Andes Mint Cookies
Loves Andes mints? Then you will LOVE these Andes Mint Cookies! They are a simply but decadent chocolate cookie filled with Andes mint bits! You can chop your own Andes mints, or buy them already in little bits. It's the perfect cookie for a chocolate mint lover and great for a Christmas Cookie tray!
Andes mints always remind me of Olive Garden. Anyone else always look forward to grabbing a handful of them while walking out after a big plate of Fettuccine Alfredo?! I also love chocolate and mint together so why not make a cookie with them?! The base of these Andes Mint Cookies is an easy chewy chocolate cookie made with cocoa powder (high five for not having to melt any chocolate!) and is just chock full of Andes mint bits. It one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes that I've made this year!
Did you know you can buy pre-chopped Andes mints in the baking section? Such a lifesaver - no more unwrapping individual candies and chopping them up!
Looking for more Christmas cookies? Check out my Christmas Peanut Butter M&M Cookies or my Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies!
Ingredients in Andes Mint Cookies
- Unsalted Butter - I always recommend using unsalted butter for baking, so you can be in control of the salt.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar - this recipe uses a combination of sugars, for a depth of flavor from the brown sugar which also adds more chewiness to the cookies.
- Eggs - Eggs add moisture which is important for structure and stability of the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract - just a teaspoon of vanilla adds a hint of vanilla flavor to these mint cookies.
- Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt - for leavening and to enhance the flavor.
- Cocoa Powder - a hefty ⅔ cup of cocoa powder makes these deeply chocolate flavored.
- Flour - I use unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Andes Mint Bits/Chips - this adds the mint flavor! You can find Andes mint baking chips in the baking aisle, or chop up Andes mint candies.
How to Make Andes Mint Cookies
The dough for this recipe is very simple to make. To start, cream together room temperature butter with the brown sugar and the granulated sugar on medium high speed with the paddle attachment until creamy, about 2 minutes. I use my stand mixer to do this but you can use a hand beater, too. Next, add the eggs and beat until combined and then the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
To this mixture, add the dry ingredients. Start with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder and beat until combined. I like to scrape down the edges too, to make sure everything is getting combined. Then add the flour, beating until combined. Finally, fold in the Andes mint bits. You could also do a combination of Andes mint bits and chocolate chips, if you'd like! You do not need to chill this dough - you get to bake it immediately!
Form the dough into large 2-3 tablespoon sized cookie dough balls. I used a cookie scoop and made both big and smaller cookies with this dough. Both are delicious but I really like the bigger cookies. Place the dough balls on a parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet, press some additional Andes mint chips onto the top of the cookie dough balls, and then bake for 8-10 minutes. You'll want closer to 8 minutes for smaller cookies and closer to 10 minutes for larger cookies. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Andes Mint FAQ's
- Can I add peppermint extract? Sure! This would definitely enhance the mint flavor of the cookies. I would start with ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract along with the vanilla extract.
- Can these be frozen? Absolutely. I love making a batch of these and putting half of them in the freezer. They are still just as chewy and delicious after being in the freezer!
- Does the dough need to be chilled? No. This is a cookie dough recipe that can be baked immediately after it is prepared.
Related Recipes
Andes Mint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chopped Andes mints or bits
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the edges of the bowl between each egg.
- Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder, beating to combine.
- Add the flour, beating to combine.
- Fold in the Andes mint bits.
- Form into larger, 2-3 tablespoon sized dough balls. Press additional Andes mint bits onto the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake in the oven for 8-9 minutes. Don't overbake! The tops should no longer be shiny but they may not appear completely set. They will set up more as they cool.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.
Notes
- Be careful not to over-bake these cookies. They will set up as they cool.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
- To freeze - place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
