Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cookies
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Author: Talia
Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1 box of your favorite brand of chocolate cake mix (see Notes)
- ½ cup oil (coconut, avocado, canola, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons milk (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup Andes peppermint crunch baking chips (see Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth, using either an electric mixer or a wooden spoon. Fold in the dark chocolate and peppermint baking chips.
- Shape dough into balls that are slightly more than a tablespoon in size, and place two inches apart on your cookie sheets.
- Bake cookies for 10 to 13 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies just start to brown; the centers will likely still be a little soft.
- Cool for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes / Variations
GLUTEN-FREE: I have tested both Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix and King Arthur's Flour Chocolate Cake Mix successfully. Note that gluten-free baking mixes tend to yield fudgier, more brownie-like cookies than their gluten full counterparts. They also make close to three dozen cookies.
DAIRY-FREE: Use a dairy-free milk option; I usually have my homemade almond milk or cashew milk on hand.
I have found that your typical Betty Crocker or Dunkin Hines (i.e., gluten-full) cake mixes need only 2 tablespoons of milk. However, gluten-free cake mixes generally need a bit more liquid, and are initially very crumbly with only 2 tablespoons of milk. Add additional milk to the dough, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until a dough forms; I've found that nearly ¼ cup of milk is usually the magic number.
If the dough is too sticky to handle, toss it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before rolling out into balls.
If you don't love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, you can substitute white chocolate chips (or more dark chocolate chips) in this recipe instead.
DAIRY-FREE: Use a dairy-free milk option; I usually have my homemade almond milk or cashew milk on hand.
I have found that your typical Betty Crocker or Dunkin Hines (i.e., gluten-full) cake mixes need only 2 tablespoons of milk. However, gluten-free cake mixes generally need a bit more liquid, and are initially very crumbly with only 2 tablespoons of milk. Add additional milk to the dough, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until a dough forms; I've found that nearly ¼ cup of milk is usually the magic number.
If the dough is too sticky to handle, toss it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes before rolling out into balls.
If you don't love the combination of chocolate and peppermint, you can substitute white chocolate chips (or more dark chocolate chips) in this recipe instead.
Recipe by Confessions of a Midnight Baker at https://www.confessionsofamidnightbaker.com/dark-chocolate-peppermint-crunch-cookies/