Thick, fudgy Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies taste like a mug of peppermint hot cocoa in cookie form! A from-scratch chocolate dough (no hot cocoa mix!) gets a cool splash of peppermint and pockets of creamy white chocolate. Halfway through baking, each cookie is topped with melty marshmallows and crushed candy canes. They’re no-chill, they work with active starter or sourdough discard, and they bring a little holiday cheer to every cookie tray!

A stack of thick sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookies topped with melty marshmallows and crushed candy canes.

Perfect For…

Holiday gifts: Stack them in a tin for neighbors, teachers, and friends.
Hot cocoa bars and winter parties: Set them out next to the real thing!
Snow days and movie nights: Keep frozen dough on hand and bake a few whenever the mood strikes.
Christmas cookie trays and cookie exchanges: The red-and-white peppermint and fluffy marshmallows stand out on any platter! Pair them with my Soft Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies and Large Sourdough Peanut Butter Blossoms for a festive mix, or browse all of my Christmas sourdough cookies.

Why I Created These Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

Peppermint hot cocoa is one of my favorite parts of Christmastime! I make it every single year, usually more than once throughout December. And I’ll be honest, I’ve been known to start as early as October, as soon as the air turns crisp. (If you’re a fellow early starter, no judgment here!)

So after creating my Sourdough Hot Chocolate Cookies, a peppermint version just had to happen. I wanted everything I love about this Christmasy twist on a classic winter drink (rich chocolate, cool peppermint, and a pile of marshmallows) baked into one big, gooey cookie I could share all season long. Add a little white chocolate for creaminess and a crunchy topping of crushed candy canes, and these became my new holiday favorite!

Hand holding a bitten sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookie topped with marshmallows and crushed peppermint.

Essentials for the Perfect Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookie

Digital Kitchen Scale: Gooey chocolate cookies are all about balance. A spoonful too much flour or cocoa powder and the centers turn dry instead of fudgy. A scale takes the guesswork out of every batch. I’ve used this exact scale for years, and it has never let me down!
Stand Mixer: Three full minutes of creaming the butter and sugars builds the dense, chewy texture these cookies are known for. A stand mixer with the paddle attachment does it hands-free, but a handheld electric mixer works too.
Large Cookie Scoop: Big cookies need room for toppings! A large cookie scoop gives you even portions, so every cookie bakes at the same rate and has plenty of space for marshmallows and peppermint.

Ingredients

1¼ cups light brown sugar, packed (275g): The key to a chewy, gooey center. Pack it firmly into the cup.
1 tbsp granulated sugar (13g): Just a touch, for edges that set up nicely.
½ cup salted butter, softened (113g): Use “dent soft” butter: it should dent when you press it but still feel cool and firm, never shiny or greasy. This usually takes 30–60 minutes on the counter, and it’s what makes this a no-chill dough. Using unsalted? Add ¼ tsp more salt.
½ cup sourdough starter, active or discard, stirred down (150g): Either works! Cold starter straight from the fridge helps keep the dough cool.
2 large egg yolks (40g): Yolks only! Leaving out the whites keeps the centers dense and fudgy instead of cakey.
1 tsp vanilla extract (5g): Rounds out the chocolate without competing with the peppermint.
1 tsp peppermint extract (5g): The cool, fresh flavor of a candy cane stirred into rich chocolate dough for the perfect balance of flavors. Be sure to use peppermint extract, not peppermint oil, which is far stronger.
¾ tsp salt (4.5g): Makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey and keeps the sweetness in check.
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, scooped directly from the bag and leveled (not spooned or sifted) (210g): Just enough to hold these together while keeping them gooey. For best results, weigh it!
¼ cup unsweetened cacao or cocoa powder (26g): This is where the hot cocoa flavor comes from. For a darker, richer cookie, use half black cocoa powder (I love it in my Double Chocolate Sourdough Cookies too!). The deep color makes the white marshmallows and red-and-white peppermint really stand out!
1 tsp baking soda (6g): Baking soda, not baking powder. They aren’t interchangeable here.
⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips (113g / 4 oz): Melty pockets of classic chocolate.
⅓ cup white chocolate chips (57g / 2 oz): Sweet, creamy, and the perfect partner for peppermint. They’re the “splash of milk” in this cup of cocoa!
½–¾ cup mini marshmallows: 4–6 per cookie for that marshmallow-topped mug look.
4 tbsp crushed peppermint, or 4 crushed candy canes (56g): For the topping. I use these organic candy canes because they’re made without artificial dyes or flavors.

Sourdough peppermint hot chocolate cookies scattered with mini candy canes and white chocolate chips for Christmas.

How to Make Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

Step 1: Preheat & Prep

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Now is a good time to crush your candy canes: seal them in a zip-top bag and tap with a rolling pin until broken into small pieces.

Creamed butter and brown sugar in a white mixing bowl for sourdough discard cookie dough.

Step 2: Cream the Butter & Sugars

Beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and dent-soft butter for about 3 minutes, until creamy, smooth, and a little fluffy. Still seeing lumps of butter? Keep going!

Step 3: Add the Wet Ingredients

Add the sourdough starter, egg yolks, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt. Beat until smooth and slightly frothy. Scrape down the bowl so no streaks of starter are hiding at the bottom.

Flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda added to the creamed dough for sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookies.

Step 4: Add the Dry Ingredients

Add the flour and cocoa powder, then sprinkle the baking soda evenly over the top. Mix on low speed and stop while a few tiny streaks of flour remain. Don’t overmix! Extra mixing builds gluten and turns gooey cookies into tough ones.

Step 5: Fold in the Chips

Fold in the semisweet and white chocolate chips with a spatula (or a few turns on the lowest speed) just until they’re spread through the dough.

Step 6: Scoop

Scoop large portions (3 tbsp / 64g each) and place 6 per baking sheet, giving them room to spread.

Sprinkling crushed peppermint over marshmallow-topped sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookies, then the baked cookies on a sheet pan.

Step 7: Bake, Then Top Halfway

Bake for 7 minutes, then pull the pan out. Working quickly, top each cookie with 4–6 mini marshmallows and press on a sprinkle of crushed peppermint (about ¾ tsp per cookie). Rotate the pan and bake for 6–8 minutes more, until the edges are set but the centers still look soft and underbaked. Don’t wait for the centers to look done! They finish setting on the pan. Bake in batches of 6. Makes 16 cookies.

Sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookies cooling on a wire rack beside a red-striped kitchen towel.

Step 8: Cool on the Pan

Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 7 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They’re fragile when hot and need those few minutes to firm up. Then enjoy one warm, when the marshmallows are at their gooiest!

Storage Tips

Keep completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Peppermint candy can turn sticky in humid air, so keep the lid on tight.

Hands pulling apart a sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookie to show its gooey marshmallow center.

Why This Recipe Works

Real hot cocoa flavor without the mix. Cocoa powder plus two kinds of chocolate give you rich, from-scratch flavor, with no hot chocolate mix needed!
White and semisweet chocolate. Semisweet chips bring deep chocolate flavor, while white chocolate adds a creamy sweetness, like the “splash of milk” in a mug of hot cocoa. It also pairs beautifully with peppermint!
Toppings at just the right moment. Adding the marshmallows and peppermint halfway through gives the marshmallows time to puff and turn gooey without melting away, and the peppermint stays right on top where you can see it.
Fudgy, never cakey. Egg yolks, brown sugar, and sourdough starter keep the centers dense and chewy.
No chill, no wait. Cool dent-soft butter and cold starter keep the dough firm enough to bake right away!

The Sourdough Cookie Lady Tips

Top halfway through, not before. Marshmallows added at the start melt away, and added after baking they never get gooey. The 7-minute mark is the sweet spot for both the marshmallows and the peppermint.
Butter should be “dent soft.” Cool and firm, but dents when pressed. If you forgot to set it out, microwave it at 50% power for 5–7 seconds per side (two sides total), then check. Butter that’s too warm makes cookies spread flat.
Pull them early. Soft-looking centers are exactly what you want. These cookies keep setting on the hot pan, and that’s how they stay fudgy.
Use only the egg yolks. Whole eggs add too much moisture and can push the cookies toward a cakey texture. Yolks keep the centers dense, fudgy, and gooey.
Weigh the flour and starter. With a dough this rich, a little extra flour shows up fast as a dry, thick cookie.
Crush the candy canes into small pieces. Small bits press into the cookie tops easily and give you a little peppermint in every bite.

Overhead view of sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookies with marshmallows, crushed peppermint, and mini candy canes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use candy canes instead of crushed peppermint?

Yes! 4 candy canes equal the 4 tbsp (56g) of crushed peppermint. Crush them in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin. I like these organic candy canes, made without artificial dyes or flavors.

Can I mix the crushed peppermint into the dough?

I recommend pressing it on top halfway through baking. That’s how I developed and tested this recipe, and it keeps the peppermint pretty and visible. I haven’t tested it mixed into the dough.

Can I mix the marshmallows into the dough?

I don’t recommend it. Marshmallows inside the dough tend to melt completely and can make the cookies fall apart. If you love a marshmallow center, my Stuffed Sourdough S’mores Cookies were made for exactly that!

Can I use hot cocoa mix instead of cocoa powder?

I haven’t tested it, so I can’t recommend it. Most mixes contain sugar and milk powder, which would change the sweetness, spread, and texture. This recipe gets its hot cocoa flavor from simple ingredients!

Will these cookies taste sour?

Not with fresh starter or discard. Use starter or discard fed within the last two weeks for a mild flavor that simply adds depth. Older discard and the long-fermented option may taste a little tangier.

Can I use active starter instead of discard?

Yes, both work! The dough is baked right away, so the starter doesn’t need to be active. Active starter tastes slightly milder. I use cold discard because it helps keep the dough cool.

Why are my cookies cakey instead of fudgy?

Usually too much flour, whole eggs instead of yolks, or overbaking. Weigh your flour, use only the yolks, and pull the cookies while the centers still look soft. Overmixing after adding the flour can also make them tough.

Do I have to chill the dough?

No, you don’t! This is a no-chill recipe, so you can bake right away. If you’d like deeper sourdough flavor, you can refrigerate the dough scoops for up to 48 hours. See the long-fermentation directions below for the full method.

Looking for a version without marshmallows or peppermint?

Try my Chocolate Peppermint Sourdough Cookies for a recipe without marshmallows! All the chocolate and peppermint, no hot cocoa toppings. Or, for a hot chocolate cookie without the peppermint, try my Sourdough Hot Chocolate Cookies recipe!

Close-up of chocolate peppermint marshmallow cookies topped with crushed candy canes on parchment paper.

Can I freeze sourdough peppermint hot cocoa cookie dough?

Yes! Freeze the dough plain and add the toppings when you bake:

Scoop: Portion the dough into large scoops (3 tbsp / 64g each) and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, close together but not touching. Leave off the marshmallows and peppermint.
Flash Freeze: Freeze for about 1 hour, until firm.
Store: Move the dough balls to a gallon freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pro Tip: Make a double batch during the holidays and freeze half. You’ll have fresh, warm peppermint hot cocoa cookies without any dishes next time!

Tips for Baking Frozen Dough

Thaw Partially: Let the dough balls sit at room temperature for 30–60 minutes.

Bake & Top: Bake as directed, adding the marshmallows and crushed peppermint at the halfway point.

Watch the Timer: Colder dough may need 1–2 extra minutes. Go by set edges and soft centers.

Peppermint hot cocoa cookies with white chocolate chips, marshmallows, and candy canes, one with a bite taken out.

How to Make Long-Fermented Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

For deeper sourdough flavor and a slower fermentation that some bakers prefer, follow these simple directions:

Prepare & Portion: Make the dough as directed, then portion it into large scoops (3 tbsp / 64g each). Don’t add the toppings yet.
Cold Ferment: Place the scoops in an airtight container, or cover them tightly on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours. The longer the dough ferments, the tangier it may taste.
Soften the Dough: Let the portions sit at room temperature for about 15–30 minutes, until they feel cool but not cold and a gentle press leaves a slight dent. Warmer kitchens will be on the shorter end.
Bake & Top: Place 6 portions on a lined baking sheet and bake as directed, adding the marshmallows and crushed peppermint halfway through!

Troubleshooting: If the cookies stay thick and don’t spread, the dough was still too cold. Give the portions a little more time on the counter next time.

Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies by The Sourdough Cookie Lady, showing a bitten cookie in hand and cookies with candy canes. — Love this recipe? Tap the image to save it to Pinterest, and follow The Sourdough Cookie Lady on Pinterest for more!

Sourdough Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookie Recipe: