These chewy cookies with soft centers are filled with the best Christmas candies (Hershey’s Peppermint kisses, mint M&M’s, and crushed candy canes) for a cookie that tastes exactly like Christmas with a satisfying crunch from the candy cane.

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This recipe is for the people who love peppermint crunch and have possibly been victimized by M&M’s discontinuing their peppermint M&M’s.

I know I am not the only one who remembers the white chocolate candy cane bark peppermints that Costco sold around a decade ago, which was my favorite Christmas Candy of all time. M&M’s sold a peppermint white chocolate version during the holidays, but did not bring it back in 2023, and I haven’t been able to find it on the shelves this year either.

Naturally, I had to take this gap in the market into my own hands and develop these cookies. Once they are cooled, the peppermint Hershey kisses and candy cane gives them a delightful crunch. After photographing this batch of cookies, I shared them with a neighbor who had family in town, and everyone immediately asked for the recipe.

Fortunately, after you complete some slightly finicky chopping and preparation, this recipe comes together quite easily, and the dough can be made in advance and frozen.

Ingredients

2 sticks (1 cup butter), cut into 1/2” cubes
1/2 scant cup (100 gr) granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, not packed (200 gr)
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (can skip if you like)
1 1/2 tsp peppermint
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups (360 gr) ap flour
1 c peppermint Hershey kisses, chopped
1 bag (1 1/4) c mint m&ms, separated
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (about 115 gr), plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp corn starch, optional
Equipment you’ll need:

Electric stand mixer or hand mixer: To mix the dough

Measuring cups: To measure the sugar and chocolate chips

Kitchen scale: To measure the flour, for better accuracy

Measuring spoons: To measure the leavening agents and vanilla

Small bowl: For separating the yolks from the eggs

Baking pan or cookie sheet: For baking the cookies

Parchment paper: To line the cookie sheet for baking

Meat tenderizer or something else heavy: For smashing the candy canes

Step by Step Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 375°F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Add cubed butter to mixer with sugars and mix on low until it starts to clump up, then turn mixer to medium & mix for five minutes. I like to set a timer and walk away, only coming back to scrape the bowl one or two times. When the butter and sugar are ready, they will have lightened in color considerably due to the air incorporated into the butter.

While the mixer is going, prepare the mix-ins. I have found the easiest way to crush the candy canes is by using a meat tenderizer or rolling pin and crushing them still in the wrapper (I like to use these small ones from Target). they should be a good mix of powder and larger chunks. I have tried putting them all in a silicone or plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin, but they end up puncturing the bag (even silicone ones), and it is difficult to easily crush them. Once they are all crushed sprinkle with corn starch, and mix so they do not stick together. The moisture in the air will melt the sugar together and they are almost impossible to break apart once this happens.

Unwrap and chop the Hershey kisses so they are at least cut in half. If you tip them to their sides, they are safest to cut this way. I had my daughter help me unwrap them, which was a fun task for a five year old. Measure them before cutting, you’ll end up using about 2/3 of the bag. Nothing needs to be done to prep the M&M’s except separating out 1/4 of a cup of them to decorate the tops of the cookies.

Once the butter is thoroughly whipped, scrape the bowl, & add the egg yolks one at a time, scraping the bowl in between additions. Then add peppermint extract and vanilla and mix on medium high for about one minute, then scrape the bowl again.

Add the baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix for about 15 seconds. When measuring the flour, it is best to measure by weight. If you do not have a scale, then whisk the flour with a fork or balloon whisk then spoon into your measuring cup and use a knife to level. Add the flour and mix until you see the dough just start to uniformly stick together. There will still be pockets of flour. Then add the Hershey kisses, M&M’s, and crushed candy canes and mix for about thirty seconds on low until you can see that its almost all together. If there are still dry bits at the bottom, finish the mixing by hand with a large rubber spatula.

Using a 1/4 c scoop, put 6 dough balls evenly apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Top with reserved 1/4 cup of M&M’s and a pinch of crushed candy canes if desired.

Bake for 12-13 minutes, rotating halfway through for even baking. Cookies are done when the edges are slightly browned and the center is only a tiny bit shiny.

While the cookies are fresh from the oven (within the first 90 seconds), “scoot” with a 4” diameter round bowl by using the rim and gently nudging the cookie together into a smaller circle. This technique makes the cookies more dense and gooey.

Cool for 5 min to ten minutes before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my cookie turn out dry?

There are two possibilities:

1) Your oven was too cold and you baked them for too long.

2) Too much flour was added. Consider investing in a food scale (this one is inexpensive and highly rated) or be very careful scooping and measuring flour.

Where can I find the M&M’s and Hershey’s Kisses?

I find the M&M’s and Hershey’s kisses are easiest to find at Target, though for whatever reason I have a hard time finding the M&M’s on the shelves. Target pickup seems to work best for me, and they also have my favorite candy canes for this recipe.

Where can I find peppermint extract?

Peppermint extract can be difficult to find in my experience, so I usually order it on Amazon. The brand Nielson Massey is my favorite.

Can this recipe be doubled?

I have a large stand mixer, and this recipe barely fits in it when doubled. If you plan to double, make sure your mixing bowl is at least 7 quarts. A hand mixer would not be able to handle a double batch of this recipe.

Can this recipe be halved?

It would be tricky to half it since you’ll have to measure out half of an egg yolk, but you could if you needed to. Instead, I would recommend making a full batch and freezing the other half of dough in an airtight container for another time.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the dough and freeze in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to 2 months. I like to let the dough thaw on a cookie sheet while the oven preheats. If baking from frozen, reduce cooking temperature to 350°F and bake closer to 15 minutes. Don’t let them thaw for too long though, otherwise the M&M’s will start to bleed their coloring and stain the cookie. You can also mix and store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and bake at 375, adding a couple more minutes to the bake time.

What are the “special techniques” you mentioned for this recipe?

There are three special techniques that are essential to this recipe:

1) Cutting the cold butter into cubes, which saves time by preventing you from having to wait for the butter to reach room temperature (a trick I learned from Tawnie at Kroll’s Korner)

2) Scooting the cookies when they are finished baking, but still hot from the oven. Cookie scooting is done by using a round item, like a cookie cutter or an upside down bowl to scoot a cookie that is spread too far. In the case of this recipe, it is essential and helps create a fudgey more dense center for the cookie. Scooting must be done while the cookie is still hot from the oven and before it starts to cool, otherwise the edges will have set.

3) Using egg yolks without the whites. Egg whites contain a lot of water which causes the cookies to spread and can dilute the flavor. Egg yolks help combine and emulsify the ingredients and create a rich gooey texture in the cookie.

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

I have not made this recipe with a gluten-free flour blend, but I have had great success with King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Bread Flour* (affiliate link). However, this flour still contains wheat, and is not safe for people with wheat allergies.