were needed. My six year old “helped” me with that part. He must have made them really big drops! I think the creaming the butter and sugar for a long time makes these cookies have a perfect texture.
Jenn says
I made these cookies today and they were delicious! My family is chowing down as I type this. Lol. Thank you for posting such a wonderful and easy recipe .. That even I couldn’t mess up. :))
Amy Engberson says
Thanks for taking time to let me know that you loved them! Merry Christmas!
Sydney D says
Hello, I just made these cookies and instead of turning out flat and smooth and green, mine turned brownish, and dry. Any idea what might have went wrong? I followed your recipe
Amy Engberson says
Darn. It sounds like you needed to add more green food coloring to get that pretty green color. I’m wondering if you used a smaller cookie scoop than I did, which would cause them to be over baked and dry. My scoop is a barely larger than 2 Tablespoons. If you use a smaller scoop you would need to bake for a shorter amount of time. Sorry they didn’t work for you.
Alex Balley says
I’m making these as we speak! I couldn’t find the Andes Baking Chips so I had to chop up the individually wrapped candies (pain in the butt! Lol) I also didn’t have cream of tarter, so I added some more baking powder. So we’ll see how these turn out. They seem to be leveling out fine and look good!! They also smell wonderful. I can’t wait to taste them!
Alex Balley says
Okay so I just tried one… They are delicious! The texture is fine with the substitution of more baking powder instead of cream of tarter. So yummy! Thanks for a great recipe! 🙂
Amy Engberson says
That’s good to know! I live a long ways from the grocery store and substitute all the time. Glad you loved them!
Nona Wilt says
Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Amy Engberson says
I love salt! So I always use salted butter unless it is clearly stated in a recipe! Even then, most of them time i use salted anyway! Good luck!!
Jes says
Did you really find that 3 drops of green dye was enough? I’ve put in nearly 10 drops (still baking as we speak!) and they just look brown/yellow…
Amy Engberson says
When I bake I usually have extra hands, little hands, helping me! I know that the drops that my six year old put in where big ones!! So you may need to use more than three. Food coloring is one of those things that doesn’t really have to be exact. Just add enough until you get the green color that you like! Either way they taste amazing!
kiera says
I have made these (a holiday FAVORITE – thank you so much!!) several times – with regular grocery dye, I find i need to use at least 2-3 times as much for the green i’d like and its still not AS grinchy dark as I would like…. using professional (ninja turtle color dye) i use MUCH less… 3 drops would be enough to dye your cookies and hands! 🙂 … unfortunately my husband repurposed as leak detection for the pool so back to grocery for nowlol
Amy Engberson says
Oh no! He used all the food coloring! These are a must have holiday treat at my house too! They are so soft and yummy! Merry Christmas!
Dianne says
Hi there, I made these today and they are very, very tasty! I am wondering though if 3 cups of flour may be too much, or add an additional 1/2 cup of butter?. I made these exactly as written, however I had to add a couple of tablespoons of water so that the dough would be come, just that dough. Otherwise it was a crumbly mess. I loosely measured my flour, as I always do when baking, so just not sure where I went wrong? The taste is there, but next time I think some modifications are in order … For at least me anyway! Thanks for recipe, I do love the taste.
Amy Engberson says
Darn! I’m not sure why they were crumbly. I have made them a few times since posting this recipe and had them turn out perfect every time. Hopefully you can try again and get them the way you want them!
Dora says
Great recipe, thank you. I had to adjust the oven temp to 325 because the cookies started turning brown, and i really wanted to preserve the green color for a Grinch theme. I also found the cookies were not spreading even after the cookie dough sat on the counter for a bit… So i just squished them down with my fingers to have flat cookies as opposed to dome shaped ones. Kids absolutely live them, they were a big hit 🙂
Amy Engberson says
I wonder if the altitude affected the way your cookies baked! What a great idea to use them for a Grinch themed party! Glad they worked for you! I took these to a Christmas party over the weekend and my kids were arm wrestling over the last one!
Julie says
Made these last night. . . Already GONE! My husband and I both took some into work had requests for more. Next batch already in the oven. My 10 year old said they were the best I’ve ever made. 🙂
Amy Engberson says
Yeah! I’m so glad that your family and friends loved them!
Cheyenne says
These came out great except they stuck to the pan too much resulting in some bad looking (They tasted great) cookies. Even when I sprayed the pan with pan between batches. Did anyone else have this problem? How can I combat this?
Amy Engberson says
Hi Cheyenne! I’m not sure why these cookies would stick to the pan so badly. I’ve never had that happen before. Typically when I make cookies I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper. It makes clean up a breeze and it keeps cookies from sticking. Hopefully that helps!
Margareth says
Hi!Where can I find peppermint extract??
Amy Engberson says
I bought mine at a local grocery store. I think most grocery stores carry it next to the spices! I hope you find it…I think you will love it. I use it all the time this time of the year!
shamene@sayitwithcake says
Hi! just wanted to let you know I featured your cookies on my blog today! Hope you can check it out! http://sayitwithcake.org/best-chocolate-mint-recipes/#more-706
Kassi Rolin says
Hi, at what temperature do you bake these at? You did not state that anywhere.
Thank you!!
Amy Engberson says
I think the Holidays are making me loose my mind. Thanks for catching that! I bake them at 350 degrees! Have fun making them!
Jasmin says
350 degrees? is it in fahrenheit or celsius?
Amy Engberson says
It’s Fahrenheit!
Cindy says
Hello – I am eager to make these for my family. The recipe calls for 6 oz. of Andes Mint pieces. (Are you referring to the Andes chips? or are you chopping up the individually wrapped candies?
Amy Engberson says
I can’t wait for you to share these with your family. I used Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips. I’m sure you could chop up the individually wrapped candies if that’s what you had on hand! Hope you love them!
Rebecca says
What a great idea, and I’m sure the flavor is outstanding.I can’t wait to make them,if only I could pull up the receipe.oh well,. Thanks for the good idea!
Amy Engberson says
Hi Rebecca! At the bottom of the page it should give you an option to move to the next page. If you keep scrolling the recipe is on page three! Let me know if you can’t find it and I will be sure to get it to you!
Cindy Geisler says
Thank you so very much!! I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday!
Nicole says
I’m making these cookies today! They sell actual Andes chips, you don’t have to chop up the candies. 🙂
Amy Engberson says
Aren’t they wonderful? That’s what I used and love cutting out the chopping up candy step!
Tish says
I was hammering out the frozen wrapped candy!
Of course it tastes good,
but I’d just buy the chips if I were you!
Amy Engberson says
The baking chips are much easier! I’m all about easy, but you could chop the candies if it was all you had!
Lori Glennon says
How much mint flavoring? I don’t see it in the recipe
Amy Engberson says
I used 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract and about 3 drops of food coloring. They are listed in the ingredient list on the printable recipe. However, I’m an impulse baker and add ingredients randomly. With this recipe you can add more of less extract to taste. You can also adjust the food coloring to make the cookies the color of green that you prefer! Good luck and enjoy!