These Andes mint chocolate cookies are soft and rich, unapologetically chocolate-y, and crowned with a sweet crème de menthe-flavored “frosting” swirl. What a treat!
One reader, Catherine, commented: “I never write reviews, but this cookie recipe was PHENOMENAL. I have so many favorites from this website, but this cookie gave me the most perfect, chewy texture and it was like heaven on Earth. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Janet, commented: “Made these and the first word that comes to mind is ‘AMAZING!’ I had to quickly freeze a dozen since my husband devoured six before they even had a chance to cool. A new family favorite. Thank you, Sally. ★★★★★“
Peppermint screams flashy red-and-white, as evidenced by recipes like peppermint bark and peppermint mocha cookies. I love mint and chocolate, but today we’re using peppermint’s smooth green counterpart: cool crème de menthe—”mint cream”—for these decadent chocolate cookies.
My family and I used to make these cookies a lot, and we got the recipe from Allrecipes. It’s been YEARS since I made them, and I decided to change the cookie dough so there’s no pre-cooking involved.
You don’t need any special extracts or flavorings for these cookies; just a package of Andes mints. There’s no peppermint extract at all! Do you ever use Andes mints in baking? These crème de menthe-flavored chocolates are billed as “after-dinner mints,” and they melt in your mouth. I chop them up to use in recipes like soft Andes mint chocolate chunk cookies and Andes mint fudge… but you don’t need a cutting board for today’s cookies.
Instead, we’re taking advantage of Andes’ meltaway quality, and letting the warm baked cookies do the work to make a delicious chocolate mint topping. No additional icing recipe to make—it’s such an easy cookie decorating trick, it almost feels like cheating!
Why You’ll Love These Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- Super soft and chewy
- Crisp and sparkly sugar coating—like a snickerdoodle or soft molasses cookie, except CHOCOLATE!
- Simple, basic ingredients
- Mint flavor isn’t too sharp or overpowering at all—young kids love these
- Easy decorating: Swirl a melted Andes mint chocolate to make this “cheater’s frosting” 😉
The Softest, Fudgiest Chocolate Cookies
If you were to close your eyes and take a bite of one of these cookies, you’d be surprised to find a cookie instead of one of my mint chocolate brownies in your hand. We can thank my favorite chocolate cookie dough for that, a go-to base I use when making double chocolate chip cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies too. There’s a reason my team and I turn to this cookie dough often (and why so many readers love it as well)… it WORKS! The magical dough creates rich, thick, and chewy chocolate cookies that stay soft for days. If they last that long (a rare occurrence, I can assure you).
For today’s recipe, I made 2 small changes to the base dough. I replaced a bit of cocoa powder with flour so the cookie dough rolls in sugar a bit neater. And there’s still PLENTY of chocolate flavor, especially with the mint chocolate candy on top. I also slightly reduced the milk… just by a smidge.
I’m a broken record again today repeating that you must chill this cookie dough for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days). It’s imperative in this recipe, so plan accordingly.
Grab These Ingredients:
All basic baking ingredients. You’ll use granulated sugar both in the dough and for coating the cookies. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder is ideal and if you’re interested in learning more, here’s my page all about Dutch-Process vs Natural Cocoa Powder. Cocoa is a very drying ingredient, so don’t leave out the 2 teaspoons of milk in the recipe. Any milk, dairy or nondairy, is fine.
Expect a sticky dough, but again, not nearly as sticky as these double chocolate cookies.
After the dough chills for 2 hours, it’s much easier to handle and roll into balls. You’ll use 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough per cookie, about 25g each if you’re using a kitchen scale. (Same size as these peanut butter snickerdoodles.) Coat each with sugar before placing on your lined baking sheets:
Bake the cookies and watch as they puff up, and then slightly deflate into crinkly cuteness:
Easy Chocolate Mint Cookie “Icing”
These fudge-like chocolate cookies with a hint of mint are similar to my chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies, but without the added step of making ganache. Or these chocolate frosted cookies and peppermint frosted chocolate cookies, without the added step of making frosting. I think you get the point. These cookies are EASY.
Here’s how to “frost” them: After the cookies have baked, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for just 2 minutes, then lightly press an Andes mint in the center of each warm cookie. Set a timer for 5 minutes, to let the Andes mint chocolate get all soft and melty, then give it a little swirl with a knife or icing spatula. COULDN’T BE EASIER. (Yes, I need to shout that!) You’ll love having this easy recipe in your lineup of Christmas cookies.
What Can I Use Instead of an Andes Chocolate Mint?
If you can’t find Andes chocolate mints, you have a few other options. The process for spreading (step 7 below) is the same for all of these options—some chocolates will melt more than others, though.
- Hershey’s Kisses mint chocolate or candy cane flavor
- Mini York peppermint patties
- Cadbury mint chocolate buttons
- 1/2 of an After Eight mint chocolate thin
- 1 small rectangle/piece of a Hershey’s chocolate bar; if using plain chocolate, add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 22-24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These crinkly chocolate cookies are soft and rich like a fudge brownie, and topped with a melted Andes chocolate mint swirl. Chilling the cookie dough for 2 hours is imperative.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)
Coating & Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 22–24 Andes chocolate mints, unwrapped
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky.
- Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is imperative for this sticky cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Scoop and roll dough, 1 heaping Tablespoon (about 25g) of dough each, into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange 2–3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the edges appear set. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for just 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Press 1 Andes chocolate mint into the top of each warm cookie. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, and then use a knife, icing spatula, or toothpick to gently swirl/spread the melted chocolate.
- Transfer “frosted” cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool. Andes chocolate sets matte in less than 1 hour, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies. For a shinier look, serve shortly after topping, or gently warm the Andes topping for a few seconds before serving.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (step 3). Baked cookies with Andes chocolate mint topping freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, preheat the oven, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake as directed. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Icing Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Larger Batch: The recipe is easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming your mixer. Simply double all of the cookie dough ingredients. Dough chill time remains the same.
- Natural Cocoa Powder: Do you know the difference between natural cocoa powder and dutch-process cocoa powder? Use natural cocoa powder in this dough.
- What can I use instead of Andes mints? If you can’t find Andes chocolate mints, other options include Hershey’s Kisses mint chocolate or candy cane flavor, mini York peppermint patties, or Cadbury mint chocolate buttons. If you can’t find any of those, use 1 small rectangle/piece of a Hershey’s chocolate bar; if using plain chocolate, you can add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla. You could also use 1/2 of an After Eight mint chocolate thin. The process for spreading (step 7) is the same for all of these options—some chocolates will melt more than others, though.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
- Recipe idea from Allrecipes using my own chocolate dough.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Every year,I have such a hard time narrowing down which cookies to bake! But every year,I can’t resist making these delicious cookies They are definitely a favorite and work so well for cookie trays,too!
This cookie is perfect! The perfect balance of mint and chocolate. These are very easy to make, but you need to accommodate for dough chilling time. So if you’re craving these cookies, you need to plan ahead a little bit. But they are worth the planning!
These cookies are soooo good!!! They are also so easy to make.
Can these cookies be made gluten free?
Hi Norma, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Would this recipe work if I added my chopped mint pieces directly to the cookie batter before baking?
Thank you!
Hi Michelle! Chopped andes mints? Sure! You’ll just miss the pretty mint icing 🙂
The cookies are delicious but are all flat as a board. What did I do wrong?
Hi Mary, I’m sorry to hear this! Happy to help troubleshoot. If your cookies are overspreading, the simplest answer is likely that you may need to add a little more flour to your dough, or chill for longer. Here are all our tips for how to prevent cookies from over-spreading. I hope this helps for next time!
These cookies are deliciously chocolatey without the Andes. When ‘frosted’ with the mint, that is pretty much the only flavor I could taste. Not that that’s a bad thing! A word of caution – place the dough balls, as measured at 25 g, at least 3 inches apart. My cookies all ran together. Not the prettiest, but there were no complaints from my family!
Can these cookies be stacked once the chocolate cools?
Hi Rena, yes, they set so you can stack the cookies.
These came out so good. A must make for Christmas. Very pleased
I was looking for a recipe similar to what was on the bag of Andes but with flour to rescue what I had already put together. This was it. Perfect!! They turned out great! Thanks for the great recipes.
My grandson is planning a Fourth of July party, and he wants me to use these as the cookies on ice cream sandwiches. He eats these cookies by the half dozen!
I never write reviews but this cookie recipe was PHENOMENAL. I have so many favorites from this website, but this cookie gave me the most perfect, chewy texture and it was like heaven on earth.
Delicious cookie recipe. Chewy just the right amount of mint flavor.
Very easy to make
Hello Sally, your step by step recipes are obviously superior. The andes mint cookies are a favorite. You used to have a andes mint mocha espresso recipe that called for melted butter and recommended a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop. This was my co workers favorite cookie ever made. However I can’t seem to find it on your site any longer. Is there anyway you could repost that recipe? Thank you for everything you do for those of us who love to bake.
Hi Kelly, we recently removed that older recipe from the website, but we’d be happy to share a copy with you. Please send us a note at sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com — thank you!
Excellent recipe, perfectly chocolate with a crispier outside and chewy inside. Used mint fudge baking chips for the swirl. Recommend giving it a try!
Made these for a party. I had to use Andes baking chips since I couldn’t find the chocolates but they looked good and tasted delicious!
Hi Sally. I was wondering if I could not roll them in sugar and instead add a bag of peppermint chips? Would the taste be alright? Thanks for all the great recipes!
Yes, absolutely!
Excellent recipe, delicious cookie, no notes! 🙂
Was disappointed in these cookies. They were dry and were bitter. I love most of your recipes but this one I won’t make again.
These were perfect!
These are so so good! A friend made some for us a few years back and we’ve been talking about them ever since. So glad to have the recipe now to be able to make them ourselves. Just made a batch yesterday and they turned out great – delish!
These were great and easy! The Andes didn’t want to melt completely on my cookies so I popped them back in the over for literally just 30 seconds and then they melted perfectly
SO good
This recipe is HEAVEN. Although, there isn’t a recipe on this site that doesn’t taste amazing. I did what you said at 9 minutes-checked the spread and banged the tray on the counter a few times before finishing baking. Worked like a charm. The Andes trick is so fun and the possibilities are endless- reese’s PB cups melted on top would be divine. I love that these cookies were somewhat crunchy on the outside but so soft and brownie-like on the inside.
Made these and the first word that comes to mind is “AMAZING!” I had to quickly freeze a dozen since my husband devoured 6 before they even had a chance to cool. A new family fave, thank you, Sally❣️
These cookies were amazing & so easy! Thanks for another great recipe!
These are delicious! Reminds me of the thin mint cookies. I made them for a Christmas cookie exchange party.
These cookies are amazing! Definitely one of my new favorites!
Added these to our Christmas cookie bake this year. Made about half using the red andes mints. They were beautiful! Found that putting the white side up made the swirl more colorful.