Oreo Peppermint White Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Every holiday season I try to hit different flavor categories. One of those categories is mint or peppermint. There are many recipes that use candy canes, peppermint bark, Andes mints, etc. When I was at the store a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a bag of Ghirardelli peppermint chunks, which are white chocolate chunks with crushed up peppermint candies. I figured I could find good use for them, and I did with this recipe!

Baking with any hard candy is a challenge, as the candy melts before the cookie is baked. Using these white chocolate chunks with the peppermint added in solves that problem as the peppermint is incorporated into the chocolate. I used Ghirardelli’s version, but there are a couple of different makers out on the market, so you can use whichever brand you can find. The original recipe called for 1 cup of white chocolate chips and ½ cup of crushed peppermint candy, but again, the hard candy typically melts while baking and makes a mess.

For the Oreos, I used special holiday peppermint ones, but you could also use the ones with red filling or regular ones. There aren’t that many Oreos in the dough that make that much of a difference. There are also different makers of white chocolate pudding. I used Godiva brand, as that was the only one I could find. Hershey’s also makes a version. If all else fails, cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix would certainly work. These cookies are simple to make, just like a chocolate chip cookie, but pack a lot more flavor. If you need a festive and easy cookie to make, these are for you!

Oreo Peppermint White Chocolate Pudding Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3.4 ounce package white chocolate instant pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups chopped Oreos

1 1/2 cups white peppermint bark chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla and mix on medium until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix on low until the flour is almost incorporated fully into the dough. Add the chopped Oreos and peppermint bark chips and mix on low to distribute throughout the dough.

Scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, using a tablespoon to a tablespoon and a half for each cookie.

Bake for 10-14 minutes, until slightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod