This peppermint chocolate Christmas shortbread starts with a foolproof three-ingredient base (butter, sugar, and flour), then gets mixed with chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and crushed candy canes before baking and cutting into triangles. It needs zero chill time, comes together in about 45 minutes plus cooling, and makes a genuinely great homemade holiday gift.
I am going to tell you how to make Christmas shortbread. It is one of my very favorite recipes because it is so incredibly easy to adapt.
This is a basic shortbread recipe. It is very simple, and you are going to add in some chocolate chips, peppermint extract, and some crushed candy canes.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Peppermint Chocolate Shortbread
- The base is foolproof. It is literally just three ingredients you already have in your pantry: butter, sugar, and flour.
- The options are endless. You can mix and match different ingredients to switch up the shortbread to any flavor combination you like.
- It is the ultimate holiday gift. Cutting these into cute little triangles, putting them in jars or boxes, and attaching a printed gift tag makes the perfect homemade Christmas present!
- It is dangerously delicious. Seriously, just in the process of transferring them from the baking dish to the plate, you are going to want to eat them all!
If you love a giftable homemade holiday treat like this one, you are also going to want to try my Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Bark, another easy, festive treat that packages up beautifully for gifting.
What You Will Need
Special Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 9×9 inch or 9×13 inch baking dish
- Pie crust cutter (or a sharp paring knife)
- Festive boxes, jars, and gift tags, optional, for gifting
The Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract, add a little more if you prefer a stronger mint flavor
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Guittard chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
Let us Get Baking!
1. The Ultimate Customizable Shortbread Base
This is a basic Christmas shortbread recipe, though you can totally make shortbread any time of the year! The foundation is just butter, sugar, and flour. Today, we are doing a peppermint chocolate version. I have got Guittard chocolate chips, which are my absolute favorite chocolate chips to bake with, and some crushed candy cane from the grocery store. If you cannot find crushed candy cane where you shop, do not worry. Just crush some whole candy canes up yourself! Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Have a large baking dish ready.
2. Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the two sticks of softened butter and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Whip them together until the mixture is really light, white, and fluffy.
3. Flavor the Dough
Add in about 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract and mix briefly to combine. I personally do not like an overly apparent peppermint flavor, but you can add more if you love it!
4. Add the Dry Ingredients and Mix Ins
Add the 2 cups of all purpose flour, the chocolate chips, and the crushed candy canes. Stir everything together until it is thoroughly combined.
If you love a warmly spiced holiday cookie alongside a festive mint one, my Chewy Molasses Cookies round out a holiday cookie tray beautifully.
5. Press and Bake (Seriously Important Baking Tips!)
Press the dough evenly into your baking dish. Bake at 325°F for about 25 to 30 minutes. You want to bake it until you see the top just starting to turn a nice golden brown. I have overbaked it before, and they get really crumbly if you leave them in too long. So right when you see that color, pull it from the oven. Do not overbake them!
6. Cut While Warm
Cutting them can also be a little tricky if you do not time it right. Here is my foolproof method so they do not fall apart! Let the shortbread cool in the pan for just a couple of minutes while it is still pretty warm. Use a pie crust cutter or knife to cut the dough into little triangles right there in the baking dish.
7. Cool Completely
Leave them in the dish! If you try and take them out of the dish when they are still hot, they will fall apart. Leave the cut shortbread in the baking dish to cool completely. Once totally cooled, then go ahead and remove them from the pan. They should not stick because there is plenty of butter in the dough, but if you try to cut them once they are fully cooled, they might crumble apart on you. Enjoy or package them up for gifts! Try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting because they are so good!
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FAQs
Can I make this shortbread with different flavors?
Yes! The absolute best part about this recipe is the simple base of just butter, sugar, and flour. If you are not a fan of peppermint and chocolate, you can swap them out for toasted pecans, dried cranberries, orange zest, or just a simple vanilla bean paste. The options are endless!
Why did my shortbread turn out crumbly?
If your shortbread is crumbling into a million pieces, it usually means it was overbaked. You want to pull the pan out of the oven right when you see the top just starting to turn golden brown.
How do I cut shortbread without it breaking?
The trick is to cut it while it is still warm! Let the pan cool for just a couple of minutes out of the oven, then use a pie crust cutter or a sharp knife to cut your triangles right there in the baking dish. After you cut them, leave them alone to cool completely in the pan before you try to take them out.
How long does homemade shortbread last?
Because shortbread does not have any eggs or leavening agents, it actually keeps beautifully! Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, it will easily stay fresh and delicious for 1 to 2 weeks, which is exactly why it makes such a great Christmas gift to package in boxes and jars.
Does this recipe need to chill?
No, it does not! This is genuinely a no-chill shortbread recipe, which is part of what makes it so easy. You mix the dough, press it straight into the pan, and bake, with no waiting around for dough to firm up in the fridge first.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Shortbread’s simple structure (butter, sugar, and flour with no leavening) tends to convert well with gluten-free blends, though texture can vary slightly depending on the specific brand you use.
Can I dip these in white chocolate for a peppermint bark look?
Absolutely, and it is a beautiful variation! Once the shortbread is fully cooled and cut into triangles, dip one edge of each piece into melted white chocolate and let it set on parchment paper. Sprinkle a little extra crushed candy cane onto the wet white chocolate before it sets for that classic peppermint bark look.
A Note on Gifting
Since these are so often packaged up and given as gifts, it is worth including a small ingredient list on your gift tag, especially noting that this recipe contains gluten, dairy, and chocolate (which may carry tree nut cross-contamination risk). You may not always know your recipient’s allergies, and a quick note takes the guesswork out for them. As with any small, hard candy pieces, it is also worth keeping an eye on very young children while they enjoy these, since the crushed candy cane bits can be a bit firm.
Easy Peppermint Chocolate Christmas Shortbread
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy16
pieces15
minutes30
minutes215
kcal45
minutesA simple, melt-in-your-mouth 3-ingredient shortbread base packed with Guittard chocolate chips and crushed candy canes. Perfect for festive holiday gifting, with zero chill time required!
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
Stand mixer or hand mixer
9×9 or 9×13 baking dish
Pie crust cutter or knife
- Ingredients:
227g (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1g (1/4 tsp) peppermint extract
240g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
85g (1/2 cup) Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips
40g (1/4 cup) crushed candy canes
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy.
- Mix in the peppermint extract.
- Add the flour, chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Press the dough evenly into a baking dish.
- Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, removing from the oven right when the top just starts turning golden brown.
- Let cool for a couple of minutes, then cut into triangles while the shortbread is still warm.
- Allow the shortbread to cool completely in the pan before removing the pieces to serve or gift.
Notes
- Do Not Overbake: Shortbread gets crumbly if overbaked. Pull it out right when the edges and top start looking golden.
- Cutting Tip: Cut while warm, directly in the pan, then leave the pieces alone until they are totally cooled before removing them.
- Flavor Swaps: The base is just butter, sugar, and flour. Swap the mix-ins to create any flavor combination you like.
- Gluten-Free Swap: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend in place of all-purpose flour.
- Peppermint Bark Variation: Dip one edge of each cooled triangle into melted white chocolate and sprinkle with extra crushed candy cane before the chocolate sets.
- Gifting Note: Since this is often given as a gift, consider including an ingredient list on the gift tag, since this recipe contains gluten, dairy, and chocolate that may carry tree nut cross-contamination risk.
- Small Candy Pieces: As with any hard candy bits, keep an eye on very young children while they enjoy these.
- Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on piece size and amount of mix-ins used.
