Best Easy Chocolate Mint Christmas Cookies Recipe

I was digging through my purse for a pen last Tuesday—honestly, just a regular Tuesday, nothing special—when my fingers brushed against a forgotten Andes Mint wrapper at the bottom. And just like that, I was eight years old again, sitting cross-legged on my Aunt Claire’s linoleum kitchen floor in that tiny house on Maple Street, watching her unwrap an entire bag of those green-and-silver rectangles while she talked to herself about the oven temperature. The smell of butter and sugar and that cool, sharp mint hit me so hard I almost dropped my wallet right there in the parking lot. She’s been gone six years now, and I still can’t unwrap an Andes Mint without thinking about the way she’d sneak me one while the dough was chilling, her flour-dusted finger to her lips like it was our little secret.

That’s the thing about these cookies, you know. They’re not fancy. They’re not complicated. But that first bite—the way the soft, fudgy chocolate cookie gives way to that melting mint center—it stops you. Makes you close your eyes for just a second. I’ve been making them every December since I finally got up the nerve to ask her for the recipe, and let me tell you, I messed up the first batch something awful. Forgot to chill the dough, and they spread into these flat, sad little puddles. But I kept trying, because some things are worth getting right.

Maybe you’ve been there—chasing a taste from your past that you can almost, but not quite, remember. These cookies are that taste for me. And honestly, they’re the easiest thing I make all holiday season, which is saying something, because I am not what you’d call a patient baker. So let’s make them together, shall we?

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Listen, I’ve tested a lot of Christmas cookie recipes over the years. Some are fussy. Some require ingredients you have to special-order. Some just don’t deliver on that nostalgic promise. These cookies? They deliver every single time.

• Quick & Easy: From start to finish, you’re looking at about 30 minutes of active work. The hardest part is waiting for the dough to chill—and trust me, don’t skip that part. I learned that lesson the hard way.
• Simple Ingredients: You probably have most of this in your pantry right now. Butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa powder. The only special guest is the Andes Mints, and you can find those at any grocery store this time of year.
• Perfect for the Holidays: These are the cookies you bring to the cookie swap and everyone asks for the recipe. They’re also the cookies you hide in the back of the freezer so you have some left for yourself after the relatives leave.
• Crowd-Pleaser: I’ve watched my pickiest nephew—the one who “doesn’t like chocolate” (I know, I don’t understand it either)—polish off three of these in one sitting. They’re that good.
• Unbelievably Delicious: The texture is what gets me. That soft, almost brownie-like cookie with the melty mint center. It’s comfort food, pure and simple.

What makes this recipe different from all the other mint chocolate cookies out there? It’s the ratio, honestly. I spent three batches getting the flour-to-cocoa ratio just right so the cookies stay soft and puffy, not dry and crumbly. And the way the Andes Mint melts into the top? That’s not an accident. That’s a technique I figured out after watching my aunt do it a dozen times. You press the mint in at just the right moment, and it creates this perfect little pool of minty goodness on top.

This is the kind of cookie that makes you close your eyes after the first bite. It’s Christmas on a plate, and it costs pennies to make. What’s not to love?

What Ingredients You Will Need

This recipe uses simple, wholesome ingredients to deliver that bold chocolate-and-mint flavor without any fuss. Most of these are pantry staples, which means you can whip up a batch whenever the craving hits—no special trip to the store required.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened — I use Land O’Lakes, honestly. It’s what my aunt used, and it just works. Make sure it’s truly softened, not melted. You want it to be room temperature, so it creams properly with the sugar.
• 1 cup granulated sugar — Regular white sugar. Nothing fancy here. The sugar helps create that tender crumb we’re after.
• 1 large egg, room temperature — This matters more than you think. A cold egg can seize up your butter-sugar mixture. Just let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract — Pure vanilla if you have it, but honestly, the imitation stuff works fine here because the chocolate and mint are doing the heavy lifting.
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract — This is optional, but I love it. It gives the cookie itself a subtle mintiness that plays beautifully with the Andes Mint on top. Start with 1/4 teaspoon if you’re nervous about it being too strong.
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour — Spoon and level it, please. Scooping directly from the bag packs the flour down and gives you dry cookies. I learned this after my first flat batch.
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder — I prefer Dutch-process for that darker, richer flavor, but natural cocoa works perfectly fine too. Hershey’s Special Dark is my go-to.
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda — This gives the cookies just a little lift. Don’t skip it.
• 1/4 teaspoon salt — Salt makes chocolate taste more chocolatey. Trust me on this.
• 30-36 Andes Creme de Menthe Thins, unwrapped — This is the star of the show. You’ll need about one and a half of the standard 4.67-ounce bags. Unwrapping them is the most tedious part of this whole recipe, I’m not gonna lie. I bribe my kids to do it.

Ingredient Tips: For the best texture, use butter that’s softened but still cool to the touch—if you press your finger into it, it should leave an indent without sliding around. And please, for the love of all things minty, make sure your cocoa powder is fresh. Stale cocoa gives flat, sad chocolate flavor.

Equipment Needed

You don’t need a fancy kitchen for these cookies. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Electric mixer — A stand mixer is great, but a hand mixer works perfectly fine. You could even do this by hand with a wooden spoon if you’ve got the arm strength. I’ve done it both ways.
• Large mixing bowl — Nothing special. Just make sure it’s big enough to hold everything without flour flying everywhere.
• Medium mixing bowl — For whisking your dry ingredients together.
• Whisk — To combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt evenly.
• Rubber spatula — For scraping down the sides of the bowl and folding in the mint pieces.
• Baking sheets — I use two so I can rotate them through the oven. My favorite are the light-colored aluminum ones—they brown more evenly than dark non-stick.
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats — Parchment is cheaper and works beautifully. Silicone mats are reusable and non-stick. Either one is fine.
• Cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon size) — This is a game-changer for even-sized cookies. I bought mine for three dollars at a kitchen supply store, and it’s one of my favorite tools.
• Cooling rack — Wire racks let air circulate so your cookies cool evenly. If you don’t have one, you can use a clean dish towel laid flat on the counter.
• Small microwave-safe bowl — For melting that final Andes Mint drizzle if you want to get fancy.

Budget-Friendly Tip: If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use two spoons—one to scoop and one to scrape the dough onto the baking sheet. It’s not as pretty, but it works.

Preparation Method

Alright, let’s get to the good part. Here’s how to make these cookies without losing your mind or burning your fingers.

1. Cream the butter and sugar. In your large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. You’re looking for a pale, airy mixture that looks like it’s holding a lot of promise. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula at least once.
2. Add the egg and extracts. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract (if using) until everything is well combined. The mixture might look a little curdled at this point—that’s normal. Don’t panic.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients. In your medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make sure there are no lumps of cocoa hiding at the bottom. I use a fork if my whisk is dirty—whatever works.
4. Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed. Stop as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing at this stage develops gluten and makes tough cookies. You want tender, not tough.
5. Fold in the mint pieces. Take about 8-10 Andes Mints and chop them into small pieces—roughly 1/4-inch chunks. Gently fold these into the dough with your rubber spatula. The dough will be thick and slightly sticky. That’s exactly what we want.
6. Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I know, I know—you want cookies now. But this step is non-negotiable. Chilling solidifies the butter, which means the cookies won’t spread into flat pancakes in the oven. I once skipped this step because I was impatient, and I ended up with cookies that looked like sad, thin medallions. Learn from my mistake.
7. Preheat and prep. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
8. Scoop and roll. Use your cookie scoop to portion out rounded tablespoons of dough. Roll each one into a ball between your palms—it doesn’t have to be perfect, just round. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. They’ll spread a little, but not too much if you chilled the dough.
9. Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes. The edges should look set, and the tops should be slightly cracked. The centers will look a little underdone—that’s good. They’ll continue to set on the hot baking sheet. Overbaking gives you dry cookies, and nobody wants that.
10. Press in the mint. Here’s the magic moment. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently press one whole Andes Mint into the center of each cookie. Let it sit for about 30 seconds—you’ll see it start to melt and pool. If you want that pretty swirled look, use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to gently swirl the melting mint around. It’s optional, but it makes them look like you bought them from a bakery.
11. Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The mint will harden as they cool, creating that signature crackly top.

Visual Cue: When you press the mint into the hot cookie, you should see it start to soften and glisten within 10 seconds. If it doesn’t, your cookies might have cooled too much. Next time, press the mint in faster.

Cooking Tips & Techniques

I’ve made these cookies probably fifty times over the past decade, and I’ve learned a few things the hard way. Let me save you some trouble.

Don’t skip the chill. I cannot stress this enough. The first time I made these, I was in a hurry and thought, “How bad could it be?” Pretty bad, as it turns out. The cookies spread so thin they looked like chocolate lace doilies. The mint melted into a puddle and ran off the edges. It was a mess. Chilling the dough for at least an hour—or even overnight—gives you thick, puffy cookies with that perfect mint center.

Watch your oven like a hawk. Every oven runs differently. My friend’s oven bakes these in exactly 8 minutes. Mine takes 9.5. Start checking at 8 minutes, and don’t walk away. The difference between perfect and overbaked is about 30 seconds. You want the edges set and the centers still soft-looking.

Press the mint in while the cookie is hot. This is the most important timing trick. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, work quickly. If you wait too long, the cookie cools and the mint won’t melt properly. I like to unwrap all my Andes Mints before I start baking so I’m not fumbling with foil while my cookies are cooling.

Use room temperature ingredients. Cold eggs can cause your butter-sugar mixture to seize up, leaving you with a lumpy dough. Room temperature ingredients emulsify better, giving you a smoother, more cohesive dough. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference.

Multitasking tip: While your first batch is baking, scoop the second batch onto a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Then when the first batch comes out, you can slide the second batch right onto the baking sheet. It saves time and keeps your workflow smooth.

My biggest failure: I once tried to double the batch and forgot to adjust the baking soda. The cookies came out with a weird, soapy taste. Always double-check your ratios when scaling recipes. And if you’re doubling, make sure your mixer bowl is big enough—I learned that one the messy way.

Variations & Adaptations

One of the best things about this recipe is how flexible it is. Here are some ways to make it your own.

Dark Chocolate Lover’s Version: Use dark cocoa powder (like Hershey’s Special Dark) and top with dark chocolate Andes Mints if you can find them. The bitterness of the dark chocolate plays beautifully against the cool mint. My husband swears by this version.

Gluten-Free Adaptation: Substitute the all-purpose flour with a good 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. I’ve had great results with Bob’s Red Mill. Just make sure it contains xanthan gum, which helps mimic gluten’s structure. The texture will be slightly more delicate, so handle the dough gently.

Double Mint Explosion: Add 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips along with the chopped Andes Mints in the dough. Then top with the whole mint as directed. It’s almost too much mint, but honestly, is there such a thing? My kids vote yes on this version every time.

Peppermint Bark Twist: Crush up some peppermint candies and sprinkle them over the melting mint on top of the cookies right after they come out of the oven. It adds a lovely crunch and a festive look. Just be careful not to burn your fingers—I’ve done that more times than I’d like to admit.

Vegan Option: Use vegan butter sticks (like Earth Balance) and a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, let sit for 5 minutes). The texture will be slightly different—a bit more cakey—but the flavor is still spot-on. I’ve made these for my vegan sister-in-law, and she said they were the best Christmas cookies she’d had in years.

Personal Variation: Last year, I tried adding a pinch of cinnamon to the dough on a whim. It sounds weird, but that tiny warmth actually makes the mint taste cooler and brighter. It’s become my secret weapon. Don’t tell anyone.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

These cookies are best served at room temperature, when the mint center has fully set but the cookie itself is still soft. I like to arrange them on a festive plate or in a tin lined with wax paper. They look gorgeous with a light dusting of powdered sugar, but that’s purely for show—they’re plenty sweet without it.

What to serve with them: A cold glass of milk is the classic pairing, and for good reason—the creaminess balances the intense chocolate-mint flavor. For adults, a cup of hot coffee or a peppermint mocha is divine. I’ve also been known to crumble one over vanilla ice cream for an impromptu sundae.

Storage: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a piece of bread in the container with them—it sounds weird, but the bread absorbs excess moisture and keeps the cookies soft. Just don’t forget the bread is in there, or you’ll find a science experiment later.

Freezer Instructions: These cookies freeze beautifully. You have two options:

• Freeze the baked cookies: Let them cool completely, then layer them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
• Freeze the dough: Scoop the dough into balls, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake, just place them on a baking sheet and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time. Fresh cookies on demand!

Flavor Development: Honestly, these cookies taste even better on day two. The mint flavor mellows and melds with the chocolate in a way that’s just… chef’s kiss. So don’t feel bad if you make them a day ahead. Your future self will thank you.

Nutritional Information & Benefits

Let’s be real—these are Christmas cookies, not health food. But here’s the breakdown so you know what you’re working with. Per cookie (based on 36 cookies):

• Calories: Approximately 145
• Fat: 8g
• Carbohydrates: 18g
• Protein: 2g
• Sugar: 12g

Health Highlights: The cocoa powder in these cookies is actually a good source of antioxidants—specifically flavonoids, which are linked to heart health. So there’s that. The mint in Andes Mints can aid digestion and freshen breath, which is handy after a big holiday meal. And honestly, there’s something to be said for the mental health benefits of baking. The act of measuring, mixing, and creating something delicious is genuinely therapeutic. I’ve had some of my best thinking sessions while rolling cookie dough.

Dietary Considerations: This recipe contains dairy, eggs, and gluten. For allergen-friendly versions, see the variations section above. The cookies are nut-free as written, which makes them safe for school bake sales and parties.

My personal take? I don’t worry too much about the nutritional stats on these. They’re a once-a-year treat, made with love and shared with people I care about. That’s worth every calorie.

Conclusion

These Favorite Chocolate Mint Christmas Cookies with Andes Mints are more than just a recipe to me. They’re a connection to my aunt, to those cold December afternoons in her tiny kitchen, and to the simple joy of making something that makes people happy. Every time I pull a batch out of the oven and press those green-and-silver mints into the warm cookies, I feel like she’s right there with me, telling me I’m doing it right.

And here’s the thing—you don’t need a special occasion to make these. Sure, they’re perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges and holiday parties. But they’re also perfect for a random Tuesday when you need a little sweetness in your life. They’re forgiving, they’re delicious, and they’re yours to make your own.

So go ahead. Unwrap those mints. Get your hands dusty with cocoa. Make a mess. That’s what baking is all about. And when you take that first bite—the one where the mint melts on your tongue and the chocolate crumbles just right—I hope you think of someone you love. Because that’s what these cookies are really about.

I’d love to hear how yours turn out! Drop a comment below and tell me about your batch—did you add a twist? Did your kids help unwrap the mints? Did you hide some in the freezer for yourself? (No judgment here.) Share a photo on Pinterest and tag me so I can see your beautiful creations. Happy baking, friend!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use mint extract instead of peppermint extract?

Yes, but be careful—mint extract is usually stronger and can have a more “toothpaste” flavor. Start with 1/4 teaspoon and taste the dough. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.

Why did my cookies spread too much?

This usually happens for one of three reasons: the dough wasn’t chilled long enough, the butter was too soft (or melted), or the baking sheet was too warm when you put the dough on it. Make sure to chill the dough for at least an hour, and let your baking sheets cool completely between batches.

Can I use other mint candies instead of Andes Mints?

Absolutely! Thin mint candies, York Peppermint Patties (chopped), or even crushed candy canes can work. Just keep in mind that different candies melt at different rates, so you might need to adjust the timing. I’ve used chopped-up After Eights before, and they were lovely.

How do I get the pretty swirled top on the mint?

After you press the Andes Mint into the hot cookie, wait about 20 seconds for it to soften, then use a toothpick or the tip of a butter knife to gently swirl the melting chocolate in a circular motion. Don’t press too hard—you don’t want to dig into the cookie. It takes a little practice, but it’s worth it for that bakery look.

Can I make these cookies ahead of time for a party?

Yes! You have two options: bake them up to 3 days in advance and store in an airtight container, or freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months and bake fresh the day of your party. I usually go with the frozen dough option because fresh-baked cookies are always a hit, and nobody has to know they were frozen an hour ago.

Print