Name: Soft & Chewy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; ½ tsp salt; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; ¾ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract; 4-8 drops green food coloring; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 cup mint chocolate chips

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are more than just a dessert; they are a delightful sensory experience. Imagine the invigorating coolness of peppermint meeting the rich, comforting sweetness of chocolate, all encapsulated in a perfectly baked, tender cookie. This iconic flavor pairing, often celebrated in ice creams and confections, finds a new level of charm and sophistication when transformed into these irresistible cookies. It’s a combination that has charmed palates for decades, evoking a sense of nostalgic comfort and playful indulgence.

I find that people absolutely adore Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies for their unique balance. The crisp edge giving way to a soft, chewy center, punctuated by bursts of melty chocolate and a refreshing hint of mint – it’s a symphony of flavors and textures. Whether you’re seeking a festive treat for the holidays, a vibrant addition to a party platter, or simply a comforting bite after a long day, these cookies deliver pure joy. They offer a delightful contrast that awakens the taste buds and leaves a lasting impression, making them an undeniable crowd-pleaser for all ages.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract
4-8 drops green food coloring (gel preferred, for vibrant color)
1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
1 cup (170g) mint chocolate chips (or Andes mint pieces, chopped)

Prepping Your Workspace & Dry Ingredients

Prepare Your Baking Environment: Before we dive into the delicious part of making these delightful Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, let’s get our kitchen ready. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). It’s really important for your oven to be fully preheated before the cookies go in, as this helps them bake evenly and prevents them from spreading too much. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This step is a lifesaver, ensuring your cookies don’t stick and making cleanup a breeze. Having them ready means you can quickly transfer your dough once it’s mixed.
Whisk Together the Dry Essentials: In a medium-sized bowl, we’re going to combine our dry ingredients. Add the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Grab a whisk and give these ingredients a thorough mix for about 30 seconds to a minute. Why is this important? Whisking ensures that the baking soda and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour. This means every bite of your Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies will have the right balance of flavor and rise, preventing pockets of too much salt or an uneven texture. We want every cookie to be perfect! Set this bowl aside for now.

Creaming the Wet Ingredients for Perfect Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Start with Softened Butter: In the large bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer, add your 1 cup (226g) of softened unsalted butter. This is a critical step for perfect cookie texture! Your butter should be at true room temperature – soft enough that you can easily make an indentation with your finger, but not melted or greasy. Cold butter won’t cream properly, and melted butter will lead to greasy, flat cookies. Let it mix on medium speed for about 1 minute until it’s light and creamy on its own.
Add the Sugars and Cream Until Fluffy: Now, add both the ¾ cup (150g) of granulated sugar and the ¾ cup (150g) of packed light brown sugar to the butter. Turn your mixer on medium-high speed and let it go for a good 3 to 4 minutes. This process is called “creaming,” and it’s where all the magic starts for a light and chewy cookie. You’ll notice the mixture becoming significantly lighter in color, pale yellow, and incredibly fluffy in texture. This happens because the sugar crystals are aerating the butter, creating tiny air pockets that will expand during baking, giving our Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies their wonderful texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Incorporate Eggs One at a Time: Reduce your mixer speed to medium-low. Add your two large eggs, one at a time. After adding the first egg, mix until it’s just combined into the butter-sugar mixture, then add the second egg and repeat. Always ensure your eggs are at room temperature! Cold eggs can cause the butter mixture to seize up, affecting the texture. Mixing them in one at a time allows for better emulsification. Once both eggs are incorporated, beat for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is smoothly combined.
Introduce the Flavor & Color: Now for the signature taste and look of our Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies! Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 1 ½ teaspoons of pure peppermint extract. The combination of both extracts gives a deep, rounded flavor profile – the vanilla prevents the peppermint from being too overwhelming, creating a balanced, refreshing taste. Finally, add your 4-8 drops of green food coloring. Start with 4 drops, mix it in, and then assess the color. If you want a more vibrant, minty green, add a few more drops until you achieve your desired shade. Remember, a little gel food coloring goes a long way! Mix on low speed until the color is uniform throughout the batter, scraping down the sides as needed. You want a beautifully vibrant, consistent green.

Combining Wet and Dry for the Ultimate Dough

Gradually Add Dry Ingredients to Wet: With your mixer on the lowest speed setting, slowly add the dry ingredient mixture (flour, baking soda, and salt) to the wet ingredients. Add about a third of the dry mixture at a time, allowing it to mostly incorporate before adding the next third. This step is crucial for tender cookies: mix only until the dry ingredients are just combined. As soon as you no longer see streaks of dry flour, stop mixing. Overmixing the dough at this stage develops the gluten in the flour too much, which can lead to tough, dense cookies. We want light, chewy Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Adding the Star Ingredients: Chocolate Chips!

Fold in the Chocolate Chips: Now for the delicious additions that make these cookies truly special! Remove the bowl from the mixer and grab a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup (170g) of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips, if you prefer a deeper cocoa flavor) and 1 cup (170g) of mint chocolate chips. If you can’t find specific mint chocolate chips, roughly chopping up Andes mint candies works beautifully and adds an incredible burst of minty chocolate. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the dough until they are evenly distributed. Again, avoid overmixing here; just enough to get them spread throughout the dough. You want a good amount of chocolate and mint in every single bite!

Chilling for Flavor & Texture

The Importance of Chilling the Dough: This step is arguably one of the most important for achieving truly incredible Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. For best results, I highly recommend chilling for 2-3 hours, or even overnight if you have the time! Chilling the dough does a few wonderful things:
- Prevents Spreading: Cold dough spreads less in the oven, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies rather than flat, crispy ones.
- Enhances Flavor: As the dough chills, the flavors meld and deepen. The flour hydrates, which leads to a more tender and flavorful cookie.
- Improves Texture: The butter in the dough solidifies, which contributes to a chewier texture.
While it’s tempting to skip this step, I promise you, the wait is worth it for perfectly textured and flavored Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Baking Your Delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Scoop and Space: Once your dough is sufficiently chilled and your oven is preheated to 375°F (190°C), it’s time to scoop! Using a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons) or two spoons, drop rounded balls of dough onto your prepared baking sheets. Make sure to space them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. I usually fit about 12 cookies per standard baking sheet. If you want a more rustic, “bakery-style” look, you can break off small pieces of the dough and gently roll them into balls, then press a few extra chocolate chips (both types!) onto the top of each dough ball before baking. This makes for a very appealing cookie!
Bake to Perfection: Place one baking sheet at a time into your preheated oven. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. The exact baking time can vary depending on your oven, so keep a close eye on them. You’re looking for edges that are lightly golden brown, while the centers still look slightly soft and puffy. Don’t overbake! A slightly underbaked center ensures a wonderfully chewy cookie. If you bake them until they look fully set and hard in the oven, they will be overdone once cooled.
Rotate for Even Baking (Optional but Recommended): Around the 6-7 minute mark, you can optionally rotate your baking sheet 180 degrees. This helps ensure that all the cookies bake evenly, especially if your oven has hot spots. However, if your oven bakes very consistently, this step isn’t strictly necessary.

Cooling & Enjoying

Cool on the Baking Sheet: Once baked, remove the baking sheets from the oven. This is another important detail! Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. They are very delicate when hot, and this cooling time allows them to set up and firm up a bit, preventing them from breaking when you move them. During this time, the residual heat from the baking sheet will continue to cook them ever so slightly, perfecting their texture.
Transfer to a Wire Rack: After 5 minutes on the baking sheet, carefully transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Cooling them on a wire rack allows air to circulate around all sides, preventing the bottoms from becoming soggy and ensuring a perfectly chewy cookie all the way through. Once completely cool, they are ready to be devoured!
Storage: Store your delightful Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. If you want to keep them fresh longer, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. Just pop them in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready for a treat, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them gently in the microwave for a few seconds for that fresh-baked feel.
Enjoy! There you have it – perfectly soft, chewy, and irresistibly minty Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, ready to bring a smile to anyone’s face! They are truly a special treat, especially for mint chocolate lovers.

Conclusion:

Well, my friends, we’ve reached the end of our delightful journey into the world of truly exceptional baking, and I sincerely hope you’re as excited to get into your kitchen as I am for you to experience the magic of these cookies. After all our hard work discussing ingredients, techniques, and the little secrets that make all the difference, it’s time to truly appreciate what we’ve created here. These aren’t just any cookies; they are an experience, a little piece of joy that brightens any day. I’m convinced that once you try this recipe, it will quickly become a cherished favorite in your baking repertoire, something you’ll turn to again and again, whether for a comforting treat or a crowd-pleasing dessert. The unique balance of refreshing mint and rich chocolate is simply irresistible, and the texture, a perfect harmony of chewy and slightly crisp edges, is what truly sets them apart.

Why These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Are a Must-Try:

Let me reiterate why these incredible Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies are an absolute must-try. First, there’s the flavor profile: a bold, refreshing burst of mint that perfectly complements the deep, satisfying sweetness of the chocolate chips. It’s a classic pairing, yes, but this recipe elevates it, ensuring neither flavor overpowers the other, creating a harmonious symphony on your palate. Then, consider the texture. We’ve meticulously crafted a dough that bakes up beautifully, resulting in cookies that are wonderfully chewy in the center with just the right amount of crispness around the edges – a textural masterpiece that will have you reaching for another, and another. They’re also incredibly versatile and surprisingly straightforward to make, proving that gourmet taste doesn’t have to mean complicated steps. From their delightful aroma filling your kitchen to their vibrant, appealing appearance, every aspect of these cookies screams perfection. They offer a delightful escape, a moment of pure culinary bliss that’s both nostalgic and excitingly fresh, making them far more than just a simple treat. You’ll find yourself craving that unique combination of cool mint and decadent chocolate long after the last crumb is gone.

Serving Suggestions to Elevate Your Experience:

Now, let’s talk about how to best enjoy these glorious creations. While they are absolutely divine straight from the cooling rack, still slightly warm and gooey, there are so many ways to enhance your enjoyment. Imagine pairing one of these beauties with a tall, frosty glass of cold milk – it’s a timeless classic for a reason, and the cool milk perfectly contrasts the rich cookie, making each bite an absolute delight. For the coffee lovers among us, a warm cup of coffee or a creamy latte makes for an exquisite accompaniment, the slight bitterness of the coffee cutting through the sweetness of the cookie in the most delightful way, creating a sophisticated pairing. And for those who prefer tea, a refreshing peppermint tea would echo the minty notes of the cookies, creating a truly harmonious and calming experience. But don’t stop there! Consider breaking up a few cookies to use as a topping for vanilla or chocolate ice cream, adding an incredible textural and flavor dimension to your dessert that will impress any guest. Or, for an ultimate treat, make an ice cream sandwich! Simply place a generous scoop of your favorite mint chip ice cream (or even just plain vanilla, for a delightful contrast!) between two of these fantastic cookies, gently press, and prepare for pure indulgence. You can even crumble them over a cheesecake or incorporate them into a trifle for a holiday gathering, adding a layer of exciting flavor and texture that will surely be a talking point. The possibilities are genuinely endless, and each serving method brings out a slightly different facet of their charm, inviting you to experiment and discover your favorite way to savor them.

Creative Variations to Spark Your Culinary Imagination:

Feeling adventurous? These cookies are also a fantastic base for experimentation, allowing you to truly make them your own. If you want to switch up the chocolate, try using white chocolate chips for a softer, creamier flavor profile that still pairs beautifully with the mint, offering a gentler sweetness. Or, for a more intense chocolate experience, opt for dark chocolate chunks instead of chips; their robust flavor will stand up wonderfully to the refreshing mint. You could also introduce a hint of another flavor – perhaps a tiny dash of almond extract alongside the mint for an unexpected twist, adding a nutty complexity, or a pinch of espresso powder to deepen the chocolate notes without overtly tasting like coffee. For holiday baking, a few drops of green food coloring in the dough can enhance their festive appeal, especially around St. Patrick’s Day or Christmas, making them visually as appealing as they are delicious. You could even fold in some crushed chocolate sandwich cookies for an extra layer of texture and flavor, creating a ‘double cookie’ sensation that’s rich and satisfying. If you’re a nut lover, finely chopped pecans or walnuts could add a delightful crunch and earthy undertone, balancing the sweetness. Remember, baking is about joy and creativity, so feel free to adapt this recipe to your own taste and preferences. The core structure is robust enough to handle a little playful improvisation, so don’t be afraid to make them your own signature treat that reflects your unique culinary flair.

So, there you have it. My sincere invitation to dive in and make these incredible cookies. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Baking them is a rewarding process, and the aroma filling your home alone is worth the effort. Once you pull those perfectly golden, mint-infused, chocolate-studded beauties from the oven, you’ll understand exactly what I mean. I truly can’t wait for you to experience the satisfaction of biting into one, feeling that delightful chewiness and the burst of fresh, sweet flavor. Please, do me a favor: bake these cookies, share them with loved ones, or savor them all by yourself (no judgment here!). And when you do, please come back and share your experience with me! I absolutely adore hearing about your baking adventures. Did you try a variation? What was your favorite part? Did they disappear instantly from the cookie jar? Your feedback and stories inspire me and our entire baking community to keep experimenting and creating. So, grab your apron, preheat that oven, and get ready to create some unforgettable memories with these delightful treats. Happy baking!