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Soft, buttery, and sweet peppermint meltaway cookies with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture between shortbread and cakey, topped with a pink peppermint buttercream frosting and crushed candy canes for a festive crunch.

  • Total Time: 59 minutes (including chilling time)
  • Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (80g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For Buttercream Frosting:
  • 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1–2 Tablespoons milk, at room temperature (dairy or nondairy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • Optional: 1 drop red or pink food coloring
  • 1/4 cup (40g) crushed candy canes (about 2–3 large candy canes)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough: Beat butter on medium speed until creamy (~1 minute). Add confectioners’ sugar and mix on low 30 seconds, then medium-high for 2 minutes until fluffy. Scrape bowl.
  2. Add egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint extracts; beat on high until fully combined. Scrape if needed.
  3. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt; mix on low until just combined into thick creamy dough. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes (up to 3 days).
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  5. Scoop dough using tablespoon (or 20–22g), place balls 3 inches apart on trays. Flatten each slightly with palm to just under 2 inches wide.
  6. Bake 13–14 minutes until edges look set. Do not brown. Watch closely to avoid overbaking.
  7. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  8. Prepare buttercream frosting: Beat softened butter on medium speed until creamy (~1 minute). Add confectioners’ sugar, milk, vanilla, and peppermint extracts; beat on low 30 seconds, then medium-high 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Adjust thickness by adding more sugar or milk. Optionally add a tiny pinch of salt for balance.
  9. Add 1 drop food coloring if desired and mix until blended. Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cookies. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
  10. Store frosted cookies covered at room temperature up to 1 day or refrigerate up to 5 days; frosting will firm slightly but stay creamy.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing: Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept chilled. Flattened dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months; bake from frozen adding 1-2 minutes to bake time. Avoid freezing baked cookies to maintain soft texture., Cornstarch is essential for the signature tender, meltaway texture, do not substitute with cornmeal., Use gel food coloring to tint frosting without thinning it. A small amount of liquid dye works as well due to low quantity used.

  • Author: Laura
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: Approximately 110-130 calories per cookie (estimate)
  • Fat: 7g per cookie (estimate)
  • Carbohydrates: 15g per cookie (estimate)
  • Protein: 1g per cookie (estimate)