Want to know the key to the best crinkle cookies? Sour Cream! These Chocolate Peppermint Sour Cream Crinkle Cookies are ridiculously moist and chocolatey and make a festive addition to your holiday cookie platter.
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Thank you to Hood Sour Cream for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you so much for supporting We are not Martha!
I believe there are two types of people in the world. The type that when you tell them you're putting sour cream in cookies say, "why??" and the type that when you tell them you're putting sour cream in cookies say, "omg yum!!"
Guess what? I'm here to tell you that these sour cream crinkle cookies will convert anyone in the first camp directly into the second camp. The proof is in my husband's reaction to these cookies.
Immediately after I baked them, he came into the kitchen and grabbed one. As he was about to take a bite, I said, "they're sour cream crinkle cookies" and he replied, "sour cream in cookies?? Why??"
But still, he took the bite and immediately said, "oh, now I know why." And that, my friends, is how you start a sour cream revolution. Or something like that.
I've worked with Hood Sour Cream many times to showcase sour cream in savory dishes, but this is my first sweet recipe with them. After how amazing these cookies came out, it certainly won't be my last.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
First of all, these sour cream cookies are a totally unique recipe! When you bring these to your holiday cookie parties, it's pretty unlikely that anyone else will have chocolate cookies made with sour cream.
Second of all, they're incredibly moist cookies that are packed with flavor. If you don't like sour cream, don't worry because you can't distinctly taste it; but it adds a tiny bit of a tang of flavor.
Crinkle cookies are super easy to make and they're usually pretty no matter if you're a great baker or not. And with these ones, even if they don't look like masterpieces out of the oven, once you add on the icing and crushed peppermint, they will!
🗒 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make these chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies (but be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Sour Cream
- Large egg
- Peppermint extract
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Confectioners' sugar
- Crushed candy cane
And here's what you need for the sour cream icing:
- Sour Cream
- Confectioners' sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Whole Milk
🍪 How to make chocolate peppermint sour cream crinkle cookies
If you've never made a crinkle cookie before, I'm here to tell you that they're super easy to make.
These chocolate peppermint sour cream crinkle cookies take a pretty standard chocolate cookie dough and add in sour cream and a touch of peppermint extract.
To start, preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add sour cream, egg, and peppermint extract and beat to combine.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour flour mixture into wet ingredients and beat until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
Place remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl and place confectioners' sugar in a separate small bowl.
Using about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time (you can use a #40 cookie scoop if you want), roll dough into balls. Roll each ball into granulated sugar, followed by confectioners' sugar.
The initial roll in the granulated sugar not only helps the powdered sugar stick to the cookie better, but it dries out the tops of the cookies a bit, allowing the fine cracks to form (but don't worry; these cookies are anything but dry!).
Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Now you'll bake cookies for about 16 minutes, until they're set. You still want them to be a little soft. Let cookies cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
As you can see, when you bake the cookies, cracks form around the confectioners' sugar giving the cookies a crinkle look. How fun is that?
I'm obsessed with how these cookies crinkled... Like little sugary chocolate earthquakes.
This is the point when my husband took one of the cookies to eat. I told him I was still going to add a sour cream drizzle and crushed candy canes and he told me that the cookies were so delicious, I shouldn't make any changes at all to them.
But I didn't listen to him and I did it anyway.
🥣 How to make sour cream icing
I made a simple icing out of sour cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and a touch of milk. Just mix it all together in a small bowl and add a little more milk if you need to thin it out.
I drizzled the sour cream icing onto the cooled cookies and topped with crushed candy canes.
When Chris had a second one after the finishing touches were made, he once again admitted I made the right decision. He said, "I never would have thought to put sour cream into cookies, but those are delicious!"
The funny thing is, when I talked to my mom later that night and told her about the cookies I baked, she immediately said, "sour cream cookies sound absolutely delicious!"
Clearly, she wasn't in need of any sour cream converting! She was just sad she wasn't there to try them.
But really, the sour cream in these chocolate peppermint crinkle cookies truly does make a huge difference. The cookies are ridiculously moist and chocolatey and almost have a brownie-like consistency or cake-like texture to them.
The peppermint seems to complement the tang of the sour cream perfectly and the end result is holiday cookies that are packed with flavor.
⏲️ How to store
You can store your cooled and iced chocolate sour cream cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.
If you're stacking the cookies in the container, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between each layer of cookies to prevent them from sticking together.
You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the cookies on a cookie sheet and then putting them in a large freezer bag or airtight container to keep in the freezer. This will prevent the cookies from freezing to each other.
🎉 Variations on recipe
If you want to switch up the sour cream cookie recipe a bit, here are some fun ideas:
- Instead of the sour cream icing drizzle, use a white chocolate drizzle, milk chocolate drizzle, or even an eggnog icing drizzle.
- Add chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or mint chocolate chips to the batter.
- Use dark cocoa powder for a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Add more peppermint extract if you like a stronger peppermint flavor.
- Use whatever toppings you want, including crushed nuts, chocolate shavings, crushed Oreo cookies, or your favorite sprinkles.
- Fill the cookies with a white chocolate ganache, a chocolate peppermint ganache, or the filling of your choice.
- If you want to make theses sour cream cookies appropriate for any time of year, you can leave the peppermint and candy cane topping out. I'd use a bit more vanilla extract, but you can also add almond extract if you want. You can decorate them for any holiday you want, including Valentine's Day, birthdays, Halloween, and more.
I went a little bit light on adding peppermint extract into the cookies because I know some people don't love a super peppermint-y taste and I also knew the crushed candy canes would add more mint flavor.
The cookies have a fun festive holiday flavor, but aren't overpowering in any way.
They're festive enough to be a fun addition to a holiday cookie platter, but I don't think your friends or family would complain if you just gifted them with a plate of these chocolate sour cream cookies and only these cookies.
Just make sure to tell them about the power of sour cream in the cookies!
🎄 More Christmas cookie recipes
- Sparkling Peppermint Sugar Cookies
- Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies
- Milk Bars' Cornflake Chocolate Chip Candy Cane Cookies
- Eggnog Gingerbread Cookies
- Candy Cane Cookie Dough Bars
- Eggnog Linzer Cookies
- Eggnog Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
- Christmas Oreos (from Fresh April Flours)
I also have a lot of great advice for how you can arrange the perfect holiday cookie platter!
Now I want to make all my cookie recipes, sour cream cookie recipes! I think sour cream sugar cookies are next on my list.
I hope these sour cream drop cookies become a family favorite in your house during the holiday season!
Have you ever used sour cream in your baked goods?
If you love sour cream in savory dishes, check out my Creamy Fajita Skillet and my Mediterranean Turkey Stuffed Eggplant recipes, both made with Hood Sour Cream! I also can't wait to make this Sour Cream Lemon Cake from Superman Cooks!
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Sour Cream Crinkle Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup
- ½ cup Hood Sour Cream
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 crushed candy cane
Sour Cream Icing
- ¼ cup Hood Sour Cream
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp Hood Whole Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add sour cream, egg, and peppermint extract and beat to combine.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture and beat until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
- Place remaining ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl and place confectioners' sugar in a separate small bowl. Using about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll dough into balls. Roll each ball into granulated sugar, followed by confectioners' sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for about 16 minutes, until set. They should still be a little soft. Let cookies cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to rack to cool completely.
- Once cookies are completely cooled, drizzle with sour cream icing and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.
Sour Cream Icing
- In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and 1 tsp milk. If icing is too thick, add remaining tsp milk.
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Anita says
I must try this. I have some sour cream that needs to be finished and this is just the perfect way. I'm so excited that this is even better than regular crinkle cookies! 🙂
Sapana says
These turned out perfect! I would have never thought to add sour cream to these cookies but they added the perfect texture - yum!
Megan Ellam says
These look so good. It is nearly time to get my Christmas bake on. Thanks for sharing.
Farah says
Yes to this flavor combination! I love how beautiful these look. You've got me excited for holiday baking!
Safira says
Love these! They are so pretty and festive. Can't wait to make them!
Sharon says
So festive! So delicious looking! These are definitely must-try Christmas or any day cookies!!
Gretchen Stockwell says
Yummy, a keeper recipe. But just a note, when you adjust the quantity of cookies which you can at the top of the recipe, the ingredient measures adjust but not the directions. So I got confused, step 2 included only 1/2 cup sugar when the adjusted quantity (4 dozen) called for 1 cup of sugar. Also, I didn't have 1 1/2 cups of cocoa so I used about 3/4 cup. The cookies tasted fine but the dough was too soft to form balls to roll in the sugar, but I managed to get it into balls and they baked fine.
Sues says
Thank you, Gretchen! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! And thank you for the note about the quantity adjustment... that's something I never actually considered before. Unfortunately, it's a feature from my recipe card service that I'm not sure it can be resolved, but it's something I'm going to make note of moving forward when I'm writing instructions!