This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
These peppermint meltaways literally melt in your mouth with every bite. The combination of butter, powdered sugar, and cornstarch creates a fluffy and delicious cookie that is the perfect holiday treat!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Peppermint Perfection: I feel like peppermint is the one flavor that is saved for the holiday season. These cookies scream Christmas and are a great neighbor or teacher gift.
- Cookie Exchange: Cookie parties are my favorite, and these are the best! My other favorite cookies to share are Christmas butter cookies, Italian Christmas cookies, or these triple chocolate peppermint cookies.
Ingredients For the Peppermint Meltaways
These easy peppermint meltaways are deliciously sweet and easy to make! You probably have most of the ingredients on hand. For exact measurements, scroll to the bottom of the post.
Peppermint Cookie
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter is best when mixing dough.
- Powdered Sugar: This adds a light and fluffy sweetness!
- Peppermint Extract: Find this in the baking aisle by the spices.
- All-purpose Flour: A very common flour for baked goods.
- Cornstarch: Adds a light and fluffy texture to the cookies.
- Candy Canes: Crushed candy canes are used for sprinkling on top because they’re so cute.
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese: Make sure you set your cream cheese on the counter to get it to room temperature.
- Salted Butter: Salted butter is great for baking.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar is a must for adding sweetness.
- Peppermint Extract: More extract flavor is delicious in the cream cheese frosting. You will LOVE it!
Recipe For Peppermint Meltaways
Grab the kids and make these fun peppermint meltaways! With a quick, easy recipe and creamy peppermint frosting, they’re perfect. Just sprinkle with crushed candy canes, and you’re all set. Can’t wait for you to try them!
Peppermint Meltaways
- Combine: In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch, then set aside.
- Cream: In another bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar together.
- Add: Mix in the peppermint extract because it adds great flavor.
- Combine: Slowly add the flour and cornstarch mixture to the butter and powdered sugar mixture.
- Chill: Cover the dough, then pop it in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat: After the dough has chilled, then preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Shape the Dough: Roll the dough into 1 to 1 ½ inch balls, then place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes in the oven until the edges start to lightly turn brown. Remove from the oven, then let them cool completely.
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat the Cream Cheese and Butter: Mix the cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer. Beat the mixture until creamy.
- Add the Extract: Add the extract and mix to combine.
- Add the Powdered Sugar: Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar, then mix until creamy and combined.
- Frost the Cooled Cookies: Once the cookies have cooled, you can frost them using a fun tip. Garnish with crushed candy canes on top.
Meltaway Cookie Variations and Addins
Peppermint meltaways are just one variation of these popular meltaway cookies. It’s easy to change the flavors and frosting to fit your theme. Here are some of my favorite substitutions for these yummy cookies. You will love all of the possibilities!
- Change the Extract Flavors: The easiest way to change the flavor is to change the extract! Experiment with your favorite flavors because you really can’t go wrong. Vanilla, almond, and orange extract flavors are my favorite, but you choose yours.
- Add Zest: The zest of any citrus fruit is a great way to pack in flavor! I love adding zest in the spring and summer. Lemon, lime, and orange zest are all delicious.
- Frosting: Any flavor of frosting would be delicious on these meltaway cookies. For instance, buttercream or chocolate would be my first pick. Additionally, it’s fun to change the color of the frosting. Simply use food coloring to match the theme of your party!
- Add Nuts: Add chopped nuts to the dough or on top of the frosting. Pistachios and pecans would be yummy!
Storing Leftover Cookies
These fun, delicious peppermint meltaways are perfect for the holidays! Here’s how to keep them fresh all week—or freeze them for later.
- At Room Temperature: Place cooled meltaway cookies in an airtight container. Then, store them at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- In the Freezer: Once the cookies are baked and cooled, you can store them in the freezer. Use a piece of parchment paper between layers. This prevents the frosting from sticking to other cookies.
More Peppermint Desserts to Try
Peppermint flavored desserts is the best way to celebrate the holidays! I love how versatile this flavor is and the many different desserts you can make. From shakes, to brownies, to cheesecakes…you can’t go wrong! Here are some yummy desserts you have to try! I am excited for you to make these.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Peppermint Meltaways
Ingredients
Peppermint Meltaways
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- candy canes for garnish, crushed
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 package cream cheese 8 oz.
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine flour and cornstarch, then set aside.
- In another small mixing bowl cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add peppermint extract. Slowly add the flour and cornstarch mixture to the butter and powdered sugar mixture. Combine well and refrigerate for an hour.
- After the dough has chilled preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll the dough into 1 to 1-1/2-inch-sized balls and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges start to lightly turn brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Frosting
- To make the peppermint cream cheese frosting, cream together cream cheese and butter.
- Add peppermint extract and slowly add the sifted powdered sugar.
- Frost the cookies with the frosting and garnish with crushed peppermint candy canes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can the cookies be frozen ? Or how long do they stay fresh ? I would like to make a week before Christmas but I’m afraid they will lose some of their deliciousness
They will last about a week stored at room temperature! You can also freeze them in an airtight container. Just thaw them overnight before serving.
So tasty!
I’m not sure I’ve ever made a more crumbly cookie. Maybe there should have been an altitude adjustment IDK. Pretty easy to follow the recipe and execute the icing. Taste great, not dry, but oddly crumbly.
Oh no! Try adding in 1-2 T of liquid (milk or water) to the dough. That might help them hold together better!
I like all your recipes and will post some of them on my blog and link to your website because it’s worth it. Keep it up, you’re great!
I made these Amazing melt in your mouth Treats & it was a Success !! I believe it was a success due to the awesome Recipe and Recommended Comments .. Thank You All !!
Thought I’d share what I learned and Used:
– Unsalted butter for cookie dough (used recommended LandOLakes)
– Salted butter for frosting
– left butter out of frig overnight to soften
– used Argo cornstarch
– used mixer to stir ingredients
– refrigerated dough for exactly 1 hr
– used measuring spoon to scoop exact amount of dough
– used crushed soft peppermint puffs instead of candy canes for topping
This recipe is missing something to hold the cookie together!!! It does taste great, but when I followed the step by step instructions for the cookie…… They crumbled like a dried out sandcastle when you tried to pick them up. I had doubled the recipe and had only used half of the dough, so I added one egg to the remaining half of the dough and viola, no more crumbling cookie!!! I proceeded to make several more batches and found that one egg added does the trick! Also, the frosting needs way more powdered sugar for all of that cream cheese and butter!!!!! Good luck fellow cookie makers:) hope this helps!
To all who cookies crumble, after years of making shortbread and meltaways, I have concluded that rolling the prepared dough into a log and wrapping them in plastic wrap to chill then slicing them before baking does help them stay together. Kist don’t move them until they are cooled.
I loved the basic recipe, but I’m not wild about mint. I made these as almond meltaways, just substituting almond extract for peppermint in the cookies (and icing) and garnished with sliced almonds. Delicious! Huge hit at home and work.