White chocolate drizzles and crushed candies make these delicious White Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Cookies an easy, egg-free option to slice and bake this holiday season!
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Peppermint Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Recipe Tips
- How to Serve
- How to Store Cookies
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More of Our Best Holiday Cookie Recipes
- White Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Cookies Recipe
This recipe is…
When it comes to holiday baking, the combination of chocolate with peppermint reigns supreme. The pairing of sweet chocolate with refreshing bits of crunchy candy canes on top of a crispy sugar cookie just tastes like Christmas!
These easy slice-and-bake cookies are sure to be a hit at your holiday party, cookie swap, or to have around for snacking as long as you can keep them stocked in the cookie jar. Make them ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them to have cookies on-demand during the holidays.
The homemade treats are also perfect to give to friends and neighbors as holiday gifts along with other favorites like our Rum Raisin Cookies, Best Chocolate Brownies, Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies, or Gluten-Free Thumbprints. Read more about how to create the “Perfect Cookie Box Formula here!”
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They’re egg-free, which is really great for anyone with an egg allergy! If you’re looking for ways to make other baked goods egg-free, be sure to check out our egg replacement guide.
- These cookies are made icebox style. That means they’re easy to make ahead and store several batches of dough at once so that you’ve always got cookie dough in the freezer, ready to be sliced and popped into the oven!
- White chocolate and peppermint is a classic holiday combination!
Peppermint Cookies Recipe Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need several ingredients for the sugar cookies themselves (all of the usual baking supplies + applesauce since we’re going egg-free here!), and also a few ingredients for the white chocolate peppermint topping. Here’s what to add to your next grocery list. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
For the Cookies
- Gluten-Free Flour – to start, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour. We use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour almost exclusively!
- Baking Powder – you’ll also need a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder,…
- Baking Soda – …a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, and…
- Sea Salt – …a 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.
- Butter – all good cookies have a considerable amount of butter, am I right?! For this recipe, you’ll need a 1/2 cup (or 8 tablespoons) of softened butter.
- Sugar – this yummy sugar cookie base also calls for ¾ cup sugar (we just used white sugar here),…
- Vanilla Extract – …1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and…
- Applesauce – …a 1/4 cup of applesauce (in place of the typical eggs!).
For the White Chocolate Peppermint Topping
- White Chocolate Chips – for the white chocolate peppermint topping, you’ll need to grab 1 cup of white chocolate chips (feel free to use dark chocolate chips if white chocolate isn’t your thing!),…
- Coconut Oil – …1 teaspoon of coconut oil (this is optional but helps the chocolate to melt evenly), and…
- Peppermint Candy – …a ½ cup of crushed candy cane/peppermint candies!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Here’s how to make this recipe your own:
- Choose your chocolate – Feel free to swap milk or dark chocolate for the white variety if you’d like.
- Eggs or applesauce – This recipe is made to be egg-free. But if you don’t have applesauce on hand, you can use an egg instead.
How to Make White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
First, we’ll make the dough, let it chill in the fridge or freezer, and then when the cookies are baking, we’ll get the topping ready. Let’s get started!
Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then set aside.
Step 2: Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl, and with a hand-held mixer or stand mixer, whip the two together on high speed until the mixture is slightly fluffy.
Step 3: Add the vanilla and applesauce to the butter mixture, then beat with the mixer on high speed until fully combined.
Step 4: Gradually add the flour into the butter mixture a ½ cup at a time, mixing on high speed, until you can no longer see the flour and a thick dough has formed.
Step 5: Lay out two pieces of parchment paper, then set half of the dough on each piece of paper, and roll the dough into a log that is 1 1/2 inches thick in diameter. Then, roll the paper around the dough and twist the ends until the dough is securely wrapped.
Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, up to overnight, until firm.
Step 6: When you’re ready to bake the cookies, Heat the oven to 350°F, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the parchment paper and cut into ½-inch thick slices. Lay the slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies have begun to brown on top, then remove from the oven and let cool.
Step 7: Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil either in a bowl or using a double boiler method:
Microwave – if you choose to go the microwave route, simply microwave the chocolate in short intervals (think: 15-20 seconds), stirring after each stint, until melted.
Double Boiler – if you choose to melt your chocolate over a double boiler, you’ll need to heat a pot of water over the stovetop until boiling, and then place the white chocolate chips + coconut oil in a glass or metal heatproof bowl over the top of the pot with the water. Then, using a rubber spatula, simply stir the chocolate until it’s melted, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.
Step 8: Drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies and top with crushed peppermint. Let the cookies sit at room temperature (either on a cooling rack or the baking sheet itself) for at least 30 minutes to let the white chocolate set, then enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Crushing the candy – to crush the peppermint candies or candy canes, place the candies in a resealable bag and hit them with a meat tenderizer or mallet until you get small pieces.
Make-ahead – this cookie dough freezes well, which makes it a great option to make ahead and freeze in advance of the holidays. You can also give the chilled logs of dough wrapped in parchment paper as a holiday gift with instructions on how to slice and bake them written on a card.
How to Serve
Let the white chocolate set for at least 30 minutes, then enjoy!
How to Store Cookies
Store these white chocolate peppermint cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days (if they last that long!). Alternatively, if you want to make a few batches of dough at one time, feel free to store the unbaked parchment paper-wrapped cookie dough log in the freezer for 4-5 months. They slice and bake beautifully from frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Icebox cookies (AKA slice-and-bake cookies) are made by shaping cookie dough into a log, which gets chilled in an icebox (an old fashioned term for an early refrigerator), sliced, and baked.
The best way to crush peppermint candies is to place them in a bag and crush them using a tool like the flat side of a meat tenderizer (a rubber mallet or a heavy can will do in a pinch). For this recipe, you want the candy pieces to be crushed finely.
More of Our Best Holiday Cookie Recipes
If you tried this recipe for White Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Cookies, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
White Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour, we used King Arthur Measure for Measure
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup applesauce*
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil, optional
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermints or candy canes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the butter and sugar. With a hand-held mixer or stand mixer, whip the butter and sugar on high speed until the mixture is slightly fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and applesauce to the butter mixture, then beat with the mixer on high speed until fully combined.
- Gradually add the flour into the butter mixture ½ cup at a time, mixing on high speed, until you can no longer see the flour and a thick dough has formed.
- Lay out one piece of parchment paper then set the dough on it. Roll the dough into a log that is 1 1/2 inches thick. Then, roll the paper around the dough and twist the ends until dough is securely wrapped.
- Refrigerate dough for 1 hour, up to overnight, until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the parchment paper and cut 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay the slices on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies have begun to brown on top, then remove from the oven and let cool.
Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil either in a bowl or using a double boiler method:
- Microwave – if you choose to go the microwave route, simply microwave the chocolate in short intervals (think: 15-20 seconds), stirring after each stint, until melted.
- Double Boiler – if you choose to melt your chocolate over a double boiler, you’ll need to heat a pot of water over the stovetop until boiling, and then place the chocolate chips + coconut oil in a glass or metal heatproof bowl over the top of the pot with the water. Then, using a rubber spatula, simply stir the chocolate until it’s melted, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go!
- Drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies and top with crushed peppermint. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the white chocolate set, then enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
If making it not gluten free, can I use the same amount of AP flour?
Hi Rachel! Yes! Same amount!
Who doesn’t like peppermint and white chocolate for the holidays?! Made this for my grandma who is gluten free and she loved them! I don’t have to eat gf, but I did eat a few to make sure I could gift them. Used an egg instead of applesauce and Bob’s Red mill all purpose because that’s what I had on hand. Thank you for this divine recipe!
YAY! We are so glad y’all loved them, Carley!
Hey Amber-can I use coconut sugar in place of the white sugar? Or what would you recommend if o want them to be sugar free? Thx?
Hi Joyce! You absolutely can! Coconut sugar works great!
These look really good! Just curious, how does the crushed peppermint stay on the cookie since it is not baked onto it? Just by the melted chocolate?
Hi Nikki! The drizzle of the white chocolate should hold a good bit of the crushed peppermint. You can sprinkle more peppermint on top for aesthetics if you are putting them out at a party or something. Hope you enjoy! -Team FF
I picked these to make because my friend is gluten free, and holy moly…these are amazing even for a girl who eats all the gluten!! The cookies were moist and perfectly soft yet chewy. The chocolate drizzle and peppermint were the best topping.
YAY! So glad, Sarah!! Thanks for sharing this with us!