Home » Desserts » Cookies » Quick & Easy Peppermint Meltaways with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
These melt-in-your-mouth soft and chewy peppermint meltaways are the epitome of Christmas Cookie baking! Just 5 minutes to make the dough and 10 minutes to bake, this no-chill cookie recipe is the quickest holiday cookie recipe, and so easy to make with kids!
The most perfect soft & chewy Peppermint Meltaway Cookies
If ever there was the most perfect holiday cookie recipe, these chewy and soft peppermint meltaways are it.
Not only are they the easiest cookie recipe- we’re talking less than 5 minutes to make the dough and only 10 minutes to bake (plus no chilling!)- but they’re also perfectly sweet and just flavored enough with refreshing peppermint!
Plus they pair really well with a batch of these hot cocoa cookies and of course, a mug of hot chocolate 😉
These simple and beginner-friendly cookies (psst! Check out more easy Christmas cookies here!) are so easy to make with kids, and don’t even require any eggs! It’s even easier than sugar cookies or even shortbread cookies.
I made mine dairy free because I’m vegan, but you can also swap in regular dairy if preferred (and yes, you can make them gluten free!).
Oh, and what really sets these peppermint meltaway cookies apart from the rest? The deliciously rich and tangy dairy free peppermint cream cheese frosting on top. It’s so lush and creamy, you’ll want to eat it by the spoonfuls!
How is this an egg-free cookie recipe?
You might be wondering how on earth we’re making this simple 5 minute cookie dough without an egg. How do they even stay together?!
The key ingredient to making this an eggless cookie recipe: cornstarch. Cornstarch is one of my favorite vegan egg replacements (and a simple swap you can make in many traditional cookie recipes!). It not only creates a super soft and chewy texture in the cookies (much like eggs), but it also helps to bind the ingredients together (especially if you’re using gluten-free flour blends!).
I also like recommending cornstarch (or arrowroot starch if you have an allergy to corn!) because it’s often an ingredient found in many household pantries. It’s not hard to come by and certainly cheaper than eggs per serving, making it an approachable ingredient for people just starting out in eggless baking.
The three steps to making EASY peppermint meltaways:
Step 1: Make the dough!
The best part about making this cookie dough? You don’t even need a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Simply make the cookie dough in a food processor! You’ll pulse it until a smooth cookie dough forms. Then immediately shape the cookies for baking!
Step 2: Bake the cookies!
I like to make my meltaway cookies slightly bigger by using 1.5 tablespoons of cookie dough per dough ball. But you can keep it traditional and use 1 tablespoon each!
Step 3: Frost the cookies!
Make the peppermint cream cheese frosting- a *dream* – and frost the tops of each cooled cookie. Then, for decoration, I like to sprinkle a bit of crushed peppermint candies on top!
How do I make these peppermint meltaway cookies for a cookie exchange?
This is one of my absolute favorite vegan Christmas Cookie recipes to make for a cookie exchange because a) they’re so easy to make, b) they’re absolutely delicious, and c) NO ONE will know that these peppermint meltaways are vegan and dairy free.
Because this is a no-chill cookie dough, it’s so easy to make these vegan Christmas cookies the day of the cookie exchange. If you wanted to save a bit more time, you can always make the frosting the day before (not the cookies- you want them to be super soft!), and simply frosting right before.
For transport, I do recommend chilling the cookies a bit so that the frosting hardens and the decorations stay. You can also place a piece of wax paper in between cookie layers so that the frosting and peppermint candies don’t get ruined.
For more tips, grab my free cookie baking & cookie exchange guide here!
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Quick & Easy Peppermint Meltaways with Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 2 reviews
- Author: Britt Berlin
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These melt-in-your-mouth soft and chewy peppermint meltaways are the epitome of Christmas Cookie baking! Just 5 minutes to make the dough and 10 minutes to bake, this no-chill cookie recipe is the quickest holiday cookie recipe, and so easy to make with kids!
Ingredients
Scale
Adapted from Taste of Home’s Peppermint Meltaway Cookies:
- 1 1/2 c. (188 g.) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour
- 1/2 c. (100 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted vegan butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 1–2 tbsp dairy-free milk, like oat milk or soy milk
- 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 1–2 drops vegan red food coloring
- Crushed peppermint candies, for topping
Instructions
- Prep:Preheat the oven to 350F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugars, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add in the vegan butter, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and 1 tbsp dairy free milk to start. Pulse until a smooth dough forms, about 1-2 minutes (add in the extra tablespoon of dairy free milk to help if your dough is not smooth yet).
- Scoop:Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measurement to scoop 1.5 tbsp dough balls and round them between your palms. You should yield 15 cookies. Place the cookies 2″ apart onto the baking sheets.
- Bake:Place the baking sheets into the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set. The tops will still be puffy and the middles will be soft. However, they will set more at room temperature.
- Cool:Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to fully cool on a cooling rack (about 10-15 minutes).
- Frost:Make the vegan cream cheese frosting, and add in the peppermint extract and vegan red food coloring to the frosting to create a pink color. Pipe a dollop of cream cheese frosting onto the tops of each cookie and spread the frosting on top.
- Decorate:Sprinkle with crushed candy cane.
- Serve and enjoy!Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Equipment
Buy Now →Notes
Gluten free:I recommend swapping in King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour. Use the weighted measurements for the recipe.
Dairy-free:I made these peppermint meltaway cookies all dairy-free by using vegan butter and vegan dairy-free products. You can swap those out if you need to.
