These peppermint meltaways truly melt in your mouth with every bite. A simple blend of butter, powdered sugar, and cornstarch yields an airy, tender cookie that’s perfect for holiday parties, cookie exchanges, or a sweet neighbor gift.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Peppermint Perfection: Peppermint is a classic winter flavor, and these cookies feel festive without being fussy. They make a thoughtful homemade gift for neighbors, teachers, or co-workers.
- Great for Cookie Exchanges: These meltaways hold up well in a cookie tin and are always popular at cookie swaps. If you enjoy sharing baked treats, try pairing them with other favorites like Christmas butter cookies, Italian Christmas cookies, or triple chocolate peppermint cookies.
Ingredients for Peppermint Meltaways
These meltaways use simple pantry staples and a bit of peppermint to brighten the flavor. The listed amounts make about 16 cookies; adjust as needed for larger batches.
Peppermint Cookie
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Candy canes, crushed for garnish
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Recipe for Peppermint Meltaways
This recipe is kid-friendly and straightforward. The dough is chilled before shaping, which makes the cookies tender and keeps them from spreading too much while baking. Once cooled, a creamy peppermint cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of crushed candy cane finish them off.
Peppermint Meltaways
- Mix dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a separate bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with the powdered sugar until light and smooth.
- Add flavor: Stir in the peppermint extract until evenly combined.
- Combine: Gradually add the flour and cornstarch mixture to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Chill: Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up.
- Preheat: When the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Shape: Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls. Place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn lightly golden. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream the base: Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and softened salted butter together until smooth and creamy.
- Add peppermint: Mix in the peppermint extract.
- Sweeten: Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
- Frost and finish: Once the cookies are completely cool, frost them with the cream cheese mixture and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
Meltaway Cookie Variations and Add-ins
These meltaway cookies are a versatile base. Swap extracts, fold in citrus zest, or change the frosting to suit the season or your taste.
- Try different extracts: Vanilla, almond, or orange extract are lovely alternatives if you prefer a non-peppermint flavor.
- Add citrus zest: Lemon, lime, or orange zest adds fresh brightness, especially for spring or summer variations.
- Change the frosting: Buttercream, chocolate, or tinted frosting can shift the look and flavor for parties or themed events.
- Add nuts: Chopped pistachios or pecans can be mixed into the dough or sprinkled on top of the frosting for texture.
Storing Leftover Cookies
Keep your peppermint meltaways fresh with these simple storage tips so they stay tender and flavorful.
- Room temperature: Store cooled, frosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Freezing: To freeze, layer baked and cooled cookies with parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
More Peppermint Desserts to Try
Peppermint is wonderfully versatile. If you enjoy these cookies, consider making other peppermint treats such as peppermint cheesecake, chocolate peppermint cookies, or a peppermint milkshake.
Desserts
Peppermint Cheesecake
2 hours
Desserts
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Swig Copycat)
30 minutes
Recipe Skill Levels
Copycat Peppermint Milkshake
20 minutes
Peppermint Meltaways
Ingredients
Peppermint Meltaways
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Candy canes, crushed for garnish
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- Combine the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar in a separate bowl until smooth, then add the peppermint extract. Gradually mix in the flour and cornstarch blend. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
- When chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls and arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until edges lightly brown. Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
- Add peppermint extract, then slowly mix in sifted powdered sugar until smooth.
- Frost cooled cookies and garnish with crushed candy canes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 297 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 61 mg
- Sodium: 98 mg
- Potassium: 33 mg
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 12 g
- Vitamin A: 722 IU
- Calcium: 20 mg
- Iron: 1 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.