Homemade Peppermint Oreos – soft chocolate cookies sandwiched with a peppermint cream cheese frosting. A festive addition to Christmas cookie plates and holiday gatherings.
HOMEMADE PEPPERMINT OREOS
I bake a lot of cookies, and over the years I’ve developed a few reliable rules that consistently produce great results. These Homemade Peppermint Oreos combine soft, chocolatey cookies with a creamy peppermint filling for a portable, crowd-pleasing sweet.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING COOKIES
1) Do not overbake. Removing cookies from the oven at the right moment preserves their soft texture, even if they seem slightly underdone when you take them out. Overbaking ruins the texture, flavor, and appearance.
2) Use real butter. Butter delivers the best flavor and texture. If a recipe calls for room-temperature butter, make sure it’s softened—not melted—for proper creaming and the best results.
3) Use parchment paper. Lining baking sheets with parchment prevents sticking, promotes even browning, and often lets you reuse the sheet for multiple batches.
4) Use pure vanilla extract. Real vanilla offers a noticeable flavor improvement over imitation extract. It’s a small investment that pays off in taste.
5) Use large eggs. Most recipes assume large eggs unless otherwise specified. Using a different size can affect texture and moisture.
Today happens to be my husband’s birthday, which seemed like the perfect excuse to bake one more kind of cookie. These peppermint sandwich cookies are easy to transport, simple to serve, and always one of the first treats to disappear at a party. Chocolate cookies, peppermint filling, and festive sprinkles—what’s not to love?
These cookies are a great choice when you want something that feels homemade but is easy to assemble. They’re ideal for cookie exchanges, holiday trays, or gifting in a box. The peppermint cream cheese frosting gives a tangy-sweet balance to the deep chocolate cookie, while crushed candy cane or sprinkles add color and a crunchy finish.
OTHER CHRISTMAS RECIPES:
- Christmas Tree “Cheese” Ball
- Soft Eggnog Cookies
- Peppermint Eggnog Punch
- Eggnog Gingerbread Trifle
- Cranberry and Feta Pinwheels
- North Pole Cupcakes
- Eggnog Eclair Cake
- Santa Claus Cookies
- Cherry Kiss Cookies
- Peppermint Cookie Cutter Bark
Homemade Peppermint Oreos
Soft chocolate cookies sandwiched with a peppermint cream cheese frosting. Perfect for holiday cookie plates and seasonal gatherings.
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 2 (18.25 ounce) boxes Devil’s food cake mix
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
Frosting:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Sprinkles or crushed candy cane for decorating
- Green or red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer. The batter will be quite stiff. Pinch off pieces of batter and roll into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets and flatten slightly with your fingertips.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies immediately from the baking sheets with a spatula and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fully combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then stir in the peppermint extract. Mix until the frosting is smooth and spreadable. If desired, tint the frosting with a few drops of red or green food coloring for a festive look.
- Spread frosting on the bottom of half the cooled cookies, then top with remaining cookies to form sandwich cookies. Roll the edges in sprinkles or crushed candy cane for decoration.
- Store the finished cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep well for several days and are easy to transport in resealable bags or a cookie tin. This recipe yields about two dozen cookies.
Serving, Storage, and Variations
These sandwich cookies are best served chilled or at cool room temperature. Refrigeration keeps the cream cheese filling firm and helps the cookies hold up if you need to stack them for transport. If you prefer a thicker filling, double the frosting ingredients or pipe the frosting for a more polished presentation.
For a stronger peppermint flavor, increase the peppermint extract slightly, but add it gradually—peppermint can quickly overpower the other flavors. If you want a dairy-free or lighter version, try substituting a dairy-free cream cheese and butter alternative, though the texture and flavor will differ from the original.
To change up the finish, drizzle melted white chocolate over the cookies before adding crushed candy canes, or use colored sanding sugar for a less intense peppermint crunch. These cookies also freeze well—place them in a single layer on a tray to freeze, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for longer storage. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
Using a good-quality cream cheese and real butter gives the best flavor. Make sure both are softened to room temperature to make a smooth frosting. If the batter feels too soft or sticky to roll, chilling it briefly will make it easier to shape. Likewise, chilling the filled sandwiches briefly will help the frosting set and make them easier to handle.
