Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies are speckled with tiny morsels of mint chip dispersed throughout rich chocolate shortbread. This easy and convenient slice-and-bake recipe deserves a spot on your baking list!
Why you'll love this recipe
These delicious, crunchy chocolate shortbread cookies get their blast of peppermint flavor from tiny bits of mint baking chips which have been “de-chipped”.
The green peppermint baking chips are chopped to smithereens in the food processor before adding them to the cookie dough. These tiny morsels of flavor disperse throughout the dough, boosting flavor and texture.
The tiny bits of chips can even be added to a roll-out shortbread, like Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, or a Slice and Bake Shortbread dough. Regular or even mini-chips give a bumpy surface to roll-out dough and make it difficult to evenly cut a slice-and-bake log. The "de-chipped" flavor bits are so tiny that rolling or cutting are no problem.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- To “de-chip” the chocolate/mint chips, place the chips in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Do NOT run the processor with the “on” setting or the chips with melt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and melted chocolate. If using peppermint extract, add it now. Slowly add flour until a dough forms. Stir in “de-chipped” bits.
- Form into a log, wrap in wax paper and plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to slice (about 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge).
- When ready to bake: Slice the dough into ¼ – ½ ” thick slices and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1” apart. These cookies spread very little.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-9 minutes, until set but not dry looking.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
For long storage/shipping, no or minimal chocolate dipping is recommended. The chocolate coating will begin to look dull and whitish while the cookies remain delicious.
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Tips
- Mint chips are a Christmas season item. For baking in other seasons, use chocolate chips and add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the dough.
- You can also substitute Andes mints for the mint chips. Freezing them before chopping is recommended so that they don't melt.
- Be sure to process on “pulse”. Short bursts will eventually chop up the chips without melting them.
- **Important storage or shipping fact** Mint cookies will share their minty-ness with any item they are stored/packed with. Store your Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies separately from other cookies. If mailing, make a mint themed care package.
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For a shortbread cookie with extra warmth that brings out the deep chocolate flavor, try Spiced Chocolate Shortbread Cookies.
Chocolate Chip Shortbread is so festive when you add sprinkles!
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Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate melted, cooled slightly
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup combination mix chocolate and mint chips or ½ cup chocolate chips and ½ cup mint chips (or 1 cup chocolate chips and ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract)
- Dipping chocolate optional: About 1 cup chocolate chips melted/ About 1 cup mint chips melted
Instructions
- To “de-chip” the chocolate/mint chips, place the chips in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Do NOT run the processor with the “on” setting or the chips with melt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and melted chocolate. If using peppermint extract, add it now.
- Slowly add flour until a dough forms.
- Stir in “de-chipped” bits.
- Form into a log, wrap in wax paper and plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm enough to slice (about 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge).
- When ready to bake: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the dough into ¼ – ½ ” thick slices and place on the baking sheet about 1” apart. These cookies spread very little.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes, until set but not dry looking.
- Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- If dipping in chocolate: In a small bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave.
- Dip the cooled shortbread into the melted chocolate and place on waxed paper until set.
- For drizzle decorating, additional chips can be melted in a zip lock bag. Cut a tiny corner off the bottom of the bag in order to pipe drizzle lines.
- Cookies must be completely cool and/or chocolate completely set before storage. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks. Uncooked dough logs can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 1 month.
Notes
- Double wrap pairs of cookies (with bottoms together) in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or zip lock bag. For longer storage, vacuum sealing is recommended.
- Mint cookies will share their minty-ness with any item they are stored/packed with. Think mint banana bread, mint peanut butter cookies, or mint sourdough loaf. Not a good thought, is it? Store your Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies separately from other cookies. If mailing, make it a mint themed care package.
Nutrition
First Published: October 21, 2013. Last Updated: October 27, 2022. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
BruCrew Life
Such gorgeous cookies!! Love them!
themondaybox
Thanks, Jocelyn! Sprinkles are eye candy. 🙂
shannon
i do not crave peppermint cookie things until now: this time of year is my season for things like that, especially when paired with chocolate. i love the way you dipped these, and you are SO RIGHT about peppermint things being packaged with anything else: never do that, because flavor mixing will absolutely happen.
quick input on the mint chips: they are a seasonal thing (or at least i've noticed that to be true), but if you want other alternatives, i think that Michaels sells those candy melts, and they do have a peppermint one you could buy. also, you could melt white chocolate together with some peppermint extract if you wanted the white/green color of the mint chips: they would be more of a vanilla mint, but it's delicious.
themondaybox
Until I started this blog, I had no idea how many flavors are considered "seasonal"! It doesn't make any difference how many chocolate-mint items are available year round, post some thing chocolate-mint and everyone thinks Christmas! 🙂 A Pavlovian response. Maybe thats why Thin Mints are the biggest selling girl scout cookie. They make people feel festive. 🙂 It is often amazing how powerful the mint smell can be and how many layers of plastic wrap it can seep through!
I love the flavored candy melt suggestion!!! I never think of using those in cookies(over cookies of course but until now not IN cookies) and it is an excellent thought!! As you know, I love to dabble with adding color and flavor to melted white chocolate chips but your candy melt idea is faster and also perfect for those not giddy over kitchen experiments! Thanks! You will be seeing that idea put to use soon!
Mrs. DeYarmond
Oh my ! These cookies look awesome ! I'm a huge fan of your shortbread cookies and I love the way you decorate them ! Still a hit ! I love chocolate pepermint association and I would be sooo pleased to eat one of them ! Can you send me a plate of them please ?? 🙂
Lots of love xxx
themondaybox
You are so sweet, Sarah! I would happily send you a plate full! 😉 The funny thing is that these really are a good choice for long distance mailing. They would arrive in France smelling minty and tasting fresh! How about a trade; a plate of my cookies for one of your chocolate ganache muffins!
Mrs. DeYarmond
Sounds sooo funny ! But I think these muffins won't be good after a long distance mailing (well, not pretty sure cause these muffins were eaten so fast !) haha !
themondaybox
🙂 Oh, well. The customs officials would think I was crazy anyway. Who in their right mind sends patisserie to France! I will just have to bake your muffins myself. 🙂
The Café Sucre Farine
Chocolate and mint, to me, are a combination made in heaven!
themondaybox
The two flavors compliment one another perfectly, Chris! The de-chipping method puts that combo in every bite. 🙂
Joanne
We are BIG peppermint chocolate fans around here so I know these will be made this holiday season!
themondaybox
These shortbread cookies are a peppermint chocolate fan's dream, Joanne! The tiny pieces of chocolate and mint chips spread all over the cookie some how upping the flavor. 🙂
Mama's Gotta Bake
I love these cookies, they're so festive. I will add them to my holiday cookie collection. These will be perfect to send to a hungry boy living away from home!
themondaybox
I sent them to my hungry boy living away from home (and bemoaning that winter has arrived in Chicago!) and he gave them a thumbs up. 🙂 They are especially good with a hot cup of coffee.
(Funny coincidence: The notification that you had left a comment came up as I was reading your pumpkin streusel cake post!)
beyondfrosting
I can totally get down with these cookies!
themondaybox
They disappeared in record time at my house, Julianne!
Monica
Hi Wendy - I'm also loving this "de-chipping" idea. I remember making espresso cookies and grinding the espresso beans gave the cookies such a nice flavor of espresso throughout the entire cookie. And it's so practical as far as the slicing goes. I'm definitely in the holiday spirit. I love Christmas and your cookies make me think of all the wonderful holiday flavors ahead!
themondaybox
The de-chipping works great with roll-out cookies too, Monica! I wasn't thinking holidays when I made these (we eat chocolate mint year round) but it seems like chocolate mint triggers Christmas thoughts for so many people. (Kind of like "visions of sugar plums"!) I do think that de-chipped chips of all kinds will be awesome for holiday cookies!
artandkitchen
Yummy! Your cookies look realla appealing! Great photos!
themondaybox
Thanks, Adriana! I appreciate the encouragement on the photos. Technology aside, food photography is my biggest blogging challenge!
noyomoco
Gorgeous cookies!
themondaybox
Thanks, Jennifer! I need to start applying the "less is more" philosophy. I am seriously drizzle addicted and need to embrace the beauty of a undecorated cookie, especially one as full of flavor as this one. I just have a hard time photographing plain cookies. They tend to look....plain. Any tips?
Malou Perez-Nievera (@malou_nievera)
Thank you for sharing Anita's story. It's such an inspiring story of LOVE and generosity. Your cookies evoke the excitement that you have from learning and reading food blogs. De-chipping is also new to me and I think I like the idea of having them in tiny morsels. It seems as though every bite will give you a burst of surprise.
Great to have you around the blogosphere Wendy!
themondaybox
Thanks, Malou! So many blogs, so much to learn, so many cookies to bake! 🙂 No one would suspect it from reading my blog, but I actually cook "real" food too! 🙂
gottagetbaked
Thanks for introducing me to Sweet Hope Cookies. What an amazing thing Anita is doing. I always love finding new exciting blogs. Dechipping is the best idea ever. Why in the world have I never thought of doing that? Now you can have chocolate in every single bite. Your cookies look incredible, especially with that glossy dip of chocolate and the pretty criss crosses.
themondaybox
You are so welcome, Nancy! I agree, finding new blogs is such fun. Anita's de-chipping idea is brilliant! But it's discovering the amazing people behind each blog that is the very best!
Speaking of the very best....it may very well have been your incredible mint chocolate brownies that got me thinking chocolate mint for these shortbread cookies!
gottagetbaked
I'm glad I helped inspire you to make these. We could all do with a dose of chocolate and mint in our lives!
themondaybox
Agreed!
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
I love when I find a new food blog to follow! It's so exciting, like picking up a new cookbook from the store. 🙂 These cookies look spectacular, Wendy, and the colors go well for Halloween too! Yum!
themondaybox
Thanks, Jess! I feel the same way every time I stumble upon another blog that "speaks to me". I am constantly astounded at how many talented people there are in the world! Do you ever read a blog and either the pictures or the words make you pause and say,"Wow" ?
mmmarzipan
these look stunning! and anything choc-mint gets my vote 😀
themondaybox
Thanks! These are definitely the cookie for a chocolate mint lover. With or without the chocolate dip, they are full of flavor!
Ashley
I love the idea of "de-chipping" the chips in a food processor! I would have never thought to do that! Chocolate and mint is such a good combination ... although I must admit that you are sorta putting me in the Christmas spirit with these cookies! I don't know why but they are making me think of holiday baking! But I won't get ahead of myself ... I love Halloween and Thanksgiving too much not to fully enjoy them : )
themondaybox
I think the "de-chipping" is such a great idea too, Ashley! I was so excited to find it then try it and it worked perfectly with these slice-and-bake style cookies.Chocolate mint has such a strong Christmas connection for many people. I figure, if the Girl Scouts sell more chocolate mint than any other cookie during their spring cookie sales, I can be enthusiastic about chocolate mint shortbread in October! 🙂 By all means, fully enjoy each holiday, one at a time. (True story: I was at World Market this week and there was a Valentines display!!)