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Mint chocolate has a whole new meaning with these chocolate chip and mint cookies. The flavor from the fresh mint is herby and bright without overpowering. These cookies are slightly crisp on the outside and soft and incredibly chewy on the inside. 

Fresh mint cookies spread out with a bunch of fresh mint

Overview

I have to admit that I have not always been the biggest fan of the mint chocolate combo. That is until I tasted the mint chip gelato at an Italian restaurant where I used to work. The pastry chef steeped the milk with fresh mint leaves and the flavor was so fresh and bright.

This experience gave me the idea that I wanted to try infusing butter with fresh mint to make chocolate chip cookies. So I experimented with steeping the mint leaves in melted butter before making the cookies and it was exactly what I was looking for!

These cookies have all the best elements of a chocolate chip cookie like crispy edges, chewy middle, and gooey chocolate. But not only that, these cookies have a subtle yet delicious fresh mint flavor that perfectly compliments the chocolate.

Fresh Mint vs. Mint Extract

Mint extract definitely has its time and place. Like any extract, it can add a big punch of flavor. But you really have to be careful with it because if overdone, mint extract can taste very medicinal.

While mint extract is made from real mint, using fresh mint in baked goods tastes completely different. The best way I can describe it is that it tastes herby and bright. If you’ve never tried it, I encourage you to do so in these fresh mint cookies!

Try my Mint Chocolate Brownies also made with fresh mint!

Closeup of fresh mint cookies

How to Make Chocolate Chip and Mint Cookies

This recipe is a fairly straight forward cookie recipe. There is no creaming involved but it does require chilling the dough. Let’s get started!

Infuse the butter

fresh mint in pot with melted butter
fresh mint and melted browned butter in pot

The unique step in this recipe is to infuse the butter with the mint. Rinse the fresh mint and remove the stems. Roughly chop them up and place in a pot with the butter. Melt the butter over medium heat and allow it to boil. Stir frequently until the butter turns brown and smells nutty.

Remove the pot from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the mint. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to push on the mint and extract any juices back into the butter.

Set aside to cool at room temperature. Drop in an ice cube to cool it down faster and also to replace the liquid that boiled off in the saucepan.

Make the dough

browned butter in bowl with brown sugar
adding dry ingredients to bowl
adding chocolate chips to the cookie dough

Place the browned mint butter and brown sugar into a medium or large mixing bowl and stir vigorously with a large spoon or hand mixer. The butter can still be warm. The mixture will not cream together.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.

Add all of the dry ingredients into the bowl including the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix a few turns but stop when you still streaks of white from the flour.

Add the chocolate chips and fold together until you no longer see streaks of white.

Chill

Cover and refrigerate the entire bowl of dough for at least 30 minutes and preferably up to 24 hours.

Scoop and Bake

scooping cookie dough to a baking sheet
cookie dough scooped onto a baking sheet

Scoop large mounds of dough (about 2-3 tablespoons each) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I like to keep the mounds rounded so the cookies stay nice and thick.

If you do not have a scoop you can use a measuring cup and slightly flatten out the bottom of the cookie, keeping the top rounded, and place them on the cookie sheets.

Only place 8 cookies per sheet pan. Too many cookies will not allow them to bake evenly and will cause the cookies to spread out more when they are baking.

baked cookies on a baking sheet

Bake one sheet pan at a time as directed until the edges are set and the centers look just slightly under baked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pans before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

Storage

Baked Cookies: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Unbaked Cookies: After scooping the cookie dough, place the sheet pan in the freezer to freeze until rock solid. Move the dough balls into a zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen adding 2-3 minutes to the baking time.

MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!

If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other chocolate chip cookie recipes!

Fresh mint cookies spread out with a bunch of fresh mint
Yield: 8-12 cookies

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Chilling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes

Mint chocolate has a whole new meaning with these chocolate chip and mint cookies. The flavor from the fresh mint is herby and bright without overpowering. These cookies are slightly crisp on the outside and soft and incredibly chewy on the inside. 

Ingredients

  • ⅔ cup loosely packed (about 25 grams) fresh mint leaves
  • 113 grams (1 stick, ½ cup) unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 150 grams (¾ cup) brown sugar, light or dark
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
  • 150 grams (1 ¼ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 150 grams (1 cup, 6 ounces) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

PREP

  1. Rinse and remove the stems from the fresh mint leaves (⅔ cup loosely packed). Remove the egg (1 large) out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
  2. Place the butter (113 grams/ 1 stick) and fresh mint leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and start boiling. Stir frequently until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty.
  3. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the mint leaves. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to push on the mint and extract any juices back into the butter.
  4. Set aside to cool at room temperature. Drop in an ice cube to cool it down faster and also to replace the liquid that boiled off in the saucepan.

Make the dough

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a wooden spoon, mix together the brown mint butter and brown sugar (150 grams/ ¾ cup). The browned butter doesn't have to be fully cooled, it can still be slightly warm. Mix until incorporated. The mixture will not cream together.
  2. Add the egg and the vanilla extract (1 ½ teaspoons) into the bowl and combine.
  3. Add the baking soda (½ teaspoon), baking powder (½ teaspoon), and salt (½ teaspoon) into the bowl and mix together. Add the flour (150 grams/ 1 ¼ cups) and mix until just absorbed, only about 15-20 seconds. You don't want to over-mix the dough. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Add the chocolate chips (150 grams/ 1 cup) to the bowl. Fold in until evenly distributed.
  5. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes and preferably up to 24 hours.

Bake

  1. Position an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 375°F(190°C).
  2. Scoop large mounds of dough (about 2-3 tablespoons each) onto parchment lined baking sheets. Put no more than 8 dough balls per sheet.
  3. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are set and the centers look slightly under baked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pans before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  4. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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© Baker Bettie
Category: All Recipes