The classic combination of chocolate and peppermint make these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies the perfect treat for the holidays!
Before we dive into the deliciousness of these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies, allow me to indulge you in a story that is just so typical “me”.
A few years ago, around this time of year, I was shopping at my favorite discount housewares store. Truthfully, I’m there so often they probably know me by name.
If you’ve ever been to HomeSense (aka Homegoods in the US) you know they have an awesome selection of discount bakeware, props (it’s where I get most of my cake stands), and generally everything you could ever want for your home.
You have to put in a bit of time searching, but you can find some really good treasures there.
HomeSense around the holidays is honestly one of my favorite things ever. They have an amazing selection of decorations.
AMAZING!
Unique pieces from all over the world. It takes SO much restraint for me not to walk out of there with bags full of goodies. I have to keep asking myself: Do I really need this reindeer with sparkly antlers? (it was SO pretty!) Or these minimalist Santas from Sweden? (I did, and I bought them).
It’s a serious struggle.
So there I am a few years ago, blissfully perusing their holiday decorations, when I stumble across these authentic handmade Nutcrackers from Germany. There was a variety of them and they weren’t the traditional, boring (sorry!) Nutcrackers.
Each of these Nutcrackers had a theme — there was a fisherman, a Scottish bagpiper, a leprechaun, a painter, a toymaker… They were freakin’ adorable.
And then I saw it.
There was a CAKE BAKER Nutcracker. OMG.
My heart maybe started to race a little bit… until I looked at the price. These guys were all $40-$60, which isn’t crazy unreasonable (but sorta), and this was before I had gone to pastry school and gotten back into baking and blogging.
I literally thought to myself: ‘If I was still really into the cake thing I would totally buy this’. But I wasn’t, so I didn’t buy the Nutcracker. Sigh.
I kid you not that I have looked for that Nutcracker every damn year since (probably about 3 years now). Every year!
I scour various HomeSense locations hoping it will pop up. They have a series of these Nutcrackers every year, so I am hopeful, but alas, I haven’t been able to find it.
I even looked for it online, but can’t find the exact one I saw (or at least the way I remember it). The one I can find online is a bit uglier than the one I remember (lol), and I’m certainly not willing to spend $100 incl. shipping on it.
We never really had Nutcrackers when we were growing up — they weren’t part of our holiday traditions.
We did go see the Nutcracker ballet one year though, and I remember it fondly. I must have been 12 or so at the time. It was the first “fancy” outing for my sister and me, and we got new outfits for it. I still remember the dusty-rose corduroy pants and matching sweater I was wearing. Sooooo 80’s, I love it.
I dragged Ryan to see the Nutcracker ballet a couple of years ago. It’s a bit of a snooze-fest (especially for Ryan), but very festive nonetheless.
Anyhow, with my sister in town, we had to hit up HomeSense at least once during her visit.
I’d like to tell you that I finally found the cake baker, but alas, I did not. However, I did come across a cookie baker that I’d seen in previous years. I would totally have been settling to get him since he wasn’t “the one” but I looked at the price and noticed he was only $16.99!
He was obviously mispriced, as all the other ones were $40. I feel a teeeeeeny bit bad about getting him for that price, but honestly, I spend so much money in HomeSense that I’m not losing sleep over it.
So cute, right??
I’ll keep checking every damn HomeSense every year until I can find that cake baker. But for now, I’m quite happy with the gingerbread baker. In my search for the cake one it turns out this is actually a gingerbread seller, but whatever!
He’ll do.
It would have been ideal if I’d had the foresight to do a gingerbread cookie recipe to tie in with this post, but it wasn’t in my plans (neither was the Nutcracker) so you get these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies instead!
If these cookies look familiar, it’s probably because they are. I slightly modified the recipe for my Halloween Sprinkle Cookies to bring you a holiday version. As soon as I made those Halloween ones, I knew a holiday version would not be far on the horizon.
If you read my Halloween Sprinkle Cookies post, you know that those are some of my favorite cookies ever. The white candy melts are surprisingly delicious with the Oreo-like cookie.
These Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies are super simple to make. It’s a fairly standard cookie though, with the exception of one unique ingredient: black cocoa powder
What Is Black Cocoa Powder?
Black cocoa powder is cocoa powder that has been heavily Dutch-processed.
What this means is that almost all of the acid has been removed from it. Regular cocoa powder, that you buy in the grocery store, hasn’t had any of the acid stripped. Dutch-processed cocoa powder has had most of the acid stripped and black cocoa powder even more so.
This results in a richer flavor and color. In the case of black cocoa powder, it results in a cocoa powder that is almost completely black and tastes just like an Oreo cookie.
It’s delicious!
I try to add it in, in some part, to most of the recipes I make that call for cocoa powder.
If you don’t have black cocoa powder and don’t want to buy it, it’s not the end of the world. I would recommend sticking with Dutch-processed though over regular cocoa powder if you can swing it though. It will really result in a better tasting cookie!
As for the dipping. I used Bright White Candy Melts over white chocolate because I wanted that stark white color contrast. Either will work though.
If you’re going to use candy melts, be sure to read over the details in this post as it has some tips on how best to melt them for dipping.
The dipped cookies will freeze well, but the crushed candy canes won’t. If you’re looking to make these in advance, I would recommend baking and freezing just the cookies themselves, then thawing, dipping, and decorating when you need them.
Rich chocolate cookies with splash of peppermint and some crushed up candy cane make these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies the perfect festive treat for the holidays!
Tips for making these Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
- Black cocoa powder is not critical, but I highly recommend it for that nice Oreo-like color (and flavor). You can use Dutch-processed instead, but it will affect the color of the cookies.
- Ideally use Bright White candy melts for dipping. You can use white chocolate if you prefer, but the color will be a bit yellow.
- Read this post for tips on how best to melt the candy melts for dipping.
- I chopped up some whole candy canes, but you can use store-bought crushed candy canes to save some time.
Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 1/4 cup black cocoa powder sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light-brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp peppermint extract optional
- 1 bag Bright White Candy Melts or white chocolate, melted*
- vegetable shortening as needed to thin candy melts
- crushed candy canes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars on med-high until light and fluffy (approx. 2-3mins). Reduce speed and add egg and peppermint extract. Beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Chill dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion dough onto baking sheet (I did 9 cookies per sheet). Bake for approximately 10 mins, or until the middle is set. Cookies will deflate and crinkle a bit upon cooling.
- Cool on pans for 5 mins then transfer to to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dip in melted candy melts or white chocolate, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Allow to set.
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Notes
Originally published Nov 20th, 2016
Susan Armstrong says
Loved the cookies! Everybody enjoyed them at Christmas. For me, white chocolate melts perfectly in the microwave, but seizes in a bowl over hot water. I added peppermint extract to the white chocolate since I was freezing the cookies and candy cane pieces get soft when frozen. I used red and green sugars instead. They are on our permanent rotation for Christmas cookies now!
Olivia says
Hi Susan! So happy you love these. Thanks for the tips and feedback!
Phyllis says
I made the cookies and taste great. The cookies did not look like picture. The cookies turned out flat instead of thick. What could be wrong. I scooped the flour. Not sure the problem.
Olivia says
Hi Phyllis! Strange that the cookies turned out flat! Did you chill the dough before baking? Perhaps something was off with the measurements?
Kat says
I don’t have any parchment paper. Can I bake them on a cookie sheet without them?
Olivia says
Hi Kat! I worry they will stick to the sheet, but if you grease the sheet they might spread too much. Give it a try and see how it goes?
Bernadette says
I made these in the gingerbread cups and they turned out amazing! I found a little trick: I used a medicine cup for my mini cups and dipped it in flour before making the indents. It’s not full proof but I found it worked better than greasing the cup.
Olivia says
Hi Bernadette! Thanks so much for your tip! I’m so happy you liked them 🙂
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake says
Liv, these were excellent. I made them using dutched cocoa powder and they look just like your photos. They’re a little on the cakey side, which I think suits them well. The only change I made was to increase the peppermint by one half-teaspoon as I tend to like things a little stronger in flavor 🙂 Thank you for such a lovely recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Rebecca! So happy you loved these! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Jacqueline says
I had black cocoa powder from Halloween cookies I baked for my son’s class, so this was a perfect recipe to use it up as I was actually running a bit low on regular cocoa powder. The cookies turned out exceptional! It has been my favorite cookie I have baked in texture crisp/soft/ chew factor. I am still a little nervous with melting the white chocolate as I had a disaster in the past, so I need to improve my chocolate drizzle skills, and buy some icing tips once these covid rules lift.
Olivia says
Hi Jacqueline! So happy you loved these! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Morgan says
Why does the link for how to do the candy melts NOT work?
Olivia says
Hi Morgan! Sorry about that, it should be fixed now.
Dana says
Hi! These look delish! Question; if I want to skip the white chocolate all together but want to keep the candy canes, how would I best incorporate thee candy canes without the white chocolate for them to stick on ? Do you think I could press a few pieces into the dough before I pop the cookies in the oven? I don’t know if candy cane would burn… Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Dana! You could totally press a few into the dough. The candy canes will melt a bit but should be fine. I actually mixed some right into the dough in these cookies (https://livforcake.com/white-chocolate-candy-cane-cookies/) but it will cause them to spread a bit more. I haven’t tried it with the chocolate ones.
Sam says
Hello, does it make a difference if I use peppermint extract or not.
Olivia says
Hi Sam! It just depends on if you want more of a peppermint flavor over and above the crushed candy canes. You can leave it out without issue or swap it for vanilla.
Sheila says
Since I don’t have Black Cocoa, do I add 1/2 cup of dutch-processed cocoa?
Olivia says
Hi Sheila! Yes, exactly. That will be fine.
Paola says
These are so easy to make and sooooo delicious. I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder and didn’t mind the color, it looked dark enough. Dipped in Ghirardelli white vanilla flavored melting wafers. Learn from my mistake, I melted them in the double boiler method and I let it sit in the hot plate above it for too long that it got super stiff! So microwaving at 15 sec intervals works fantastic! Next time I’ll drizzle the white chocolate on top of the cookie vs dip it as the vanilla white chocolate flavor was too much sugar for me. Entire family loved this!! Reminded me of the mint thins Girl Scout cookies.
Olivia says
Hi Paola! So glad you loved these. Thanks for your tips and feedback!
Leslie says
Sooooo delicious! Will dip in white chocolate and decorate tomorrow. My cookies are incredibly flat!!! No substitutions, spooned all the dry ingredients… Dough was in the freezer for at least an hour, but I noticed that the center was very sticky and mushy. Definitely not cold. I also rolled out the balls all at once, so many sat quite a bit on the counter waiting for their turn. Temperature alone account for the flatness?
Olivia says
Hi Leslie! So glad you loved these! So strange that the dough was sticky and mushy after an hour in the freezer! That is definitely not right. Is it possible that you used too much butter?
Samantha says
Hello Olivia,
Thanks for the recipe. Can this sough be frozen and baked at a later date? If so, what steps do i need to follow when thawing and baking?
Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Samantha! For sure! For ease I would portion the dough into balls, freeze them on a baking sheet, then pop them all into a freezer bag and store until needed. You may be able to bake right from frozen, or let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Don’t let them come to room temp before baking.
Lisa Meisenbacher says
My son said these were the best cookies I have ever made! I made them twice this week. First batch came out fluffier than second. He preferred the first batch. I don’t know if it was because I refrigerated dough over night or eggs were larger or a tad more flour. Second batch I refrigerated 1 hour and made them smaller. They were chewier inside and crisper outside.
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! So happy to hear you guys loved these 🙂
Melissa says
These cookies are AMAZING! I don’t normally like chocolate cookies but these taste sooo good. Definitely a new holiday staple. I made the recipe as stated. I made sure to spoon in my measurements and not scoop. I have yet to dip them in the candy melt but as is they are great! Thank you so much for this stellar recipe 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback 😀 I hope you like the dipped cookies even more.
Natalie says
These are simple and delicious. I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder and added a few drops of black gel food coloring to darken the dough. Dipped in Ghirardelli white vanilla flavored melting wafers, using the technique for melting white chocolate that Liv recommends
They turned put perfectly, and froze beautifully, even after decorating. Kids and I just enjoyed some with a big mug of hot cocoa to celebrate the start of Christmas vacation. Perfect!
Olivia says
Hi Natalie! Thanks for the awesome feedback and for your tips! What a perfect way to kick off the holidays 😀
Jen says
Making these cookies tonight! My dough has been chilling overnight. What is the correct dough consistency? It seems very sticky. Excited to see how they turn out!
Olivia says
Hi Jen! It shouldn’t be sticky once chilled. It should be the consistency of a regular cookie dough. Let me know how you like them! 🙂
Erika says
I just made these for a cookie day at school. I don’t have a cookie scoop (I actually didn’t even know that existed), so I used a tablespoon and put a very small tablespoonful on the cookie sheets. They spread out no problem. I did have yo up the baking time to 15 minutes though. Also , it would be nice to have the exact measurement of candy melts as I had a big bag already.
The cookie turned out crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The melted chocolate is drying as I write this so we’ll have to see how the entire thing tastes.
Olivia says
Hi Erika! So glad you like the cookies! I linked to the bag I used — it was 340g. I hope you liked them dipped 🙂