These Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies are soft, thick, buttery, and filled with chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, and white chocolate. A festive holiday cookie that tastes like Christmas in every bite!
There’s something truly magical about Winter baking—the cozy kitchen, the holiday music, the smell of butter and vanilla warming the whole house. These Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies are exactly the kind of recipe that instantly puts you in the holiday spirit. They’re soft and chewy in the center, golden on the edges, and studded with melty chocolate chips, cool peppermint, and snowy white chocolate. The crushed candy canes add just the right festive crunch without overpowering the cookie.
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The Inspiration Behind These Winter Wonderland Cookies
Christmas cookies hold a special place in holiday traditions. There’s always that one recipe that becomes a staple, something you bake every single year, something your family looks forward to, something that makes your home feel warm and full. For many people, that cookie is a classic chocolate chip or a peppermint sugar cookie. But what if you could combine the best of both worlds? That’s exactly where the idea for these Winter Wonderland Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies came from.
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I wanted a cookie that felt festive without being overly peppermint-forward. Peppermint desserts are delicious, but they can easily dominate the entire dessert. So instead, I took a classic chocolate chip cookie base, a buttery, rich, soft dough, and added just enough crushed candy canes to give a festive crunch and a cooling peppermint note without overpowering the cookie. From there, the white chocolate chips and snowflake sprinkles were simply the obvious next step. They create a stunning winter aesthetic that makes every cookie look like it’s dusted in fresh snow.
And while these cookies may look fancy and decorative, the recipe stays true to everything we love about holiday baking: it’s simple, approachable, and requires nothing more than a mixing bowl, a baking sheet, and a few staple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Tips for Making the Perfect Holiday Cookies
Achieving perfect Christmas cookies every time comes down to a few simple but important tips:
- Use room-temperature butter so it creams perfectly with the sugars.
- Don’t overmix; this keeps the cookies soft and tender.
- Measure flour correctly to avoid dense, puffy cookies.
- Add sprinkles before baking, so they melt slightly into the dough.
- Remove from the oven early—take them out when the centers look slightly underbaked.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes to let the centers finish setting.
These small steps make a huge difference in both texture and appearance.
Fun Variations
One of the most enjoyable parts of holiday baking is customizing recipes to fit your taste. Here are a few ideas:
- Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract for a stronger mint flavor.
- Fold in festive red & green M&M’s for extra color.
- Swap chocolate chips for dark chocolate chunks for a more gourmet cookie.
- Add freeze-dried raspberries for a peppermint bark flavor twist.
- Dip half the cookie in melted white chocolate and add sprinkles.
You can also make them into cookie bars if you prefer—a great option for holiday parties.
More Holiday Treats You’ll Love
If you love Christmas baking as much as I do, here are a few more festive favorites to try:
• Italian Christmas Cookies — soft, thick, bakery-style!
• Easy Overnight French Toast Bake
• No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Balls
• Italian Fig Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I freeze the dough?
Absolutely! Scoop the dough into balls, freeze on a tray, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen—just add 1–2 extra minutes.
Can I skip the candy canes?
Yes! The cookies will still be delicious. You can replace them with chopped white chocolate, sprinkles, or leave them classic.
Why aren’t my cookies spreading?
If your dough was too cold or the flour was packed tightly, the cookies may not spread. Just flatten the dough balls slightly before baking next time.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes—swap in a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour blend.
Winter Wonderland Chocolate Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup candy canes crushed
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- Snowflake sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, and white chocolate chips. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- If adding holiday sprinkles, place the sprinkles in a small bowl and roll the cookie balls into the sprinkles and then add to the baking sheets.. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Absolutely delicious! Better than I anticipated but I only used half cup of crushed candy canes and 1 full cup of white and chocolate chips each rather than the ration in the recipe.