20 Peppermint Dessert Recipes Perfect for the Holiday Season
Peppermint desserts are a delicious sign that the holiday season is in full swing. Once peppermint candy canes hit store shelves, we know it's time to indulge in the frosty season. The cool red and white candies—no matter if they're hanging from the Christmas tree as decoration or incorporated into the table settings for holiday parties or Christmas dinner—are quintessential part of the season. Serve a decadent peppermint dessert after the traditional Christmas spread or bring one to your next holiday party. Crumble these crunchy hard candies atop a cake, bake it in a slice of chocolate heaven, or sprinkle it over a cool ice cream dessert. Our favorite cool peppermint recipes show the many ways to use peppermint candies in desserts, drinks, and everything in between. No matter which way you choose to incorporate peppermint into your Christmas confections, these delicious mint desserts will have guests grabbing seconds.
Peppermint Pinwheels
Recipe: Peppermint Pinwheels
For a super-festive cookie tin, swap out red and green food coloring in your batches.
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Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Cake
This centerpiece-worthy, three-layer cake is fluffy, tender, and ultra-rich. Chocolate cake layers and minty Italian meringue are topped off with soft peppermint candies for a fun and festive holiday look.
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No-Bake Dark Chocolate-Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
Recipe: No-Bake Dark Chocolate-Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
Store-bought wafers get a serious upgrade with peppermint cream filling and a melted chocolate coating. The result? Homemade, holiday-worthy cookies that no one will believe didn't require a single minute of baking.
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Peppermint Divinity
Recipe: Peppermint Divinity
Making this vintage candy recipe should become a Christmas tradition for you and your kids or grandkids.
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Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting
Recipe: Peppermint Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting
How gorgeous is the pink buttercream layer on this festive cake?
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Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Cheesecake
This decadent cheesecake can be made up to two days in advance, which makes it the ultimate make-ahead dessert for the busy holiday season.
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Peppermint Meltaways
Recipe: Peppermint Meltaways
These festive cookies live up to their name and "melt away" in your mouth, leaving behind a rich and delicate peppermint sweetness.
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Christmas Buttermints
Recipe: Christmas Buttermints
We'll have a tray of these pretty vintage candies out for guests all holiday season.
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White Chocolate-Peppermint Blondies
Recipe: White Chocolate-Peppermint Blondies
This festive bar recipe has a high yield, so everyone on your Christmas list can get a few.
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Duke's Peppermint Fudge Brownies
Recipe: Duke's Peppermint Fudge Brownies
Mayonnaise is the secret to the fudgiest brownies you've ever baked. Add a crushed peppermint topping, and you'll have a holiday dessert that will put any peppermint bark to shame.Â
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Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies
Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies
These adorable cookie sandwiches will spruce up any dessert table this Christmas.
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Chocolate-Mint Whipped Cream Cake
Recipe: Chocolate-Mint Whipped Cream Cake
This stunning layer cake is pretty enough for the dressiest Christmas party of the season.
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Chocolate-Peppermint Crackle Cookies
Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Crackle Cookies
We think Santa would be thrilled to see these crackle cookies by the tree on Christmas Eve.
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Mint-and-White-Chocolate Milk Punch
Recipe: Mint-and-White-Chocolate Milk Punch
This wintry drink recipe will be a mainstay cocktail on your holiday bar.
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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake
Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake
This dreamy ice-cream cake is the ultimate make-ahead dessert.
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Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark
Recipe: Milk Chocolate-Peppermint Bark
As if milk chocolate morsels and peppermint candies weren't perfect enough a mixture, we added rich cream-and-mint-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and salty pretzel sticks to our peppermint bark. This recipe is great for giving as gifts, but be sure to save a few pieces as a holiday treat for yourself.
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Triple Mint Cookies
Recipe: Triple Mint Cookies
These brownie-like bites are filled with mint flavor and make more than two dozen cookies for your biggest Christmas crowd.
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Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Our Test Kitchen's secret for keeping cookies crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside? Adding a bit of corn syrup to the batter.
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Red Velvet Peppermint Cake
Recipe: Red Velvet Peppermint Cake
Transform a classic red velvet cake into a festive holiday dessert by adding peppermint extract to the rich cream cheese frosting and garnishing the cake with peppermint candies.
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Chocolate Ganache Thumbprints with Crushed Peppermints
Recipe: Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies with Crushed Peppermints
The kids will love to make these fun thumbprint cookies on an afternoon when they're off school.