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Embrace the holiday spirit with our festive Peppermint Oreo Cookies. This delightful recipe combines the rich, chocolatey goodness of devil’s food cake cookies with a refreshing peppermint cream cheese frosting. Each bite offers a perfect balance of deep chocolate and bright peppermint flavors, making these cookies a standout treat for holiday gatherings or cozy winter evenings.
I’m always excited to bring seasonal twists to classic favorites. The inspiration for these festive peppermint Oreo cookies came from the classic holiday pairing of chocolate and peppermint. These cookies are not only a joy to bake, but also a fun and festive treat to share. They really do create holiday cheer…. like, lots of it! If you love oreos and you appreciate peppermint desserts, it’s a lock you’ll be obsessed with these Christmas inspired treats.

Chemistry of the Oreo Cookie
The chemistry of these cookies lies in the perfect pairing of flavors and textures. The devil’s food cake mix provides a moist, tender base, enriched by the shortening, which assists in creating a soft texture. The real magic happens in the frosting, where the smooth texture of the cream cheese meets the invigorating coolness of peppermint. The crushed peppermints not only adds flavor, but also a subtle crunch, offering a delightful contrast to the creamy frosting and soft cookie.
Why add peppermint to the frosting?
Peppermint adds a festive, refreshing flavor that beautifully complements the rich chocolate cookies. It’s a classic holiday flavor that transforms the ordinary Oreo into a seasonal treat.
How do you ensure the frosting is the right consistency?
The key is to whip the frosting until it’s light and fluffy, which is achieved by beating on high for about 2 minutes. Folding in the crushed peppermints at the end maintains the frosting’s consistency while adding flavor and texture.
Can these cookies be made in advance?
Yes, these cookies can be made a day ahead. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The frosting can also be prepared in advance and refrigerated.
How do you crush peppermints without making a mess?
The easiest way is to place the peppermints in a sealed plastic bag and gently crush them with a rolling pin. This method withholds the mess and gives you control over the size of the peppermint pieces. You can crush these peppermints any way you’d like (ie: candy cane fights), the key is to make sure you have 50% fine parts of the candy cane and 50% little chunks.

What is in Peppermint Oreo Cookies?
Devils food cake mix
Provides a rich, chocolaty cookie base.
Shortening
Being 100% fat, it provides a flakier texture and prevents spreading because it does not melt down in the oven.
Eggs
Adds both a protein (egg whites) and fat (egg yolks). The egg whites help with rising because, when foamed, little air pockets get trapped inside the egg white mixture. The water content in egg whites encourages steam while baking, which helps with gluten formation, resulting in nice and thick treats. Egg yolks have emulsifying properties that bring batters and doughs together and help them from collapsing. Unless otherwise specified, always use large eggs.
Cream cheese
Provides a unique, tangy flavor. When baked it adds moisture to your treat.
Powdered Sugar
Is just finely ground granulated sugar. It will absorb moisture in your batter or dough. It dissolves easily, ensuring a smooth texture without grittiness. Because it is so fine, it can melt quickly in the oven and spread cookies out more. Powdered sugar also stabilizes and thickens the frosting, thanks to the small amount of cornstarch it contains.
Vanilla Extract
When using pure vanilla extract, as opposed to imitation flavoring, it will add the deep rich flavor that everybody wants in a treat.
Crushed peppermint
Introduces a festive peppermint flavor and crunchy texture.
How to store Peppermint Oreo Cookies
Store the cookies in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 days. You can store the cookies in the fridge for longer, about 5-7 days. Also, you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. Just allow the cookies to come back to room temperature before enjoying.
How to make these ahead of time
These cookies are perfect for preparing in advance. Bake the cookies and store them at room temperature. The frosting can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Let the frosting come back to room temperature and give it a whip before using. Assemble the cookies with the frosting on the day of serving.
Why make Peppermint Oreo Cookies?
These festive Peppermint Oreo Cookies are ideal for the holiday season, especially for Christmas and New Year celebrations. They are also great for winter bake sales and as a homemade gift to spread holiday cheer. They’re probably best enjoyed while watching Elf or The Grinch for the 50th time with the kiddos.

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Peppermint Oreo Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie
- 2 boxes devils food cake
- 1 cup shortening
- 4 eggs
Frosting
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 5 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup crushed peppermints
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a standing mixer combine the devils food cake, shortening and eggs. Mix until fully combined
- Scoop the cookie dough onto a light metal cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 9 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for on the tray for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan to finish cooling
- Frost one cookie with the cream cheese frosting & place another cookie on top
Frosting
- In a standing mixer soften the butter and cream cheese together
- Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until combined
- Once combined, whip the frosting on high for 2 minutes until the frosting until it is lighter in color and texture
- Fold in the crushed peppermints
Nutrition
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