These chocolate mint cookies are the easy holiday treat that saved my cookie exchange stress. Rich chocolate cookies get topped with creamy mint frosting and drizzled with melted chocolate. That's it. Comes together in about 40 minutes with simple ingredients and tastes like those Girl Scout thin mints everyone loves. I make these chocolate mint cookies whenever I need mint chocolate desserts that look impressive but require no complicated baking skills.
Why You'll Love This Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
Real talk, this chocolate mint cookies recipe is one of the easiest mint cookie recipes I've made and they disappear at every party.
What Actually Works: This recipe makes rich chocolate cookies that bake until chewy, tops them with sweet mint frosting, then drizzles melted chocolate over everything. Simple ingredients, about 40 minutes total. Tastes like chocolate mint m&m cookies meets Girl Scout cookies but costs way less. My family requests these more than any other holiday cookies.
The thing that changed everything: Understanding that you need to chill the dough before baking for chocolate mint cookies. My first attempt I baked them right away and they spread flat and thin like pancakes. Started chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking and suddenly got those thick, chewy cookies with perfect texture. That chilling step is what transforms flat mint chocolate cookies into the bakery style treats everyone photographs.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
- What You'll Need for Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
- How to Make Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
- Top Tip
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Storage and Reuse Instructions
- What to Serve With Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
- My Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe Journey
- Similar Easy Cookie Recipes Worth Making
- FAQ
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Related
- Pairing
What You'll Need for Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
Basic ingredients you probably have. This is the easiest mint chocolate desserts you'll make this season.
For the Cookies
- All purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda
- Salt
For the Mint Frosting
- Powdered sugar
- Butter
- Peppermint extract
- Green food coloring
- Heavy cream or milk
For the Chocolate Drizzle
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Coconut oil or butter
Optional Add-Ins
- Andes mints chopped
- Mini chocolate chips
- Crushed candy canes
Exact measurements in the recipe card.
How to Make Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
This mint chocolate chip cookies recipe comes together in about 40 minutes. The technique is simple but makes all the difference.
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough
Cream softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. The dough will be thick and chocolatey.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This prevents the cookies from spreading too thin during baking and creates that perfect chewy texture for chocolate mint cookies.
Step 2: Bake the Cookies
Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into balls using a cookie scoop or tablespoon. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone. Don't overbake or your mint chocolate cookies will be dry instead of chewy. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Step 3: Make the Mint Frosting
Beat softened butter with powdered sugar until smooth. Add peppermint extract, a few drops of green food coloring, and enough heavy cream to reach spreadable consistency. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
The frosting should be thick enough to spread but not runny. Adjust consistency with more powdered sugar or cream as needed for your chocolate chip cookies with mint chips topping.
Step 4: Frost and Drizzle
Once cookies are completely cool, spread a generous layer of mint frosting on top of each cookie using an offset spatula or butter knife. The frosting should cover the entire top surface.
Melt chocolate chips with a small amount of coconut oil in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the frosted cookies using a fork or spoon in a back and forth motion.
Step 5: Set and Serve
Let the chocolate drizzle set at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes for faster setting.
Serve these gorgeous chocolate mint cookies at room temperature. They'll look like professional bakery cookies with the green mint layer and chocolate drizzle that everyone recognizes from andes mint cookies style.
Top Tip
Chill the dough before baking for perfect chocolate mint cookies:
- That chilling step is what makes mint chocolate chip cookies actually work
- Made this mistake once baking the dough immediately without chilling
- The cookies spread paper thin and looked like flat pancakes
- Started chilling dough for 30 minutes before scooping and baking
- The chilled dough held its shape and baked into thick chewy cookies
- Suddenly got that perfect bakery texture everyone loves
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
The base chocolate mint cookies recipe is perfect but you can customize for different flavors.
Andes Mint Version
Press a whole Andes mint into the top of each cookie right when they come out of the oven for andes mint chocolate cookies. Let it melt slightly, then spread. Skip the frosting and drizzle.
Double Chocolate
Add chocolate chips to the dough for double chocolate andes mint cookies. Use both semi-sweet and white chocolate chips for variety.
No Food Coloring
Skip the green food coloring and make white mint frosting for simple chocolate cookie with andes mint look. Still tastes amazing.
Crinkle Style
Roll dough balls in powdered sugar before baking for andes mint chocolate crinkle cookies. They'll have that crackled appearance.
Brownie Cookies
Use brownie mix as the base instead of making dough from scratch for andes mint brownie cookies. Top with mint frosting as directed.
Christmas Version
Use red and green frosting for festive chocolate mint cookies christmas. Add crushed candy canes to the frosting for extra crunch.
Storage and Reuse Instructions
Room Temperature: Store chocolate mint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Layer between parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Refrigerator: These mint cookie recipes keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
Freezing: Freeze unfrosted baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw completely, then frost and drizzle. Or freeze fully decorated cookies for up to 1 month.
Make-Ahead: Bake cookies up to 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container and frost the day of serving for freshest mint chocolate desserts presentation.
What to Serve With Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe
These chocolate mint cookies are perfect on their own but pair well with beverages.
Hot Drinks: Serve with coffee, hot chocolate, or peppermint tea. The mint chocolate flavor complements warm drinks perfectly for mint dessert recipes spreads.
Cookie Platters: Display alongside other diy easy recipes cookies like sugar cookies, gingerbread, and chocolate chip for variety at holiday parties.
Ice Cream: Crumble these mint chocolate cookies over vanilla ice cream for an easy sundae. The combination tastes like mint chocolate brownies in dessert form.
My Chocolate Mint Cookies Recipe Journey
First time I made these cookies I didn't chill the dough before baking. Scooped them right onto the pan and they spread into flat thin discs. They tasted okay but looked nothing like the thick chewy cookies I wanted.
Tried again but overbaked them trying to get more structure. The cookies were hard and dry instead of soft and chewy. Not the mint chocolate desserts I was hoping for.
Then I chilled the dough for 30 minutes and baked just until the edges set. Suddenly got perfect thick cookies with chewy centers. Added the mint frosting and chocolate drizzle and they looked professional.
Now I make these chocolate mint cookies every holiday season because I know the secret. Chill the dough and don't overbake.
Similar Easy Cookie Recipes Worth Making
If you love these chocolate mint cookies, you'll definitely want to try my other simple cookie recipes:
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies – Classic cookies with mint chips throughout for mint chocolate chip cookies variation
- Andes Mint Brownies – Fudgy brownies topped with Andes mints for mint brownies recipe chocolate lovers
- Peppermint Bark Cookies – Sugar cookies with white chocolate and crushed candy canes for mint cookie recipes twist
All three use similar techniques to these chocolate chip and mint cookies but bring different presentations to your mint dessert recipes rotation.
FAQ
Do mint and chocolate go together?
Yes, mint and chocolate are a classic flavor combination that works beautifully together. The cool refreshing mint balances the rich sweetness of chocolate perfectly. Chocolate mint cookies showcase this pairing with chocolate cookies, mint frosting, and chocolate drizzle. The combination is popular in candies like Andes mints and Girl Scout thin mints. The mint cuts through the richness of chocolate while the chocolate adds depth to the mint. This is why mint chocolate chip cookies and mint chocolate desserts are so beloved, especially during the holidays.
What is the most popular cookie ever?
Chocolate chip cookies are generally considered the most popular cookie ever, but chocolate mint cookies are extremely popular during the holiday season. Mint chocolate cookies rank high on holiday cookie lists because they combine two beloved flavors. Girl Scout thin mints are one of the best selling Girl Scout cookies of all time, proving the popularity of the mint and chocolate combination. These homemade chocolate chip cookies with mint chips give you that same flavor profile. The mint cookie recipes category includes many variations but the chocolate mint combination remains a favorite.
What's the secret to thin mint crispness?
The secret to thin mint crispness is rolling the dough very thin before baking and using less butter in the recipe. However, these chocolate mint cookies are meant to be thick and chewy, not thin and crispy like Girl Scout cookies. For chewy texture in mint chocolate chip cookies, chill the dough before baking and slightly underbake so centers stay soft. If you want crispy chocolate cookie with andes mint style, roll dough thinner and bake 2 to 3 minutes longer until edges are very firm. Less moisture creates crispness while more creates chewiness.
What is the secret to making cookies soft and chewy?
The secret to soft and chewy chocolate mint cookies is using more brown sugar than white sugar, slightly underbaking, and chilling the dough before baking. Brown sugar contains molasses which adds moisture for chewy texture. Pull cookies from the oven when edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone. They'll continue cooking on the hot pan. Chilling the dough prevents spreading so cookies stay thick and chewy. Using room temperature butter instead of melted butter also helps mint chocolate cookies hold their shape and stay soft inside with slightly crispy edges.
More Recipes You'll Love
Once you've mastered these chocolate mint cookies, try my Apple Crisp Cheesecake for easy no-bake dessert with cinnamon apple topping. My Caramel Cheesecake Cookies bring soft cookies with cheesecake filling and caramel drizzle. And my Boston Cream Pie Cookie makes chocolate cookies with vanilla cream and chocolate ganache that taste like the classic dessert.
Chocolate Mint Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cream softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, then gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined, and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper, then scoop chilled dough into balls and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but centers still look slightly underdone, then let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat softened butter with powdered sugar until smooth, then add peppermint extract, green food coloring, and enough heavy cream to reach spreadable consistency, beating until light and fluffy.
- Spread mint frosting on top of each cooled cookie, then melt chocolate chips with coconut oil and drizzle over the frosted cookies.
- Let the chocolate drizzle set at room temperature for about 30 minutes or refrigerate for faster setting, then serve.
Nutrition
Notes
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Mint Cookies :
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