Irresistibly soft, buttery, and sweet, these peppermint meltaway cookies are a festive favorite during the holiday season. Their texture is so unique; it’s a cross between a shortbread cookie and a cakey cookie, and they completely melt in your mouth. The cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar are KEY here, and don’t forget that pretty pink candy cane buttercream!
One reader, Nicole, commented: “Fantastic recipe! Will definitely be making these again. The cookies are a perfect soft and crumbly texture. The peppermint is the perfect amount as well. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Jane, commented: “Great recipe, easy to make, and the texture was, indeed, melt-in-your-mouth. Intended to give these away, but they didn’t last that long. ★★★★★“
You know those meltaway after-dinner butter mints you sometimes see at restaurants… individually packaged, piled in a basket by the door, beckoning you to grab one on your way out? They’re buttery smooth, melt in your mouth, and leave behind a sweet but not overpowering taste of peppermint. Imagine those… but in cookie form. Now add frosting.
These cookies are downright delectable!!
Peppermint Meltaway Cookies Recipe Snapshot
- Texture: They’re called meltaways for good reason! These ultra-soft, light and tender cookies practically melt in your mouth. Think: softer than a peppermint snowball cookie, and less cakey than these buttercream-frosted soft cakey sugar cookies, and not at all chewy. A little crushed candy cane crunch on top adds another dimension of texture, just like we love on these chocolate peppermint madeleines!
- Flavor: Peppermint extract in both the cookie dough and the buttercream adds the perfect pop of peppermint flavor.
- Ease: This is a simple 1-bowl cookie dough, and the buttercream topping is very basic (but delicious!). Easy enough for beginner bakers and cookie decorators.
- Time: The dough only needs to chill for 30 minutes. Compared to other cookie recipes that include hours-long chill times, this is relatively quick!
Ingredients for the Cookie Dough:
To create the ultimate soft cookie texture, you need some key ingredients:
- Butter: A buttery soft cookie starts with creamed butter. Remember that room-temperature butter is essential for proper creaming, and is still cool to the touch. And here’s more on how to cream butter and sugar, if you need a refresher.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Using powdered instead of granulated sugar contributes to the cookie’s meltaway texture.
- Egg Yolk: While shortbread-style cookies like snowballs don’t include any egg, you need an egg yolk to keep these cookies from being too crumbly. It holds the ingredients together, and adds a bit of richness to the finished cookies.
- Vanilla + Peppermint Extracts: The flavors you’ll taste in these cookies!
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the base dry ingredient.
- Cornstarch: Just like in my shortbread cookies, cornstarch makes for an extra-soft, thick, silky-smooth-tasting cookie.
- Baking Powder: This helps the cookies puff up during baking.
- Salt: To balance all the flavors; use regular table salt.
You need an electric mixer—either stand or hand—to make these peppermint meltaway cookies. You’ll need to cream the butter for the cookie dough, and for the buttercream frosting, as well.
Good news: you can make this cookie dough all in one bowl!
This cookie dough only needs a minimum of 30 minutes of chill time in the refrigerator, so you won’t have to wait too long to taste that sweet, melty peppermint goodness.
Tips for Shaping Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
Scoop, roll, and flatten. Each cookie is around 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough, so you can use your Tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out each cookie. If you have a kitchen scale, each cookie dough ball should weigh about 20–22g.
Be sure to slightly flatten the dough balls. You can flatten with the palm of your hand right on the lined baking sheet, or between both your palms before placing on the baking sheet. These cookies puff up but don’t spread much, and we want to encourage them to bake up with a flat surface for frosting.
Bake just until the edges are set. These cookies stay light in color, so you’re not waiting for them to turn golden brown.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
While the meltaway cookies are cooling, you can go ahead and make the frosting using the electric mixer again. I tint the frosting light pink with a drop of pink gel food coloring. I always use gel food coloring in frostings, because adding more liquid can throw off the consistency. However, with such a small amount of coloring, liquid food dye would be fine here.
And, of course, you don’t have to tint the frosting at all! Feel free to keep it white, like I do with these peppermint frosted chocolate cookies. Spread it onto the cooled meltaway cookies; feel free to pipe it on top, but I just use a knife or small icing spatula.
To garnish the cookies, you can use:
- Crushed candy canes
- Chopped Andes mints
- Sprinkles
Is there anything better than a frosting-covered cookie? That’s a rhetorical question. I’m not taking answers at this time. 😉
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.
Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 30-32 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Irresistibly soft, buttery, and sweet, these peppermint meltaway cookies are a festive favorite during the holiday season. Their texture is so unique; it’s a cross between a shortbread cookie and a cakey cookie, and they melt in your mouth. The cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar are KEY here. Don’t skip chilling the dough for 30 minutes, and be sure to slightly flatten the dough balls before baking as instructed.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Buttercream
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1–2 Tablespoons milk, at room temperature (dairy or nondairy)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- optional: 1 drop red or pink food coloring
- 1/4 cup (40g) crushed candy canes (about 2–3 large candy canes)
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and creamy. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this creamy cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Scoop and roll dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon or 20–22g each. Place dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets, and then flatten each slightly with the palm of your hand; they should be just under 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake the cookies for 13–14 minutes or until the edges appear set. The cookies won’t darken/brown, so be careful not to over-bake them.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Make the buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 full minutes. Taste. To thicken the buttercream, beat in more confectioners’ sugar. To thin out the buttercream, beat in more milk. To help offset more sweetness, beat in a pinch of salt.
- If you’d like to tint the frosting, beat in 1 tiny drop of food coloring. Add more to deepen the color, if desired. Using a knife or icing spatula, spread frosting onto the cooled cookies. Sprinkle each lightly with crushed candy canes.
- Cover and store frosted cookies at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Frosting “soft-sets” on the cookies after a few hours, meaning it will slightly dry on top.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the unbaked flattened cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding a minute or two to the baking time. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough. We do not recommend freezing the baked cookies; the texture is not the same after freezing and thawing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack | Small Icing Spatula
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch (aka cornflour) is a key ingredient in this recipe, and is what helps give the cookies their signature “meltaway” texture. Do not skip or substitute it. (Not to be confused with cornmeal.)
- Food Coloring: I use 1 drop of pink gel food coloring. I always use gel food coloring in frostings, because adding more liquid can throw off the consistency. However, with such a small amount of coloring, liquid food dye would be fine here.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
- Recipe inspired by Taste of Home and adapted from Shortbread Cookies
Reader Comments and Reviews
I followed this exactly. Weighed every ball. Only came out with 23 cookies
I agree – this definitely did not yield 30 cookies.
I used a 1 tablespoon scoop, did not weigh, and I got 32.
This recipe looks great! I was wondering when I make this recipe if there a substitute for peppermint extract because where I live they don’t sell those..
Hi JSK, Do you have access to peppermint oil? If so, you only need a very small splash in each the dough and frosting because it’s more potent than extract.
This recipe was a bit of a miss for me. The flavor was there but the ratios are off. The cookies are SO crumbly that they were a challenge to frost and I had to hold a plate under my chin because they basically fell apart. Am I the only one?? How can I improve this? I had *just* enough frosting for cookies so I might’ve liked more.
Same for me. Mine held together but were very very dry. Checked ingredient list as I made them as I thought the batter was too dry. Unsure what happened.
I was SO looking forward to making these, as I LOVE peppermint. However, I was gravely disappointed as they were dry and crumbly. I cannot figure out what I did wrong. I weigh all of my ingredients and follow the recipe exactly. I wish I knew what I did wrong…..I don’t know that I want to try it again. I also had JUST enough icing, so maybe I put the icing on too thick?
Hi Carrie, so sorry to hear this! We’d love to help troubleshoot. It sounds like you weighed everything and didn’t make any ingredient substitutions, so perhaps they were a bit overbaked? Did they brown at all during baking? Do you live in an exceptionally dry climate? Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
First time making these cookies, sounds so yummy. After frosting with buttercream and after I put them in the refrigerator for 1 hour, can I stack them in a cookie tin?
Hi Mary, you should be able to!
There has only been a couple of sally’s cookie recipes I haven’t liked! This site actually taught me how to bake. This cookie was one of the few I didn’t care for. The cookie itself did melt in your mouth, but it had no flavor save peppermint. Once the frosting was on the peppermint flavor was overwhelming. I usually love the mint taste, it was easy to fix the taste by adding chocolate to the frosting though!
Hi. Can i freeze the finished cookies?
Hi R, sure can! See the recipe notes for make ahead and freezing instructions.
Peppermint heaven! I added white chocolate chips in the dough and desiccated coconut on top of the peppermint frosting and it tasted Wonderful. It has a similar taste to a shortbread .
I have found my new favorite Christmas cookie! So delicious and so pretty with the pink icing and peppermints on top.
I tried mine without buttercream because I’m not a big frosting fan. They weren’t as pretty, but still delicious! Next time I think I’ll try a little chocolate drizzle on top
I loved this recipe! 2 quick things… next time I will double the frosting. I weighed the dough and found it much easier to be consistent on size for baking since you aren’t looking for brown edges.
My husband liked them better without the candy cane topping but I liked it either way.
These were very tasty! The buttercream icing is perfect. I flattened them a little too much but they still looked fine. I too decreased the baking time to 10-11 minutes. Thank you for another great recipe, Sally!
Love the flavor and texture…but they were super brown at 13 minutes. 11 minutes worked great at 5280 ; )
As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it! All your Cookie Palooza recipes look amazing! Some of my edges cracked when I flattened them out. I’m not sure why they did that but I will say the taste was super. I think the amount of peppermint is perfect and they certainly do melt in your mouth! I only had to bake each pan for about 10-11 minutes.
I know this probably defeats the purpose, but can I make this in a different flavor? I have a couple of peppermint haters in my house.
Hi Kathy, You could try a different flavor extract.
Made these tonight and they definitely melt away! They are delicious and will be perfect on a cookie platter.
These are excellent. I used peppermint oil instead of extract (1/8 tsp in the dough, 3 drops in the frosting.) Chilled for 1 hour, baking time was 13.5 mins. Using one drop of red food gel my frosting looked more salmon than pink so think I’ll try the pink gel next go round.
These did not turn out well for me. Much flatter than pictured and edges brown at 13 minutes. Decreased temp and temp and color improved but still pretty flat. Checked all measurements. Tasted good, though
They look delicious! I always use some maraschino cherry juice to make pink DF icing!
Assuming by DF you meant dye-free. Maraschino cherries get their bright red color from red dye. I personally have no problem with that, but you may want to reconsider how you color your frosting if you are truly trying to avoid dye 🙂
Instead of peppermint extract can I substitute for pure peppermint essential oil
Hi Shirley, if using peppermint oil, you only need a very small splash in each the dough and frosting because it’s more potent than extract.
I can’t wait to try this cookie. It looks so festive! If I freeze after frosting, does this affect the peppermint candy at all?
Hi Deb, I find the candy canes leak a bit after thawing, but it doesn’t ruin the taste or anything.
Thank you so much for giving the number of grams for each cookie dough it is so much
easier for me to make them the same size. Thanks also for all the great recipes and videos.
Only have “soft” peppermint sticks and puff peppermint balls. Do I need to use regular “hard” candy canes to top the cookies? Thanks!
I would stick with the hard candy ones, yes. Only because the soft ones will get even softer (but that’s ok if that’s what you want!).
I appreciated your prompt reply to my Candy Cane question. Had time to run to the store while the butter was softening and was able to add these cookies to a family get-together the same day. They were a Big Hit! So fun to have a new cookie in my rotation of Seasonal cookies!
I also appreciated that you included the weight for the cookie balls. Thank you!
Hmmm, Sally and team, wouldn’t these be even more delicious with chocolate buttercream frosting?
Hi Susan, you can certainly use chocolate buttercream if that’s your preference.
My daughter has an egg allergy but would love the peppermint in these! Do you think there is any sub for the egg yolk?
Hi Hali, my team and I have not tested any egg yolk alternatives, so I can’t guarantee any egg yolk substitute options. Let me know if you test anything!
These look beautiful & will make them for my family but do you think they would hold up in shipping if I sent them to people?
Hi Emily, I don’t recommend shipping cookies with buttercream on top. Perhaps try royal icing that hard-sets on the cookies.
Was just reading through the comments and saw this. I know it’s not ideal but couldn’t you send the cookies and a ziplock bag or even an icing bag with the icing in it and let them ice their own cookies with wonderful buttercream icing. Just a thought. Just fill a icing bag that you haven’t cut the tip off or just use a ziplock bag.
Good luck. Merry Christmas
These look great! I would like to add crushed peppermint candies to the dough. Do you think that would be ok?
Hi Grete, I’m sure that would be fine! The cookies will spread more, so you may not want to press them down. Let me know how they turn out!
New subscriber. Looking forward to making. What type of salt do you use? Kosher (Diamond/Morton) or table(iodized)? Thank you
Hi Tara, welcome! We use table salt unless otherwise noted. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Yummm!
Do you think I can make these non dairy with margarine?
Hi Sarah, I’m unsure. I’m concerned the texture will change. Let me know if you test it.
Oops forgot to include the question! Can you suggest an alternative to the buttercream to top this cookie? We are not big buttercream fans here, but the cookie does look really delicious otherwise. Thank you.
Hi Lisa, how about a drizzle of melted white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or a vanilla icing?
I’ve been making “almond meltaways” for years now, but I really like the look of this cookie better! Do you think it would be a straight swap from the peppermint to almond to make these almond flavored? Still use the vanilla too, or omit, or add more almond? Thanks!
Hi Toni, absolutely. I’m sure you could increase the almond extract to 3/4 teaspoon. Keep the vanilla.