If a brownie and a cookie had a love child, it would be this fudgy masterpiece. These Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies are so rich and chocolaty, they’ll steal your heart. And let’s be honest—chocolate and peppermint isn’t just for December! It’s basically a love language, making it perfect for Valentine’s Day too.
Got leftover candy canes from the holidays? This is their moment to shine. No candy canes? No problem—peppermint candies work just as well. Pro tip: Place them in a Ziploc bag before crushing unless you enjoy finding rogue peppermint shards in your kitchen for days. (Ask me how I know.)
Tips for Perfect Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies:
Leave some peppermint pieces bigger for crunch. A mix of fine and chunky bits gives the best texture.
• Use real white chocolate, not white baking chips. White chocolate (almost always sold in bar form) contains cocoa butter, while white baking chips don’t—meaning they won’t melt the same way. I recommend a good-quality white chocolate bar for the best flavor.
• Start with good chocolate. This is not the time for supermarket chocolate chips. I used Lindt Excellence 70% Bittersweet Bars, but if you prefer a sweeter cookie, try Valrhona Manjari (64%) or Ghirardelli Baking Bars.
• Use both brown sugar and granulated sugar. Brown sugar makes the cookies moist and fudgy, while white sugar helps create that signature crinkly top.
• Whip the eggs and sugar for at least 3-4 minutes. This step is key—it incorporates air, which gives the cookies their perfect texture.
• Sift your cocoa powder with the flour. Cocoa powder loves to clump, and sifting ensures a smooth batter.
- Use a cookie scoop for even sizes, and right after baking, do the ‘cookie scoot’—it’s the secret to getting perfectly round cookies. A round cookie cutter, just slightly bigger than the cookie works perfectly to reshape a wonky cookie.
• Don’t over bake! The cookies should be just set at the edges but still soft in the center when they come out of the oven. They’ll firm up as they cool.
Watch as they come together .
Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies
Equipment
- small heart shaped cookie cutter, about 1 -2 inches wide
Ingredients
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Hearts
- 100 grams white chocolate
- 8 mini candy canes or 4 full size candy canes
Cookies
- 225 grams bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 85 grams unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 160 grams brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 105 grams all-purpose flour
- 21 grams dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon Morton's Kosher salt
Instructions
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- Place candy canes in a zip loc bag and seal well. Using a rolling pin, bottom of a heavy saucepan or the flat side of a meat tenderizer, coarsely crush candy. Set candy aside.
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place a heatproof glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. The bowl should sit snugly on top of the pot without sinking in. Add the chopped white chocolate to the bowl. Stir occasionally until smooth and melted.
- Pour melted chocolate onto prepared baking sheet. Spread it into a rectangle, about 8×10 inches in size. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top. Chill in fridge for about 15 minutes, until firm.
- Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter, about 1-2 inches wide, cut out hearts from the chilled peppermint bark. Store hearts in the fridge until ready to top the baked cookies.
Cookies
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt bittersweet chocolate and butter. Place a heatproof glass or stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. The bowl should sit snugly on top of the pot without sinking in. Add the chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter to the bowl, stirring occasionally until smooth and melted.
- Place eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste and mint extract in bowl of stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium high speed for 3-4 minutes until mixture is very thick and pale. You can also use an electric hand mixer but I would not recommend trying to whisk by hand.
- Once the eggs and sugar are light and pale, turn mixer down to low speed Slowly pour melted chocolate mixture into the bowl with the sugar and egg mixture. Mix until completely incorporated.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to mixer, and whisk on low speed until thoroughly combined.
- Using a 2 Tablespoon cookie scooper, scoop dough and place on prepared baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. You can also use an 1/8 cup measuring cup to portion the dough. Just roll it between your palms to form a round ball before placing on baking sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly with your palm before baking.
- Bake cookies, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back after 4 minutes of baking. Bake for a further 4-5 minutes, until the tops are crackled and edges are set. They will still be gooey in the center. Set cookie sheets on wire racks to cool.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes. Place one peppermint bark heart in the center of each cookie, while cookies are still warm, but not hot. The warmth of the cookie will melt the bottom of the heart and help the heart to stick. Allow to cool completely before removing from baking sheet.
Notes
Nutrition
These cookies are chewy, fudgy, and loaded with peppermint bark goodness—everything you want in a Valentine’s Day treat. Because let’s face it: peppermint deserves more than just one month a year.