These soft, irresistible Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies use butter simmered with fresh mint to give a fresh, minty taste. A perfect dessert or afternoon treat!
Fresh Mint
This year I grew an abundance of fresh mint. I had expected a small plant that I could use in Indian sauces, and maybe for a mojito or two. My plant exceeded my expectations in terms of growth though, so I had a lot of extra mint I wanted to use.
I asked my four year old son what he thought I should make. His answer was something along the lines of “mint cookies and brownies and cupcakes with blueberries and chocolate and ice cream.” I narrowed that down to “mint chocolate cookies.”
Cooking with Fresh Mint
Fresh Mint versus Mint Extract
If you’re reading this recipe during the winter, you might be tempted to use mint extract instead of fresh mint. Don’t do it. You will feel like you’re eating toothpaste every time you take a bite. Fresh mint gives a much lighter, fresher flavor than extract. And I bet you can find it at your grocery store year-round.
Mint Butter
When I began experimenting with mint cookies, I tried processing the mint into the butter and flour. This does not work very well. The mint becomes overpowering, and it also has a bit of a gritty texture. Solution: simmer the butter with mint.
I read many other recipes that recommended simmering butter and mint. There was a wide range of recommended butter to mint ratios. My experimentation lead me to conclude that 1/3 cup of fresh mint per stick of butter (1/2 cup) is ideal. This gives a light, minty flavor that is not overly intense.
Fresh Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies
I served these Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies at a summer party, and they were a big hit! There was a table full of desserts, and these were the first to go. I have a few recommendations for making and serving this recipe:
- If you serve these at a party, put a note by them that says they are mint. Since they are not green the flavor will surprise your guests, and it’s always nice to know what to expect before you take a bite.
- A combination of chocolate chunks and chips give the cookies a nice texture. However, if you want to substitute one for the other, it will not make a big difference overall.
- In this recipe, like almost all of my baked goods, I use unsalted butter. This is because I like to control the amount salt that goes into each recipe, and it’s difficult to know how much salt you are getting with each stick of regular butter. However, if you only have salted butter, I would cut back the added salt in this particular recipe to 1/4 teaspoon.
Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup fresh mint chopped and packed
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and bring to a gentle simmer. Add mint and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit for 30 minutes. Strain mint leaves from butter. Let butter cool for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Use electric mixer to cream mint butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Mix until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Gradually beat into butter/sugar mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until well combined.
- Stir in chocolate chunks and chocolate chips.
- Form dough into about 1 tbsp sized balls and space 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets. Cook for 9-11 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned.
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed these Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies, you should check out these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Oreo Peppermint Bark
Chewy Oreo M&M Cookies
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Brown Butter Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Links to items used to make this recipe:
