Trust me when I say this is the best holiday cookie recipe ever. Chelsea’s Messy Apron Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies are what dreams are made of. A mix of crunchy cookie outside with gooey, melty brownie inside packed with milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and peppermint bark. Holy delicious.
Last year we posted ten cookie recipes to make for the holidays but because I had a new baby and life was crazy I never got to tackle my holiday backing plans! This year I set out to bake cookies in the kitchen with Charlie (he loooves to help me in the kitchen) and this recipe was the winner. The chocolate flavor isn’t overwhelming like brownies can sometimes be. It is subtle, smooth and mixed with a hint of peppermint – yummmm. Trust me you’ll be making more than one batch in the coming weeks! *I actually decided to package mine up and give to some neighbors because I was overdosing on these cookies. I had to be separated from them, although I’ve already bought ingredients for the next batch – ha!
Peppermint Bark Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 3.9 ounces instant chocolate fudge pudding mix dry (unprepared)
- 1/4 cup white flour
- 1 18.4 ounces fudge brownie mix
- 1 3.5 ounces Ghirardelli peppermint bark bar
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
- Optional: 1/3 cup white chocolate chips, peppermint crunch sprinkles
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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In a large bowl fitted to a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until completely smooth. They must both be at room temperature — do not melt or soften in the microwave of your cookies will flatten more/ be less thick. Just leave out for about 45 minutes to an hour and they’ll be perfect!
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Beat in the large egg and vanilla.
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Beat in the pudding mix (do not prepare), and flour.
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Beat in the fudge brownie mix. It will be extremely thick and takes a while to get a dough to form. This is intended. Just keep mixing and it will all come together even though it seems like it won’t.
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Coarsely chop the peppermint bark bar. Stir in the chopped peppermint bark bar (reserve a few pieces to press in the top), chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips (if desired).
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Scoop out cookies using a cookie scoop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silpat liner.
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Bake for 13-16 minutes. Slightly under-baking these cookies gives them an awesome taste and texture like ultra fudge-y brownies so err on the side of slightly under-baking.
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Optional: Make them pretty! Press a few pieces of the reserved peppermint bark bar or a few extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies right as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of peppermint crunch sprinkles if desired (they stick to the melted chocolate chips).
Recipe taken exactly from Chelsea’s Messy Apron. I would highly recommend baking them under ( 12 minutes we perfect for our stove). That way they maintain that soft, fudge center!
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