These delicious Christmas cookies are super easy to make! Image credit: Daisies in Clover
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A Festive Christmas Baking Project the Whole Family Can Help With
Christmas baking is an annual tradition for so many families, including mine! But, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a whole day baking to create tasty treats for your holiday celebrations. These cake mix cookies bake in about 10 minutes and come out soft and chewy with creamy white chocolate and a little crunch of crushed candy cane.
The green food coloring is what adds the perfect holiday look to these tasty Christmas cookies. Add a sprinkle of red and white peppermint on top and you have a cookie that fits right in on a holiday dessert table, a cookie swap tray, or a plate left out for Santa.
Why You'll Love These Peppermint Cake Mix Cookies
Only 6 simple ingredients (plus a few optional extras)
About 20 minutes from start to finish
Soft and chewy, with no chilling required
Kid-friendly, with plenty of hands-on jobs
Great for cookie swaps, teacher gifts, and holiday parties
Peppermint White Chocolate Cake Mix Cookie Ingredients
Only a few ingredients are needed to make these Christmas cookies! Image Credit: Daisies in Clover
Most of these ingredients are probably in your kitchen already. The only holiday-specific item is the candy canes, which tend to be everywhere this time of year.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 9-11 minutes | Total Time: About 21 minutes
1 box white or vanilla cake mix
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Green food coloring (gel preferred)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed candy canes, divided (about 4 to 5 regular candy canes)
Yield: About 24 cookies
Optional additions:
If you want to customize the cookies or make them even more festive, try one of the following.
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract for a stronger peppermint flavor
Christmas sprinkles pressed onto the tops
Peppermint baking chips in place of the white chocolate chips
A drizzle of melted white chocolate after the cookies cool
Equipment You'll Need for Easy Christmas Cookies
This recipe doesn't require any special tools. Here's what to have ready before you start.
Large mixing bowl
Spoon or spatula for mixing (you can use a stand mixer or handheld mixer set to low)
Measuring cup
Cookie scoop or tablespoon
Baking sheet
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Zip-top bag and rolling pin (for crushing the candy canes)
Wire cooling rack (optional)
If you don't have a wire cooling rack, you can let the cookies cool on the baking sheet or transfer them to a plate once they've set.
Peppermint Cake Mix Cookie Instructions
Press extra crushed candy canes on top before baking. Image credit: Daisies in Clover
Follow these simple steps to make soft, chewy cake mix cookies with a festive peppermint finish.
Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Crush the candy canes. Place the candy canes in a zip-top bag, seal it, and crush them with a rolling pin until you have a mix of small pieces and a little dust. Set aside.
Mix the dough. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil. Stir until a thick, sticky dough forms. It will be thicker than cake batter and stickier than traditional cookie dough.
Add the food coloring. Add green food coloring a small amount at a time, mixing well between additions, until you reach your desired shade. A soft pastel green looks lovely with the white chocolate and peppermint, but you can add more for a deeper holiday green. If you're using peppermint extract, stir it in now.
Fold in the mix-ins. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and about half of the crushed candy canes (1/4 cup).
Scoop the cookies. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
Add the peppermint topping. Gently press the remaining crushed candy cane onto the tops of the dough balls.
Bake. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look slightly soft. They may not look "done," but they are. Overbaking will make them crisp instead of chewy.
Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you don't have a cookie scoop, you can roll the dough into balls with your hands. Lightly oil or dampen your hands if the dough is sticky.
Tips for Soft, Chewy Peppermint Cookies
These simple tips will help your cookies turn out soft, chewy, and pretty.
Use gel food coloring for a vibrant color without thinning the dough.
Save most of the candy cane dust for the tops. Very fine peppermint powder can dissolve into the dough and make it sticky or streaky.
Slightly underbaking keeps the cookies soft instead of dry.
Mini white chocolate chips distribute more evenly, but regular chips work well too.
If the dough feels too sticky to scoop, chill it for 10-15 minutes before baking.
Add peppermint extract a little at a time. A small amount goes a long way. You can also skip the peppermint candies and only use the extract (this is a good swap if you don’t want the candy crunch).
Make It a Kid-Friendly Baking Project
This recipe is a good one for baking with kids because there are plenty of safe, hands-on jobs to do.
Smashing the candy canes (the zip-top bag and rolling pin are surprisingly satisfying)
Stirring the dough
Adding the food coloring
Folding in the white chocolate chips
Scooping the dough and pressing on the peppermint topping
Bonus: letting kids measure the ingredients is a fun way to practice fractions that doesn’t seem like homework.
How to Package These Cookies for Gifts and Cookie Swaps
These cookies travel well and look great stacked, which makes them a good fit for holiday gifting.
Stack 4 to 6 cookies in a clear cellophane bag and tie with red or white ribbon.
Layer cookies in a Christmas cookie tin with parchment paper between the rows.
Pair a small bag of cookies with a packet of hot cocoa for an easy teacher or neighbor gift.
For cookie swaps, let the cookies cool completely before packing so the candy cane topping stays crisp. These are great for Teen Cookie Swap Parties!
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
If you want to prepare these cookies ahead of time or store leftovers, here are a few easy options.
Store baked cookies in an airtight Rubbermaid container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
Make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake. Wait to add the candy cane topping until just before baking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cake mix flavor? White or vanilla cake mix works best for coloring, but yellow cake mix also works.
Can I make these without food coloring? Yes. The cookies will still taste great. They just won't be green.
Can I use peppermint baking chips instead of candy canes? Yes. Peppermint baking chips can be used in place of some or all of the crushed candy canes, and they won't melt into the dough as much.
Why did my candy cane pieces melt? Crushed candy cane softens as the cookies bake, so some melting is normal. Pressing larger pieces onto the tops of the cookies helps them stay visible.
Can I use a different mix-in? Yes. Red and green M&Ms, chopped pistachios, or dried cranberries all work well for a different holiday look.
Can I double the recipe? Yes. Simply double all ingredients and bake in batches.
These peppermint white chocolate cake mix cookies are a low-effort way to add something festive to your holiday baking list. They're easy, they're cheerful, and they're hard to mess up. Looking for the original version? Try our St. Patrick's Day cake mix cookies for another easy way to use up a box of cake mix.
Peppermint White Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Soft, chewy green cookies with white chocolate chips and a crunchy peppermint topping. No chilling, no rolling, and the kids can help.
Ingredients
Optional extras
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Crush the candy canes in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin.
- Stir the cake mix, eggs, and oil together until a thick, sticky dough forms.
- Add green food coloring a little at a time, mixing well, until you like the shade. Stir in the peppermint extract now if you are using it.
- Fold in the white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the crushed candy canes.
- Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press the remaining candy canes onto the tops.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft. They will firm up as they cool, so do not overbake.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Tips and storage
- Gel food coloring gives you a bold color without thinning the dough.
- If the dough is too sticky to scoop, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Keep most of the candy cane for the tops. Fine peppermint dust can dissolve into the dough and make it sticky.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.
- You can make the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it. Add the candy cane topping right before baking.
Nutrition information
- 160Calories
- 25 gCarbohydrates
- 7 gFat
- 2 gProtein
Also per cookie: 15 g sugar, 3 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
Estimated for 1 cookie, based on a batch of 24 made with a typical white cake mix. Brands and portion sizes change the numbers, so treat this as a close guide rather than an exact count.
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