We all know there’s a big difference between store-bought and homemade cookies, and, while we love the classic store-bought Oreo, homemade Oreos truly take the cake. We designed our homemade Oreo recipe specifically for the holiday season because that pop of peppermint adds an appreciated oomph to the traditional chocolate cookie. Plus look at that adorably festive cookie. Cookie exchanges here we come.

shortbread oreo recipe with peppermint

Ingredients in our Oreo Recipe

Simple is (mostly) the name of the game when it comes to ingredients for these Oreos. Room temp-ish butter (let that butter sit out on the counter for 30 minutes before mixing for the perfect consistency), powdered sugar, flour–standard stuff. Where we do get a little fussy is with the cocoa powder. We love using a special dark or dutch processed cocoa powder in our Oreo recipe to get a nice dark chocolate cookie with a strong, rich chocolate taste. For an even more classic Oreo look, black cocoa powder will get you there.

Tips for the Best Homemade Oreos

  • How thick you roll out your dough makes a difference in the final texture of the cookie. For a thinner, more crisp cookie, roll out the dough to 1/4″. For a thicker, slightly softer cookie, roll out the dough to 1/2″.
  • Yes, using a 2-inch biscuit cutter yields a cookie that’s larger than the traditional Oreo. In this case, bigger = better, 100%. So go for it. 
  • Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop is the key to getting the perfect amount of buttercream between each cookie. Highly recommend.
  • Salt in frosting? 1000x yes. The salt creates flavor dimension in a typically basic vanilla buttercream. Trust us–the frosting won’t read as “salty” but more like “this frosting is delightfully nuanced for something so easy.” And who doesn’t want that.

More Delicious Christmas Cookies

Shortbread Oreo Recipe with Peppermint

Brooke Eliason
Print
Servings: 18 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Intermediate
Made with chocolatey shortbread cookies and a luscious vanilla buttercream, this Oreo cookie recipe with peppermint is holiday perfection.

Ingredients 

Chocolate Cookies

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened*
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup special dark cocoa powder

Vanilla Buttercream

  • ½ cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1½ teaspoons flaky sea salt**
  • ½ cup crushed peppermint candy pieces

Instructions

Chocolate Cookies

  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined and you can no longer distinguish the flour from the cookie dough. The dough will be crumbly.
  • Pour cookie dough onto a floured surface and form the dough into a disc. Flour the top of the dough and a rolling pin, and roll dough out until 1/4-1/2" thick. Use a 2" biscuit/cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. If your cookie dough sticks to the surface, use a metal spatula to carefully release them. Cookies should be at least 1 inch apart.
  • Chill cookies for 20-30 minutes in the fridge. With 10 minutes left of chilling time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Cookies are done when you can smell them and they are no longer wet or glossy on the top surface. Transfer to a cooling rack, and allow cookies to completely cool.

Vanilla Buttercream

  • Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together; first on low speed, then increase as the two ingredients become incorporated. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of heavy whipping cream and continue to beat until smooth. If the frosting is still too thick, add more heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved. Alternatively, if the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar one tablespoon or two at a time. Add flaky salt and mix for a few seconds.

Assembly

  • Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop and release one tablespoon of frosting from the mixing bowl and onto the bottom surface of one cookie. Create a sandwich by pressing the frosted cookie and a second cookie together (bottom surfaces touching the frosting and facing each other) gently.
  • Pour the crushed peppermint candy pieces into a rimmed pie plate or quarter sheet pan and roll the exposed frosting from the cookies directly onto the peppermint candy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

*Use slightly softened butter for best results by setting butter out on the counter 30 minutes before making the cookies, rather than warming in the microwave or allowing it to completely come to room temperature.
** If you do not have flaky sea salt on hand, you may substitute a dash of kosher salt or sea salt.
– This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled or quadrupled. For best results, don’t make more than a double batch of the cookies and buttercream at a time in a stand mixer. Cookies and buttercream can be made 2-3 days ahead and kept covered until ready to bake/assemble. Make sure buttercream reaches room temperature before assembling cookies.

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