These peppermint bark cookie bars are made with a mint chocolate dough, a delicious, festive white chocolate fudge inside, and crushed candy canes on top. They're great for edible gifting and make a delicious Christmas movie night snack!
It's almost December and I am in full-swing Christmas baking mode! And nothing screams Christmas more than these peppermint bark cookie bars!
These are inspired by the new M&S peppermint bark cookies and also by my Moose Tracks cookie bars. Instead of the peanut butter dough and milk chocolate filling that I used in those, I did a peppermint chocolate dough and white chocolate peppermint filling. They are seriously SO GOOD!
This recipe has quite a lot of steps, so I've written a detailed post below to help any beginner bakers reading this. I hope you find it helpful. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make my peppermint bark cookies:
- Butter: I recommend using salted butter to help cut through the sweetness a little.
- Sugar: We'll use a mixture of white and brown sugar in this recipe. My favourite sugars to use for cookies are caster sugar and soft light brown sugar.
- Flavour extracts: Peppermint extract for a hit of candy cane flavour, and a splash of vanilla extract to add warmth.
- Egg: One medium egg will bind the ingredients together, creating a chewy texture rather than a crumbly one.
- Flour: I like to use self-raising flour for my cookie bars to give them a slight lift. No need to worry about adding raising agents separately!
- Cocoa powder: To add chocolate flavour to the dough. Unsweetened cocoa powder is best.
- Chocolate chunks: I chopped up a bar of my favourite mint dark chocolate to use in the dough instead of chocolate chips.
- White chocolate: Some white chocolate chips for the dough plus a couple of regular white chocolate bars to make the fudge filling. Any white chocolate is fine for this but I really like the taste of Milky Bar.
- Condensed milk: We'll mix some of this with the white chocolate to make the filling. You can keep the leftovers covered in the fridge to use in another recipe at a later date. Learn about the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk.
- Red M&Ms: I used these to add Christmas colour to these peppermint bark cookies, because unlike candy canes, they can withstand the heat of the oven and won't melt.
- Peppermint candy canes: Crush them up and add them to the warm cookie bars after baking for a super festive finish and extra mint flavour!
Tools & utensils
- 8x10-inch tin: If you can't find this size of tin, use my cake pan converter to adjust the recipe to fit your tin. Don't try to use a different tin without adjusting the recipe, as you might end up with burnt or underbaked cookie bars.
- Baking paper: This will allow you to lift the whole slab out easily after it's cooled.
- Mixing bowl: A large one, for making the cookie dough.
- Saucepan: To make the fudge filling. You can use a heatproof bowl if you prefer to use the microwave. Just make sure to stir the mixture regularly so it doesn't seize or split.
- Utensils: A wooden spoon for mixing, a teaspoon for measuring, a toothpick for swirling, a rolling pin for bashing the candy canes, and a sharp knife for cutting the cookie into bars.
How to make peppermint bark cookie bars
Step 1: Start by lining an 8x10-inch tin with baking paper and preheating your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using the fan setting).
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix 150g of butter with 140g of caster sugar and 100g of soft light brown sugar. Mix well until the mixture is soft and fluffy.
Step 3: Add 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract, ½ of teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 medium egg. Mix well until smooth.
Step 4: Now add 225g of self-raising flour and 25g of cocoa powder to the mixture. Stir it in and when it's starting to stick, use your hands to press it all together into a ball.
Step 5: Add 100g of mint chocolate chunks (or milk chocolate chunks/chips) and 50g of white chocolate chips to the bowl then press them into the dough.
Step 6: Press a third of the dough into the bottom of your lined tin, as evenly as you can. Once you're done, you can smooth over the top with baking paper to get rid of any finger marks.
Step 7: Now let's make the fudge! Add 200g of white chocolate, 180ml of condensed milk and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract to a saucepan. Melt it over low heat, stirring gently until there are no lumps left. Pour the fudge over your cookie dough base.
Step 8: Divide the remaining cookie dough into 4 pieces and flatten them as much as you can. Place them on top of the fudge and swirl them together using a toothpick as pictured below.
Step 9: Top with a handful of white chocolate chips and red M&Ms then bake for around 22-25 minutes. It will look wobbly in the middle but that's just the fudge; it doesn't mean the cookie is underbaked.
Step 10: After baking, while the cookie is still warm from the oven, sprinkle 2 crushed candy canes over the top. You can also add more red M&Ms and white chocolate chips if you like.
Step 11: Let the cookie cool to room temperature then pop it in the fridge for 3-4 hours to set. Then just remove it from the tin, cut it into bars and enjoy!
Cookie bar tips
- If your dough has finger marks in it after pressing it into the tin, place a sheet of baking paper on top and swipe your hands across it with light pressure.
- Work quickly when you're adding the cookie dough on top of the fudge. The fudge starts to set as soon as it comes off the heat and won't 'blend' in very well with the dough if it has set too much.
- Don't bake the candy canes! They will melt and ruin the texture of the cookie bars. It's best to add them after baking while the cookie is still warm.
FAQs
These will keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I recommend keeping them in the fridge for the best chewy texture.
Yes, you can freeze these cookies for up to 1 month in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them defrost in the fridge overnight and do not refreeze.
More Christmas cookies
- Christmas M&M cookie bars
- Terry's Chocolate Orange cookies
- Mint chocolate shortbread
- Grinch crinkle cookies
- Melted snowman biscuits
I hope you like my peppermint bark cookie bars! If you make them at home, please leave a comment and rating to let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Peppermint Bark Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 150 g Butter, softened
- 140 g Caster sugar
- 100 g Soft light brown sugar
- 1 Medium Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Peppermint extract
- ½ Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 225 g Self-raising flour
- 25 g Cocoa powder
- 100 g Mint chocolate chunks (I chopped up a mint chocolate bar but regular chocolate chips are fine too)
- 50 g White chocolate chips
Fudge layer:
- 200 g White chocolate, broken into segments (use bars, not chips)
- 180 ml Condensed milk
- 1 Teaspoon Peppermint extract
Topping:
- Handful Red M&Ms
- Handful White chocolate chips
- 2 Candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using fan setting) and line an 8x10-inch tin with baking paper.
- Add the butter to a bowl with the caster sugar and brown sugar. Mix well.
- Stir in the egg, peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth.
- Add all of the self-raising flour and cocoa powder. Mix well and when it starts to come together, use your hands to press it into a ball.
- Press the mint chocolate chunks and white chocolate chips into the dough.
- Take ¾ of the cookie dough and press it into the bottom of your lined tin. Set the rest aside to use as the topping later.
Fudge layer:
- Break the white chocolate into pieces and place it into a saucepan with the condensed milk and peppermint extract. Place over low heat on the stove and stir gently until the chocolate has fully melted.
- Pour the fudge mixture over the cookie dough in the tin and spread it out evenly. Work quickly as it'll start setting as soon as you remove it from the heat.
- Divide the remaining cookie dough into 4 pieces and use your hands to flatten each piece as much as you can. Place the pieces over the fudge then use a toothpick to swirl them together.
- Top with red M&Ms and white chocolate chips.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, then sprinkle crushed candy canes on top as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Leave it in the tin to cool completely then pop it in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set.
- Once set, remove the cookie from the tin, cut it into slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- When you first take it out of the oven, it'll be quite wobbly in the middle. Don't worry, this is just the fudge layer and it will firm up as it cools.
- This recipe yields 12 large square bars or 24 triangles. They are super indulgent so a little goes a long way!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leave a Reply