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5.0 from 9 votes

Frosted Peppermint Sugar Cookies

These delicious peppermint sugar cookies are soft, fluffy, and topped with a delicious mixture of peppermint, coarse sugar, and chocolate shavings.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Cooling time:
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 3 mins
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 251 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cookies:
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 large egg
Frosting:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • ½ tsp peppermint extract
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 TBS heavy cream
  • pink food coloring optional
Topping:
  • Crushed peppermint candies
  • coarse sugar
  • chocolate bar shaved

Instructions

Cookies:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, shortening, and sour cream on medium-high for about 3 minutes or until it is light and fluffy.
  4. Add the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Mix until well combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture a little at a time, mixing on low until all dry ingredients are fully combined with the creamed mixture. 
  6. Use a medium cookie scoop and place dough balls on prepared baking sheet 2" apart.
  7. Gently press the dough balls down using the bottom of a cup.
  8. Bake for 10 - 13 minutes, until the tops are set but still a pale yellow. Make sure you don't over bake them.
  9. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before you transfer them to the cooling rack to finish cooling.
Frosting a garnish:
  1. Beat together the butter and peppermint extract until smooth and creamy.
  2. Slowly add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, followed by 1 TBS of the heavy cream. Add more cream as needed to get a good consistency. Add pink food coloring if desired to get the pink frosting color.
  3. After cookies are completely cool, frost them and sprinkle tops with crushed peppermints, coarse sugar, and chocolate curls .

Notes

  • Store the cookies in an airtight container or individually wrapped in plastic wrap. They should be good for up to five days at room temperature.
  • Make sure your butter is very soft before trying to use it in this recipe. If it’s not soft, it will not cream properly, which can cause issues with the texture and softness of the cookies.
  • Stores sell peppermint pieces that are perfect for decorating these cookies. If you can’t find those, place candy canes or peppermint candies in a plastic bag and hit with a meat mallet, bottom of a water bottle, or something else heavy until you get little pieces for decorating.
  • Run a chocolate bar over a fine grater or a zester to get little chocolate shavings on top of the cookies.
  • Freeze these cookies before frosting ideally. Place them in an airtight freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to three months. If they’re already frosted and decorated, you can still freeze. Just wrap them individually in plastic wrap then put those individually wrapped cookies into a freezer safe bag. Thaw cookies individually to room temperature to enjoy.
  • Ingredient Notes: 
  • Cake Flour – make sure to use cake flour. If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own cake flour by mixing three cups, minus six tablespoons, of regular all-purpose flour with six tablespoons of cornstarch. Or just order it from your local grocery store where its readily available.
  • Heavy cream – if you don’t have heavy cream, you can use whole milk in its place instead.
  • Shortening – you can substitute the shortening with butter if you like, but you will need to chill the dough if you use all butter instead of shortening.
  • Butter – speaking of butter, I recommend unsalted butter but if you only have salted butter, just omit the added salt the recipe calls for.

Nutrition Information

Calories 251kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 30g (10%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 34mg (11%) Sodium 46mg (2%) Potassium 38mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 21g (42%) Vitamin A 331IU (7%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 16mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 30cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 251

% Daily Value*

Calories 251kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 30g 10%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 34mg 11%
Sodium 46mg 2%
Potassium 38mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 21g 42%
Vitamin A 331IU 7%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 16mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.