These Peppermint Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies are a fabulous Christmas bake. A simple chocolate cookie gets topped with a marshmallow before putting back in the oven. Cover the slightly melted marshmallows with chocolate. Let this set before topping with a sprinkle of candy canes. These cookies are a wonderful holiday bake, and taste full of that peppermint chocolate combo.
These cookies are a great thing to make for the holidays, for parties or cozy movie nights. That said, who says you can’t have peppermint chocolate all year round?! You can totally sub the candy canes for any peppermint candy or omit altogether. These cookies do require 2 hours of chill time – non-negotiable, I’m sorry. So bare that in mind when starting this bake!
As is common on my site, this is a mega versatile recipe. You could absolutely sub the candy canes on top for whatever candy you prefer, but I love the combination for Christmas. You want any peppermint candy, chopped up into small pieces to sprinkle on top. The size is up to you, but I think you want just big enough that you can get a bite with clear peppermint, without being so small you miss it. Similarly, feel free to change how big the cookies are to make more or fewer. If you do this, however, make sure to adjust the bake time up or down accordingly. This is a great cookie dough to make ahead and keep in the fridge or freezer (wrap air tight) until needed!
Here are some tips to help you make great chocolate cookies:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The quality of your ingredients will significantly impact the taste and texture of your cookies. Use good quality cocoa powder and real chocolate for the best results.
- Measure accurately: Baking is a science, so precise measurements are crucial. Use measuring cups and spoons to ensure you’re using the right amount of each ingredient, especially the flour.
- Don’t overmix: When you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, be careful not to overmix the cookie dough. Overmixing can result in a tougher texture. Mix until just combined for tender and chewy cookies.
- Chill the dough: After mixing the dough, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or overnight. Chilling helps the dough firm up, prevents the cookies from spreading too much, and enhances the flavor.
- Use parchment paper: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. This prevents the cookies from sticking to the pan, ensures even baking, and makes cleanup easier.
- Proper spacing: Leave enough space between the cookie dough balls on the baking sheet to allow for spreading during baking. It ensures that the cookies bake evenly and don’t merge into one giant cookie.
- Bake at the right temperature: Follow the recipe instructions for the correct oven temperature. Baking at too high a temperature can result in cookies that are overcooked on the outside and undercooked inside.
- Don’t overbake: Keep a close eye on the cookies while baking to avoid overbaking them. Remember that they will continue to cook slightly after being removed from the oven, so aim for slightly underdone cookies for a soft and chewy texture.
- Let them cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set and firm up without breaking apart.
- Enjoy! Once the cookies have cooled just a little, we top with the melted chocolate. Sprinkle over the peppermint candy immediately so it sticks to the chocolate. Then let set!
Top Tips for my Peppermint Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Softened Butter: Soft, not melted is key to a good texture.
- Melted Chocolate: Try to use a higher quality dark chocolate where possible, as this really does contribute to that final flavour.
- Light Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: It is the combination of both sugars that creates the fudgy texture and rich flavour.
- Cocoa Powder: Again, where possible try to use a higher quality make. This contributes so much to the flavour and I find some cheap ones really dull the richness!
- Marshmallows: Use the large ones, but cut them in half using scissors as otherwise they’re a little too tall to fully cover with the chocolate.
- Peppermint Candy: Candy canes, peppermint candies, whatever you choose to use, make sure to be careful when crushing. You could either crush in the bag with a rolling pin, or use a knife, but be SO careful doing this.
I bake these Peppermint Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies on classic sheet pans (like these) and always opt for silicone baking mats (these are the ones I use) as they’re better for the planet! For more cookie recipes, check out these Harry Potter Inspired ButterBeer Cookies or these Lemon Curd Filled Cookies. For more baking inspiration, head on over to my Instagram.
Storage
Because these cookies don’t use a fresh frosting, place in an airtight container and keep in a cool place like your cupboard or pantry. They will keep for up to 3 days this way. A cake tin is a great option if you have one. You can also place in the refrigerator if you have a warmer house or if you want to keep the glaze set well.
To make ahead of time, you can freeze the cookies after baking. Completely wrap as tight as you can using cling film/Saran wrap. If you have an airtight container too, place it in there before freezing. Let thaw in the fridge before filling and covering in the glaze.
Peppermint Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Ingredients
- 113 g (½ cups) Unsalted Butter Softened
- 125 g (⅔ cups) Granulated Sugar
- 75 g (⅓ cups) Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 1 (1) Large Free Range Egg
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) Peppermint Extract
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) Plain (AP) Flour
- 40 g (8 tbsp) Cocoa Powder
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Baking Soda
For the Topping
- 7 (7) Marshmallows Cut in Half
- 200 g (1 cup) Dark Chocolate
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Coconut Oil or similar flavourless oil
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Peppermint Extract
- 100 g (½ cups) Candy Canes/Peppermint Candies Crushed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and both sugar until fully combined. Add in the egg and peppermint and again, mix to combine.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda and mix again using electric mixer. It might be a little stiff and sticky – if it's too stiff to work, add a tablespoon of milk.
- Place dough in a bowl and cover, let chill 2 hours.
- Pre-heat the oven to 355f/180c. Line two large baking trays.
- Take the dough from the fridge, and roll into balls – I use a tablespoon to scoop, which creates about 12-14 cookies. Place the balls onto the trays, spaced apart (I do 6 per large tray).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place a marshmallow half on each cookie. Press down a little, then return to the oven for 3 minutes.
- Remove and let cool.
- Whilst cooling, crush your candy canes/peppermint candies. You can either use a rolling pin in a large bowl, or bash them while they are still in the packaging (much cleaner). Finally, you can use a knife to cut them, just take really good care as the super hard candies are difficult to cut so there's a risk of the knife slipping. Set aside the crushed candies in a bowl.
- Once cool, melt the dark chocolate with the oil – In a small bowl, break up the dark chocolate, peppermint extract and oil and melt in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between to make sure it doesn't burn. Alternatively, set up a double boiler. Do this by placing a heatproof bowl over a small pot of simmering water. Add the chocolate, peppermint extract and oil to the heatproof bowl and stir until melted.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over the marshmallows, so that the marshmallows are no longer visible.
- Sprinkle over the crushed candy canes and leave to set.
