These Andes mint chocolate cookies are soft and rich, unapologetically chocolate-y, and crowned with a sweet crème de menthe-flavored “frosting” swirl. What a treat!
One reader, Catherine, commented: “I never write reviews, but this cookie recipe was PHENOMENAL. I have so many favorites from this website, but this cookie gave me the most perfect, chewy texture and it was like heaven on Earth. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Janet, commented: “Made these and the first word that comes to mind is ‘AMAZING!’ I had to quickly freeze a dozen since my husband devoured six before they even had a chance to cool. A new family favorite. Thank you, Sally. ★★★★★“
Peppermint screams flashy red-and-white, as evidenced by recipes like peppermint bark and peppermint mocha cookies. I love mint and chocolate, but today we’re using peppermint’s smooth green counterpart: cool crème de menthe—”mint cream”—for these decadent chocolate cookies.
My family and I used to make these cookies a lot, and we got the recipe from Allrecipes. It’s been YEARS since I made them, and I decided to change the cookie dough so there’s no pre-cooking involved.
You don’t need any special extracts or flavorings for these cookies; just a package of Andes mints. There’s no peppermint extract at all! Do you ever use Andes mints in baking? These crème de menthe-flavored chocolates are billed as “after-dinner mints,” and they melt in your mouth. I chop them up to use in recipes like soft Andes mint chocolate chunk cookies and Andes mint fudge… but you don’t need a cutting board for today’s cookies.
Instead, we’re taking advantage of Andes’ meltaway quality, and letting the warm baked cookies do the work to make a delicious chocolate mint topping. No additional icing recipe to make—it’s such an easy cookie decorating trick, it almost feels like cheating!
Why You’ll Love These Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- Super soft and chewy
- Crisp and sparkly sugar coating—like a snickerdoodle or soft molasses cookie, except CHOCOLATE!
- Simple, basic ingredients
- Mint flavor isn’t too sharp or overpowering at all—young kids love these
- Easy decorating: Swirl a melted Andes mint chocolate to make this “cheater’s frosting” 😉
The Softest, Fudgiest Chocolate Cookies
If you were to close your eyes and take a bite of one of these cookies, you’d be surprised to find a cookie instead of one of my mint chocolate brownies in your hand. We can thank my favorite chocolate cookie dough for that, a go-to base I use when making double chocolate chip cookies and chocolate crinkle cookies too. There’s a reason my team and I turn to this cookie dough often (and why so many readers love it as well)… it WORKS! The magical dough creates rich, thick, and chewy chocolate cookies that stay soft for days. If they last that long (a rare occurrence, I can assure you).
For today’s recipe, I made 2 small changes to the base dough. I replaced a bit of cocoa powder with flour so the cookie dough rolls in sugar a bit neater. And there’s still PLENTY of chocolate flavor, especially with the mint chocolate candy on top. I also slightly reduced the milk… just by a smidge.
I’m a broken record again today repeating that you must chill this cookie dough for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days). It’s imperative in this recipe, so plan accordingly.
Grab These Ingredients:
All basic baking ingredients. You’ll use granulated sugar both in the dough and for coating the cookies. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder is ideal and if you’re interested in learning more, here’s my page all about Dutch-Process vs Natural Cocoa Powder. Cocoa is a very drying ingredient, so don’t leave out the 2 teaspoons of milk in the recipe. Any milk, dairy or nondairy, is fine.
Expect a sticky dough, but again, not nearly as sticky as these double chocolate cookies.
After the dough chills for 2 hours, it’s much easier to handle and roll into balls. You’ll use 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough per cookie, about 25g each if you’re using a kitchen scale. (Same size as these peanut butter snickerdoodles.) Coat each with sugar before placing on your lined baking sheets:
Bake the cookies and watch as they puff up, and then slightly deflate into crinkly cuteness:
Easy Chocolate Mint Cookie “Icing”
These fudge-like chocolate cookies with a hint of mint are similar to my chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies, but without the added step of making ganache. Or these chocolate frosted cookies and peppermint frosted chocolate cookies, without the added step of making frosting. I think you get the point. These cookies are EASY.
Here’s how to “frost” them: After the cookies have baked, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for just 2 minutes, then lightly press an Andes mint in the center of each warm cookie. Set a timer for 5 minutes, to let the Andes mint chocolate get all soft and melty, then give it a little swirl with a knife or icing spatula. COULDN’T BE EASIER. (Yes, I need to shout that!) You’ll love having this easy recipe in your lineup of Christmas cookies.
What Can I Use Instead of an Andes Chocolate Mint?
If you can’t find Andes chocolate mints, you have a few other options. The process for spreading (step 7 below) is the same for all of these options—some chocolates will melt more than others, though.
- Hershey’s Kisses mint chocolate or candy cane flavor
- Mini York peppermint patties
- Cadbury mint chocolate buttons
- 1/2 of an After Eight mint chocolate thin
- 1 small rectangle/piece of a Hershey’s chocolate bar; if using plain chocolate, add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla.
This recipe is part of my annual cookie countdown called Sally’s Cookie Palooza. It’s the biggest, most delicious event of the year! Browse dozens of cookie recipes over on the Sally’s Cookie Palooza page.
Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 22-24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These crinkly chocolate cookies are soft and rich like a fudge brownie, and topped with a melted Andes chocolate mint swirl. Chilling the cookie dough for 2 hours is imperative.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 cup (45g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)
Coating & Topping
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 22–24 Andes chocolate mints, unwrapped
Instructions
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky.
- Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is imperative for this sticky cookie dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. Scoop and roll dough, 1 heaping Tablespoon (about 25g) of dough each, into balls. Roll each in granulated sugar and arrange 2–3 inches apart on the baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes or until the edges appear set. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2–3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.
- Cool cookies for just 2 minutes on the baking sheet. Press 1 Andes chocolate mint into the top of each warm cookie. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, and then use a knife, icing spatula, or toothpick to gently swirl/spread the melted chocolate.
- Transfer “frosted” cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool. Andes chocolate sets matte in less than 1 hour, so you can easily store, stack, and transport the cookies. For a shinier look, serve shortly after topping, or gently warm the Andes topping for a few seconds before serving.
- Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (step 3). Baked cookies with Andes chocolate mint topping freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls (before rolling in sugar) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, preheat the oven, then roll in granulated sugar. Bake as directed. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Icing Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Larger Batch: The recipe is easy to double in 1 mixing bowl without overwhelming your mixer. Simply double all of the cookie dough ingredients. Dough chill time remains the same.
- Natural Cocoa Powder: Do you know the difference between natural cocoa powder and dutch-process cocoa powder? Use natural cocoa powder in this dough.
- What can I use instead of Andes mints? If you can’t find Andes chocolate mints, other options include Hershey’s Kisses mint chocolate or candy cane flavor, mini York peppermint patties, or Cadbury mint chocolate buttons. If you can’t find any of those, use 1 small rectangle/piece of a Hershey’s chocolate bar; if using plain chocolate, you can add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla. You could also use 1/2 of an After Eight mint chocolate thin. The process for spreading (step 7) is the same for all of these options—some chocolates will melt more than others, though.
- Be sure to check out my top 5 cookie baking tips AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking tools.
- Recipe idea from Allrecipes using my own chocolate dough.
Reader Comments and Reviews
They are ok, but the Girl Scout Thin Mints are so much better. Also, when the melted Andes mint topping sets, it is no longer glossy like in the picture. It dries to an unattractive matte finish. If there is a way to really make it look like your picture, I’d love to hear it. A rare disappointment.
Hi Eileen, thank you for the comment and for the email. I responded to your email earlier. I’m sorry you are disappointed that the topping set matte instead of shiny. I have added that to the recipe, so it’s clear that is the outcome after it sets. For a shinier look, serve shortly after topping, or gently warm the Andes topping for a few seconds before serving.
Help! I’ve made these before and they turned out great. This time they spread flat as a pancake. I used natural cocoa. Any ideas?
Hi Becky, Sorry to hear this! Happy to help troubleshoot. If your cookies are overspreading, the simplest answer is likely that you may need to add a little more flour to your dough, or chill for longer. Here are all our tips for how to prevent cookies from over-spreading. I hope this helps for next time!
Hi all, just made these delicious cookies & I’ve got a couple notes. First I’ll note I chilled the dough overnight, and followed the recipe exactly. I baked for 10 minutes in my oven, just the right time, followed the recipe. The difference is I used the Hershey’s mint truffle kisses (dark chocolate), because I couldn’t find Andes mints anywhere! They are delicious in this cookie BUT they don’t firm up within an hour as Sally says the Andes mints do, so be aware! Even after 4 hours they were slightly tacky. They’d be totally fine to add to a cookie plate, and I stacked mine in a tin with wax paper between layers to freeze, but you wouldn’t want to stack them without something between them. FYI I posted to save frustration in the kitchen at Christmas! Love your recipes Sally and your cookbook!!
P.S. I’m going to try this for my DIL who is GF next week & will post. Using King Arthur’s Measure for Measure GF flour, my go-to.
Love your recipes and want to add this one to my cookie boxes this year. Any thoughts on using peppermint bark as substitute for Andes? I’m thinking they would melt similarly?!?
Hi Ilene, we haven’t tried that, but don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Andes also makes a peppermint bark version of their classic mints that’s available this time of year, if you want to try that.
Great – thanks so much!!!
If you use King Arthur gluten free flour ratio 1:1 will it change the cookies taste?
Hi Annette, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
I love the Andes Mint cookies! I add some chopped Andes in the cookies too. So very good! I make them every year now. Thank you for
The recipe!
I love these! I went in search of Andes desserts to make for my coworker’s birthday and these looked too tempting to not try. So I filled the cookie sheet with most of the cookies and I had only let the dough chill (covered) 2.5hrs. But while they baked (11/12min)I put the bowl of the last bit of dough uncovered in the fridge. After the first batch baked and then cooled and then I pushed in the Andes I pulled out the remaining dough and found it was much easier to roll and also didn’t flatten as quickly. I baked the second ones a minute less. So I’ve eaten some from both batches and I think the ones that were uncovered and more solid were better.
So my coworker LOVED them and literally ate ten before her 5hr shift was over, lol. Yeah, that’s TEN of these cookies!
So the second batch of a few cookies that I did without the mints were amazing, they were my preference! They taste to me exactly like one of my childhood favorites- Archway Dutch Cocoa cookies – except these are also so much better!! So my coworker got a gift she devoured and I got to revisit an old favorite I haven’t been able to enjoy in years!
Im going to make another batch very soon, without any candies, just to enjoy myself! Im also going to try and make some with Rolos instead of Andes for my caramel loving friend.
Beautiful. After reading reviews I added ½ tsp peppermint extract to the batter. Formed the balls. Rolled in sugar but then just used my palm to partially flatten. Then baked exactly 10 minutes. Perfect.
For the people asking about GF. I have baked gluten free over 35 years and this would work fine with King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free. Didn’t do it today because they aren’t for me. I frequently swap it in regular recipes and many from this site.
I wish I could leave a photo.
They turned out great. Thank you for the recipe. The only problem I have with baking cookies is that they often turn rather into a short bread like cookies than classic chewy cookies. I was wondering is there any tip on how to prevent this? I always follow instructions
Hi Nina, you may find some answers in this post on 5 cookie baking tips to improve your next batch, or 10 tips to prevent cookies from spreading. Do you measure your dry ingredients with a scale or with cups? It could be that you’re accidentally over-measuring your flour, which makes for cakier cookies.
Hi Beth, thank you for your help! I took your advice and measured flour carefully but still got that short bread like texture. I’ll review links you attached and maybe there’s more into it. Thank you again 🙂
Great recipe! These are so easy and fun to make. They came out perfect on the first try. (I weighed all ingredients and used a stand mixer). Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Anyone ever tried with gluten free flour. I have seen other recipes but didn’t like them, I think I’ll try and see.
Hi Betsy, We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flours, but some readers have reported success using 1:1 flour substitutes (like Cup4Cup). If you try it, let us know how it goes!
I didn’t make this recipe gluten free, but I’ve found that the Oatsome oat-flour blend is delicious and can be used 1:1 in most recipes. They suggest a different ratio, but I found that 1:1 works best on brownies and cookies, at least.
Really great. Loved them and will make again and again!
These turned out great! I loved this kind of cookie as a kid, but hadn’t made them in a while because I try to only buy fair trade chocolate, i.e. not Andes. I found this recipe after I realized Alter Eco makes a great, fair trade substitute – Mint Creme Truffle Thins. Half of a square from this bar is about the same size as an Andes, and worked really well in this cookie recipe. Thanks, Sally!
https://www.alterecofoods.com/products/mint-creme-truffle-thins?srsltid=AfmBOoq5Zthk9ygtzI6DUonQu3xNI8b7IG365Tz5q2WZ5c-UgCg11BBf
I made these for my dad for Christmas and he LOVED them and keeps asking me to make them again. Super good with or without the mints.
Soo amazing, I can’t stop popping them in mouth! I had bought Andes baking chips so I just added a cup of them to the dough as a last step and they turned out excellent! Missed a mint chocolate cookie in my Christmas baking and this will be my new go to now.
This was a good cookie, but not great. The Andes mints didn’t look as good on my cookies as yours, but I think a little practice would help. I was unable to find Andes mints in my small town, so ordered from Amazon. I have a heck of a lot of Andes mints left over! I will keep the recipe archived and try again next year. Might use some grated white chocolate atop the mints for an easier white swirl pattern. I love your site, Sally; I have just made your pumpkin muffins, and they are on a cooling rack as I am typing this comment. So many wonderful things to cook and so little time!
Another recipe from Sally that will go into our regular rotation!! I made these today following the recipe exactly except for subbing Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour. These cookies are amazing and so festive.
This recipe is outstanding. I had another similar recipe for a fudgy cookie with a mint on top, but always had trouble with the cookies turning out completely flat. There were no problems with this recipe and it turned out even more delicious than my prior recipe. Thank you, Sally!
Love the taste! However the chocolate base cracked. Any advice
Hi Chris, look at our pictures in the post. The chocolate based will be cracked!
When do you add the milk
Hi Ann, in step 2 you’ll see “Switch to high speed and beat in the milk”. Enjoy!
So much easier than our traditional Mint Surprise Cookies! I love this and will be making it for years to come. Thank you for sharing!
I made three cookie recipes from your site today! Thank you for the terrific recipes! While the cookies had great flavor, mine spread a bit too much. I never have problems with spreading (thanks to your helpful hints), and the other two recipes turned out perfectly. Do you think that a combination of baking soda/baking powder (or just baking powder as the leavening agent) would help? I also wanted to let you know that I appreciate you listing the weight of the cookie in grams. I weighed each of mine today to make sure that they were close to 25g.
Hi Angela, it sounds like your cookie dough could have benefited from a little more flour. If you try this recipe again, add an extra Tablespoon or two of flour–that should help prevent the cookies over-spreading!
I made these and your peanut butter kiss cookies. Both recipes are absolutely most excellent! I froze the dough balls to make smaller batches. My honey and I are rather uncomplicated people and he wanted to try them without the added chocolates on top. These cookies are stand alone wonderful and we actually prefer them simply rolled in the sugar.
Two great cookie recipes for the season.
Tomorrow I try your breakfast strata.
This is an incredibly delicious cookie, and not hard to make at all. I’m exited to make another batch to bring to my UU fellowship next weekend!
Perfect! I had a bag of Andes chips. So I just sprinkled a few on the cookies and they melted together. Yum! I placed a few out to see what the family thought. “Can you make more?” I heard that three times today. Two kids and a choco-loving hubby! So easy to make. They would be great with no topping but the bit of mint was just…oh!
Made these cookies yesterday for my class and oh boy what a hit!! Easy to make and delicious. Great directions too! This one is a keeper!
Long time lover of your recipes. First time reviewer. These cookies are the stuff of dreams! I made a batch with my mother for our annual cookie baking day. When we tasted them, I had to make some more. The texture of this cookie is perfect and the hint of mint that the Andes mint provides is delightful. This is now one of our family favorites and will go into the regular rotation.
These are delicious, but mine didn’t come out soft and chewy. They are quite crunchy- which is how I like my cookies, but my family might not! I used a teaspoon and they are kind of big ( for a Christmas cookie!). What did I do wrong?
Hi Patti! They could just be over-baked. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
I liked this cookie, but only gave it 4*’s because the Andes mint chips didn’t show (which I would like to have seen) up very much in the “chocolate” cookie. With that said, you could definitely taste the mint. They would probably work better in a sugar or chocolate chip type of cookie …. imho.
The mint chips are quite small.
Hello! I cannot wait to try this recipe! Do you think this would work as cookie cake and then cut into square cookie bars? Thank you!!!
Hi Michael, we haven’t tried this recipe as cookie bars, but it’s an intriguing idea! If you decide to try it, please let us know how it turns out!
This is a Xmas keeper! The family loved them. Now time to bake a double batch for gift boxes! Thank you again Sally
I love this cookie. It’s one of my top 3. So delicious. I can’t stop eating them.