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Irresistible Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies: Your New Go-To Recipe

Prepare to be amazed by these incredibly easy and utterly delicious Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies! Bursting with refreshing mint flavor and rich chocolate, these cookies are a true delight that comes together with surprising simplicity. Whether you’re whipping up a batch for holiday gatherings, a cozy night in, or simply to satisfy a sweet craving, this recipe is guaranteed to become a favorite.

Once you’ve savored these incredible minty treats, be sure to explore more beloved cookie recipes from our collection! Dive into the classic comfort of our famous Snickerdoodle Cookies, enjoy the hearty goodness of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, or indulge in the soft and chewy delight of our Peanut Butter Cookies!

Why These Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Are a Must-Bake

Are you feeling the festive baking frenzy this season? You’re not alone! Our ovens have been working overtime, testing new recipes and crafting delightful treats for friends, family, and neighbors. Amidst all the hustle, we’ve discovered a true holiday lifesaver: these remarkable Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What makes them so special? For starters, they require absolutely no chilling time for the dough, meaning you can go from craving to cookie in record time. The prep work is minimal, taking roughly 10 minutes from start to finish. And with only eight core ingredients, they’re incredibly accessible, even for novice bakers. Get ready to impress everyone with these unbelievably easy, unbelievably delicious cookies that taste like they came from a gourmet bakery!

Crafting Your Perfect Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Simple Guide

Creating these sensational Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies is a breeze, especially with our clever shortcuts that don’t compromise on flavor or texture. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to bring these irresistible treats to life:

Cream the Base: Begin by combining room-temperature unsalted butter and full-fat cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. The key here is “room temperature” – neither cold and hard nor melted and greasy. This ensures a smooth, creamy base for your dough, which is essential for the perfect cookie texture. Beat them together until light and fluffy. Next, incorporate the large egg and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined. The egg adds structure and richness, while vanilla enhances all the sweet flavors.
Embrace the Shortcut: This recipe shines thanks to a couple of brilliant shortcuts: using a quality brownie mix and instant pudding mix. Add both dry mixes to your wet ingredients and beat until they are just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as over-developing the gluten can lead to tougher cookies. This combination creates a fudgy, rich chocolate base without needing to measure a dozen different dry ingredients from scratch. (If you’re seeking a completely from-scratch chocolate cookie, consider trying this recipe, omitting the caramel and substituting Andes® mint chocolate for regular chocolate chips!)
Fold in the Minty Delights: This is where the magic truly happens! Gently fold in your chosen add-ins. For these cookies, we’re going all out with both chopped Andes mints AND crushed mint chocolate Oreos®. The combination provides an incredible textural contrast and a double dose of minty chocolate goodness. If you prefer to focus on just one add-in, simply double the amount of your favorite and omit the other. The dough will be thick and wonderfully sticky – a sign of a truly rich cookie!

Expert Tips for Perfect Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Every Time

Even with an easy recipe, a few clever tips can elevate your baking from good to extraordinary. Follow these pointers to ensure your Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies turn out perfectly fudgy, chewy, and bursting with flavor:

Mind the Temperature of Your Ingredients: This is a crucial step! For optimal results, ensure both your butter and cream cheese are at proper room temperature. This means they should be soft enough to indent with a finger but not melted or greasy. Melted ingredients can lead to a wet, oily dough and flat, crumbly cookies. If you’re short on time, this helpful article offers quick tricks to bring butter and eggs to room temperature efficiently.
Verify Mix Ounces: Double-check the ounce weight of your brownie mix and pudding mix. Brownie mixes typically come in 18-ounce packages, and instant pudding mixes in 3.9-ounce boxes. Using a mix that is too large can throw off the wet-to-dry ratio, resulting in a dry, crumbly dough that’s difficult to work with and yields dry cookies. Consistency is key for predictable baking results!
Avoid Overmixing: Once you add the dry brownie and pudding mixes, mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can lead to tough cookies. We want soft, tender, and chewy cookies!
Don’t Overbake: These cookies are best when slightly underbaked. They might look a little soft in the center when you pull them out of the oven, but the residual heat from the baking sheet will continue to cook them to perfection. This ensures they remain delightfully fudgy and chewy, rather than dry and hard.
Embrace the Chill (Briefly!): While this recipe boasts no mandatory chilling, a short 10-30 minute chill in the fridge can firm up the sticky dough, making it much easier to handle and roll into perfectly round cookie balls. This also helps prevent spreading, giving you thicker, chewier cookies.
Use a Cookie Scoop: For consistently sized and evenly baked cookies, a cookie scoop is your best friend. A 2-tablespoon scoop is ideal for these cookies, ensuring each one bakes uniformly and looks professional.

More Minty Chocolate Delights

If you can’t get enough of the irresistible mint and chocolate combination, be sure to try these other fan favorites:

Creamy and rich Mint Chocolate Fudge
Decadent and fudgy Mint Brownies
Our reader-favorite Thin Mint Oreo Cups (a truly addictive treat!)

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients: A Closer Look

Understanding the role of each ingredient will help you bake these mint chocolate chip cookies to perfection:

Unsalted Butter: We highly recommend using unsalted butter. Brownie mixes and pudding mixes often contain sodium, and using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of your cookies, preventing them from becoming too salty. Room temperature or slightly softened butter is essential for achieving a smooth, well-emulsified dough.
Cream Cheese: For the best flavor, richness, and thickness, opt for full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Avoid Neufchâtel or reduced-fat varieties, as their lower fat content can alter the texture of the cookies, making them less tender and fudgy.
Large Egg: A standard large egg provides structure, moisture, and richness to the cookie dough, helping bind the ingredients together for a consistent bake.
Vanilla Extract: High-quality vanilla extract is a crucial flavor enhancer. It complements the chocolate and mint, adding depth and a subtle warmth that elevates the overall taste profile of the cookies.
Brownie Mix: This is our secret weapon for an effortlessly rich chocolate base! After extensive taste testing, we found the Betty Crocker® Delights Brownie Mix (Supreme Chocolate Chunk) to yield the absolute best results. While not sponsored, we happily share this recommendation based on its superior flavor and texture. This particular mix comes in an 18-ounce package; if you choose a different brand or variety, make sure it is also 18 ounces to maintain the correct ingredient balance.
Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix: Ensure you grab a regular instant chocolate pudding mix and filling, not sugar-free or cook-and-serve varieties. The instant pudding mix adds an incredible amount of moisture, richness, and chewiness to the cookies, making them exceptionally soft and decadent. Use the small, 3.9-ounce box.
Andes Mints: The star of the mint show! These iconic mint chocolate candies melt beautifully into the cookies, providing bursts of cool, refreshing mint. If Andes Mints are hard to find in your local store, Junior Mints® make a fantastic substitute, offering a similar delightful flavor.
Mint Oreos®: For an extra layer of chocolatey mint texture and flavor, coarsely chopped Mint Oreos are a game-changer. There’s no need to remove the cream filling – simply chop them into small, manageable pieces to distribute throughout the dough.

Creative Variations to Customize Your Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

While the classic Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie is undeniably delicious, don’t hesitate to get creative! Here are some exciting variations to customize your batch:

White Chocolate & Peppermint: For a festive twist, swap the chocolate instant pudding mix for white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix. Replace the Andes mints and mint Oreos with white chocolate chips and plenty of crushed peppermint candies or candy canes. This creates a vibrant and equally delicious peppermint cookie.
Add a Decadent Chocolate Mint Ganache: Elevate your cookies by adding a luscious chocolate mint ganache drizzle or spread on top. You can find an excellent recipe for this from our Mint Brownie Cookies, perfect for an extra touch of indulgence.
Boost the Mint Factor: If you’re a true mint enthusiast, make these cookies even more visually appealing and minty by pressing an additional Andes mint on top of each cookie immediately after they come out of the oven, allowing it to slightly melt and create a beautiful sheen, just like in our popular Andes Mint Cookies.
Dark Chocolate Intensity: For those who love a deeper chocolate flavor, use a dark chocolate brownie mix and semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate.
Nutty Crunch: Introduce a textural element by folding in a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts with your mint add-ins.

More Irresistible Cookie Recipes:

Once you’ve mastered these minty wonders, keep the baking joy going with these other fantastic cookie recipes:

Classic Chewy Oatmeal Cookies – Simple, wholesome, and satisfying.
Tropical-inspired Almond Joy Thumbprint Cookies – A delightful taste of paradise.
Fruity and elegant Raspberry-Almond Thumbprint Cookies – Perfect for special occasions.
Soft and pillowy Chewy Sugar Cookies with velvety cream cheese frosting – A timeless favorite.
Our viral Edible Cookie Dough – A safe and delicious way to enjoy your favorite dough!

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Chelsea Lords

Delicious Chocolate Mint Cookies are bursting with flavor, simple to make, and perfect for holiday baking!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 18 cookies

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Equipment

Sheet pan (15″ x 10″)
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Cooling rack

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, full-fat, at room temperature
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 cup), at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) package Betty Crocker Supreme Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix
1 (3.9-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding and pie filling, unprepared
8 to 10 mint-chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos or Andes), coarsely chopped, measure to 1 scant cup (see note 1)
1 cup Andes Crème de Menthe Thin Mints, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, using a stand or hand mixer, cream together the room-temperature cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the large egg and vanilla extract; continue mixing until well combined.
Beat in the dry brownie mix and instant pudding mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the dough.
Gently fold in the coarsely chopped mint Oreos and coarsely chopped Andes mints until evenly distributed. The dough will be thick and sticky. If it’s too difficult to work with, cover and place it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up slightly, then continue. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes.
Form large balls of dough (approximately 2 tablespoons in size). Slightly flatten each ball to create a wide, disc-like shape before placing them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 8–12 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on the size of your cookies and your oven’s actual temperature. It’s best to slightly underbake these cookies to ensure they remain soft, fudgy, and delightfully chewy! If desired, press a few extra chopped Andes mints on top of the warm cookies immediately after removing them from the oven for a beautiful finish.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for an additional 3–4 minutes. This allows the residual heat to continue cooking them gently, setting their shape. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: If you’re not a fan of Oreos or prefer a different texture, you can omit them entirely. In their place, consider adding an extra 1/2 cup of finely chopped Andes mints for an intensified mint flavor.

Storage: Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, you can freeze dough balls: place them on a lined tray until solid, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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