These easy Peppermint Oreo Cookies are loaded with cookie chunks and peppermint chips, making them taste amazing! Make a batch for your family this holiday season and watch how quickly they disappear.
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A few years ago I made these chocolate mint cookies, and I have been dreaming about them recently. They seriously taste like a deep fried mint Oreo, and they are heavenly!
For the holidays, I decided to make a peppermint version. And oh my word! These peppermint cookies and cream cookies are seriously one of the best Christmas cookies you will make this year!
They are so easy to make because they start with a box cake mix. I have a serious love affair with easy cake mix cookies!
Why These Oreo Cookies Are The Best
- Easy to make with just a few ingredients.
- Stay soft for days making them the perfect cookie to ship to loved ones.
- Loaded with Oreo cookie chunks and peppermint crunch chips!
- Tastes like Christmas in a cookie!
- Get rave reviews from everyone who tries them.
Main Ingredient Notes
The dough for these peppermint crunch cookies comes together in minutes. In order to keep the cookies from spreading as they bake, you need to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.
- Vanilla Cake Mix - The dry cake mix is the base to the cookie dough.
- Butter & Cream Cheese - Provides the moisture and fat needed for soft, puffy cookies.
- Egg - One large egg helps to bind the ingredients together.
- Extracts - A mixture of vanilla extract and peppermint extract gives the cookies a great flavor.
- Mix-Ins - Chocolate chips, Oreo cookies, and Andes peppermint crunch chips are my favorite things to add to these peppermint cake mix cookies.
FYI: If you love these peppermint Oreo cookies, you have to try these chocolate peppermint crunch cookies. The same delicious holiday cookie, but in chocolate form!
How to make Peppermint Oreo Cookies
For this holiday cookie, I decided to jazz up these cookies and cream cookies with some peppermint extract and peppermint crunch chips. I have been using these peppermint bits for years, and I'm still obsessed with them.
- Make the dough. Mix together the dry cake mix, softened butter, egg, extract, and cream cheese until a soft dough forms. FYI: These cookies seem to work best with a Pillsbury or Aldi cake mix.
- Add the mix-ins. Stir in the Oreo cookie chunks, chocolate chips, and peppermint crunch bits gently.
- Refrigerate the dough. Keep it in there for at least 60 minutes. The longer you refrigerate, the better. The dough should be able to be scooped and rolled without it sticking to your hands.
- Make dough balls. Use a cookie scoop to divide the dough into 24 scoops. Roll the dough into a ball. Place 12 on a baking sheet with a baking mat & the other 12 in the fridge.
- Bake and cool. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes, then cool for a few minutes on the hot pan before placing on a cooling rack. Whatever you do, do NOT over bake them! Trust me on this. Yes, the cookies will be very soft and you will think I'm crazy. But cake cookies do set up after cooling.
BruCrew Tip: The cookies may come out of the oven slightly puffy. If you want, you can tap the tops with a flat spatula after 2-3 minutes. It's not necessary, but I like to do that.
Storage Recommendations
On the Counter - Keep the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
In the Freezer - Place cooled peppermint cookies in between layers of parchment paper in a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Recipe FAQS
The Andes peppermint crunch chips tend to sell out very quickly each year. You can usually find them on Amazon year round. I also saw Andes peppermint crunch thins at Target that could be chopped into chunks.
You can also chop up Ghirardelli peppermint bars or Hershey's candy cane kisses and use those if you can't find the Andes chips.
You can, but I don't recommend it because candy canes melt down so quickly in heat. You could end up with puddles of melted candy in and around the cookies.
You can freeze the scoops of dough, so you can enjoy hot fresh cookies later. Remove the frozen dough balls and let thaw for about 15 minutes before baking. The dough will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Or you can freeze the baked cookies after they have cooled for a few hours. Make sure to place parchment or wax paper between the cookies to keep them from sticking together. Remove and let thaw to room temperature before serving.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
- White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Mint Truffle Kiss Cookies
- Peppermint Mocha Cookies
- Homemade Little Debbie Cherry Cordials
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Cookies
- Mint Meltaways recipe
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Recipe
Peppermint Oreo Cookies
These easy Peppermint Oreo Cookies are loaded with cookie chunks and peppermint chips, making them taste amazing! Make a batch for your family this holiday season and watch how quickly they disappear.
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix (see note below)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup Oreo cookie chunks
- 1 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces + extra
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips + extra
Instructions
- Add the dry cake mix, butter, egg, extracts, and cream cheese to a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until a soft dough forms.
- Stir in the cookie chunks, peppermint crunch pieces and chocolate chips gently. Refrigerate the dough for at least 60 minutes. The longer, the better. The dough should not stick to your hands when you roll it.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Scoop or roll the dough into 24 balls. Place 12 on a baking sheet and the other 12 in the fridge.
- Bake for 10-11 minutes. Do not over bake. The cookies will be very soft and look undone when you take them out.
- Let the cookies sit on the hot cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes, then gently remove them with a thin metal spatula to a piece of parchment paper on the counter.
- If the cookies are extra puffy, tap the tops with the bottom of the flat spatula. Press extra chocolate chips or peppermint pieces into the tops of the hot cookies. Let them sit until completely cool. Store in a sealed container.
Notes
- These cookies seem to work best if a Pillsbury or Aldi cake mix is used.
- Make sure the butter and cream cheese are not overly soft. If they are, your cookie dough may need to be refrigerated longer.
- If you are using a hand mixer, it will take longer for the dough to come together. Keep mixing until there are no butter or cream cheese streaks.
- Cake mix cookies do take longer to set up. These are best after cooling on the counter for a few hours.
- Can't find the Andes Peppermint Crunch pieces, use any type of chocolate peppermint candy bar and cut into small pieces.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for Oreo Peppermint Crunch Cookies was first published on December 4, 2013. The post and photos were updated, and it was republished on December 4, 2019.
Angie B
These were sooo amazing and easy to make. Very festive for the holiday season. I had a tough time finding the peppermint Andes so I used ghiradelli peppermint bark and they did not disappoint. I found the Andes later and have them in my freezer for next year. Thanks for the recipe❤️❤️
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! DO they freeze well?
Suzanne
These look so good! What a fun cookie to make for Christmas! It would be fun to make with kids too!
Connie
OMG! Excellent cookie.
I'm heading to a "Holiday Cookie Swap" tomorrow night and these will be a big hit!
I was looking for something a little different and not too hard or time consuming because of how many cookies I have to make. PERFECT!!
Thanks for a terrific recipe,
Taryn
Why did mine come out much flatter and when I went to gently remove them after the 3 min they just mushed and were destroyed. I basically reshaped them so if you close your eyes they taste good but they look like crap. Haha. I'm one who loves a presentation and takes pride in my dishes and I don't know if I can put these out.
Long story short do you happen to know why mine are flatter? I followed the directions, except used low fat cream cheese, and had to put 2 tbs of salted butter because I only had 6 tbs unsalted.
Taryn
I mean I used 6 tbs of unsalted butter WITH 2 tbs of salted. I don't think that should matter but just thought I would include that info.
Jocelyn
Awe I'm sorry you had some issues with these cookies. They are one of our favorites! The kind of butter shouldn't matter at all. I'm not sure about the cream cheese...I always use regular cream cheese. How long did you refrigerate the dough before baking? I know the colder the dough is, the less it will flatten out. You can do 30-60 minutes, but even longer is better. Also, keep the dough in the fridge while one batch is baking. I've baked them countless times, and they are always puffy. As for getting them off the pan neatly, I always use a metal spatula to get the cookies off the pan because they slide under the cookies better. I hope that helps some
Ashley wall
Hi! I’m looking for a cookie recipe that uses the peppermint chips(they’re back!) and chocolate chunks. I don’t have any Oreos and live in the middle of nowhere. Do you think it would work if I substituted the Oreos with dark chocolate chunks?
Jocelyn
I think it would be fine if you added some more chocolate chips or chunks in place of the cookie chunks. I hope you enjoy the cookies!!!
Lauren
Hello I’m having difficulty finding the Andes peppermint pieces. Where do you find them ? Is there a sub I could use?
Jocelyn
I have found them at Target for the past few Christmas'. You could also use the Ghirardelli white chocolate peppermint chunks if you still can't find the Andes chips. Fingers crossed you find the Andes though because they really are amazing 🙂 (The other ones are good too, but I prefer the Andes.)
Rose426
I just finished these lovelies, and wanted to leave a couple baking tips that I found in the process! These are probably very obvious to the seasoned baker, but as someone who only bakes every once in a while, I made a couple mistakes that left my early batches not as good as my later ones.
1) where the recipe says to roll them into a ball, they mean it! I had assumed that it meant to roll them into a ball, before pressing them down into a thick, but "perfect" circle, as in the size of the cookie in the photo. This is not the case. Truly leave them as a ball, and they will flatten out on their own. My pre-flattened ones wound up as thin pancakes.
2) At least with my oven, I would say avoid using a silicone baking mat. The bottoms simply would NOT brown or lightly crisp at all - they just stayed gooey and oily, rather than lightly golden on the base, despite adding baking time, etc. Once I put the second batch straight onto the metal baking sheet (with a spritz of non-stick spray), they took exactly 10-minutes as specified and were beautiful on the bottom.
Happy baking everyone!! Yum!!
Kellie
These are my husband's favorite cookies. I have been making them for about 5 years now. How do you keep the shape of the cookie so fluffy after baking? Mine are flat 🙁
Jocelyn
I am so glad to hear that you and your husband love these cookies. They are a favorite in our house too. How long do you refrigerate the dough before baking? If you refrigerate it longer, it should be puffier. I hope that helps!
Kellie
It was about an hour, maybe longer. Could I have over mixed them? I put them in a kitchen aid mixer. Any suggestions on mixing time?
Erin
These cookies are so good! I come back to this site year after year to get the recipe...should probably print and save it in my recipe box 🙂
Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky
I finally got to make this oreo peppermint crunch cookies this past weekend and it was such a hit!! It is very decadent, and the people in my office are happy today! Thx for sharing!
Kirat
Salted or unsalted butter?
Jocelyn
You can use either one. I usually just buy unsalted so that I can control the amount of salt in recipes myself.
Grandall
These cookies look amazing!!! Did you buy the Oreo pieces or chop them up yourself? I thought I had seen the pieces in the past but didn't find them. Thanks for sharing.
Jocelyn
I just chopped up a few Oreo cookies and used those in my cookie dough. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the cookies!
grandall
Thanks, hosting Thanksgiving and these look really good, will try over the holidays.
Denise Simonsen
Hi I baked these on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on the cookie sheet because I didn't have a splat mat and they still seemed a little under baked. Then I tried baking for ten minutes on a bare cookie sheet and they still seemed under baked. They taste great but even after cooling they seem doughy in the middle. Can you freeze these cookies?
Jocelyn
All ovens do bake slightly different. Your oven may bake a little cooler than mine. You many need to bake them for an extra minute to get a texture you like better. Mine do look under baked when I take them out of the oven, but they do set up as they cool. I think these would freeze fine. Just lay them on a sheet of parchment on a tray and freeze them for an hour or two, then put them in a freezer bag. I hope that helps.
Melanie Buck
This has been my go to cookie recipe for the last two years. I was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and thought my world was over. I did however experiment this weekend and made these with a gluten free cake mix and gluten free cookies and it turned out amazing. I did however have to add a little milk to the cake mix and butter in order to make a dough. These baked beautiful!
Kelly
Hello. I can't wait to try this recipe this year. Although, I thought the Peppermint "Crunch" pieces were crushed candy cane....so that's what I bought. Now, I realize that's not right. Going to give it a try & see what happens
Jocelyn
The candy cane pieces will work, but it will be slightly different than the original cookies. The candies called for in the recipe are white chocolate peppermint chocolate with candy crunch pieces in it. I am having trouble finding those this year though. You can use any candy bar that has peppermint bits in it! I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Kelly
I have another idea....I bought Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses! I plan to chop them up.
meredith
Oh my goodness! I was looking for a new cookie recipe to "freshen up" my Christmas cookie line up. I found your site through Sally's Baking Addiction which I use religiously when I need to bake something.
These cookies are absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!
I could not find the baking chips anywhere so I wound up using Hershey candy cane chocolate chopped up. My family does not want me to give these away! I'm so glad I found your site 🙂
Jocelyn
Yay! I am so glad you loved the cookies and that you found my site! This year I have had trouble finding the Andes peppermint bits too, but great job using the Hershey's in place of it!!!
Franki
Any chance you can use crushed up candy canes instead of the Andes peppermint bits?
Jocelyn
I have never tried it with the crushed candy canes, but I have had others try it and say it worked fine.
LM
I have never gotten so many compliments on something that I have made in my life! Such a great recipe!
Unfortunately, the Andes peppermint baking chips were recently discontinued 🙁 I am going to try to cut up Ghiradelli peppermint bark as a substitute.
Jocelyn
Yay for compliments on your baking! Glad you loved the cookie! No wonder I have been having a hard time finding the peppermint chips. That makes me so sad they discontinued them because they were amazing. They do still have the Andes peppermint chip thins at Target that you could chop up too!
Traci Graff
Hi! I'd like to make these for my cookie exchange party- but I live at 10000' feet elevation! any suggestions for high altitude adjustments for this recipe? thank you!
Jocelyn
Hi, Traci. I have never baked at that altitude before, so I'm not quite sure on this. I googled it, and it looks like cookies do not need much adjustments. One website said to increase the temp and decrease the baking time slightly. I would make the batter and test one or two on your baking sheet. This way you can get the right baking time without ruining the whole batch.
stephanie
this is my favorite recipe OF. ALL. TIME. i made them two Christmases ago and theyve become a tradition- people even ask me about them now! i brought some to my hairdresser and she had another client asking the recipe! ive even used the recipe as a base and made other flavors with different cake mixes, etc. life changing! thank you so much!
Jocelyn
You just made my day with your sweet comment! I am so glad to hear how much you and everyone else are enjoying this recipe! And I love that you are getting creative and doing other recipes out of it!