Soft Peppermint Meltaway Cookies with a twist! Meltaway Cookies can easily taste bland and be crumbly. This recipe will leave you with sweet, soft cookies, with centers that melt in your mouth!
Have you ever had a Meltaway Cookie?
I always thought they were pretty “blah.” I asked my Mom a few months ago if she had a meltaway cookie recipe that we made routinely while I was growing up. Sometimes I like to use her recipes as inspiration.
The answer was a resounding no. She said she always thought they turned out pretty boring, not very sweet, so no one ate them. After a few tries she pretty much gave up on them.
But, I was determined. Cookies that melt in your mouth?! They sound delicious! So I found a recipe online and made it. And I was a little underwhelmed too.
Traditional meltaway cookies are only sweetened with powdered sugar. They’re typically made with flour, powdered sugar, butter, and sometimes cornstarch (from there you could add different extracts, juices, zests or chocolates for different flavors).
Which, explains why they can be so “blah.” Powdered sugar gives the cookies great texture, but the flavor can be seriously lacking.
Naturally, I decided to make my own cookies with a twist! I took a classic Meltaway Cookie recipe and tweaked it.
Instead, my Peppermint Meltaway Cookies have:
- Flour (either gluten-free or not)
- Cornstarch (for a center that melts in your mouth!)
- Salt
- Butter (or coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative)
- White sugar (for some real sweetness that these cookies are desperately in need of!)
- Egg white (for the best cookie texture)
- Peppermint extract (for a fun holiday flavored spin!)
My Peppermint Meltaway Cookies are minty, soft, and lightly sweet. No “blah” cookies to eat here! 🙂
Keep reading for some more tips about how to make these soft cookies turn out just right.
First, this cookie dough must chill.
That’s the most important thing to know up front. If you don’t have time for it to chill, pick another cookie recipe (like my Peppermint Mocha Oatmeal Cookies maybe).
The second most important thing is to be sure to use softened butter. Butter that’s sat out on the counter for a while. If you use melted butter, your cookies will have to chill even longer. So be sure to use softened butter.
After your dough has chilled for an hour, I’d recommend testing just one cookie. If the cookies haven’t chilled long enough they will spread too thin. That’s part of what’s tricky when you work with cookies with cornstarch and less flour. It’s easy for them to lose their shape.
This cookie dough is easy to make, but baking the cookies can be a little difficult.
So be sure to test out one cookie in the oven if you aren’t sure if your dough is solid enough yet.
If it spreads too thin, let your dough chill for another 30 minutes.
If it doesn’t, it’s time to bake the rest of the cookies! 🙂
After baking your cookies, let them chill entirely before covering them in your glaze and sprinkling some crushed candy canes on top!
Alternatively, you could spread some frosting on top too. Or, a little dip in chocolate with some crushed candy canes on top would also be delicious!
To keep these cookies gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. If you don’t need them to be, they can also be made with regular flour.
To make these cookies dairy-free, use coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative.
Other than that, these cookies are a pretty traditional recipe. Making the dough is simple, and decorating them is fun! Just be sure to use softened butter, chill your dough long enough, and bake just one cookie first if you aren’t sure about your dough.
If you love soft cookies, that aren’t too sweet, with a peppermint twist.. these are the cookies for you!
The big question: what does my Mom think of these now? The last batch I made I tried to give her all of them and she refused. But this time it was because she couldn’t resist them! Ha! I would call that a success. 🙂
If you make these cookies and love them just as much, let me know! Leave a comment below, or find me on Instagram. I really love to hear from all of you!
And if you want more Christmas Cookie recipes, give my Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies, Almond Flour Shortbread Cookies, and Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies a try!
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (or regular flour)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (coconut oil or dairy-free butter alternative)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4-5 tsp milk
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 large candy cane, crushed (optional)
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To begin, to a small bowl add your flour, cornstarch and salt and whisk them together gently.
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To a large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugar and beat them together till creamy. Add your egg white and peppermint extract and briefly blend in. Add your dry ingredients and mix together till you have smooth cookie dough.
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Cover your bowl and place it in your fridge to chill for at least on hour. At one hour, check the cookie dough texture. It should be somewhat firm but still easy to scoop out. *If you aren't sure if your dough has chilled long enough, bake only one cookie (and if it spreads too thin, your dough needs to chill longer!).
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Preheat your oven to 350 and line a pan with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray. Scoop your cookies out onto your pan, evenly spaced apart, with no more than 12 cookies per pan. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes, or till the edges of the cookies are set and just starting to turn a light golden color.
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Let your cookies cool entirely before adding the glaze on top.
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To a small mixing bowl, add your powdered sugar, milk and peppermint extract and whisk thoroughly till well combined. Add a little more milk if it's too thick.
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Holding each cookie upside down, dip the top into the bowl of glaze, then place on top of a cooling rack (so the extra glaze drains off instead of making the bottom of the cookies soggy). Immediately sprinkle crushed up candy canes on top.
Stored in an airtight container these cookies are best within the first 5 days.
Can we use melted butter instead of softened?
Hi Ericka. I wouldn’t recommend it, or the texture will be off.
can I use whipped tufu for egg replacement?
Wondering if you used milk alternative for glaze, and if so which did you use? Rice milk, oat milk?
Hi there. I would recommend almond milk, or something with a similar texture (I’m afraid oat milk may be too thick).
Trying toreduce dairy, this a great option.
Any thoughts on how substituting tapioca starch or arrowroot powder would work? My son has a corn sensitivity. Thanks!
Hi Justine. I’m sorry I don’t have any recommendations. Hopefully someone else in the comments might have some advice!
I read you can sub potato starch I one to one with corn starch, I’m trying it out in this recipe, we don’t do well with corn either fingers 🤞 it turns out.
Next level! Making it for the second time now🤩
Haven’t made these yet, but was wondering if they would freeze well.
Hi Mary. Sorry for the delayed response. I actually haven’t frozen these cookies before. But, I assume they would freeze well like most other cookies.
is there a vegan egg white substitute you might suggest trying?
Hi Heidi. Sorry this reply is delayed. I’d recommend using a flax or chia egg, just half of one.
Super yummy! I used crisco stick for the butter and they turned out great! I rolled into balls and smashed down with a glass. Perfect and didn’t spread.
These cookies are a hit with gf people and non gf people alike! Recently took them to a party and they were gone in a flash! Super easy to make and still turn out great using arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch!
YUM! Love they are gluten free and dairy free.
Followed recipe to the letter and did not turn out had to add much more flour.