I’ve been longing to test out a frosted sugar-cookie, and I finally made it happen for SSJ Advent 2025! Here’s our best recipe for peppermint cream-cheese sugar cookies with a lovely peppermint cream-cheese frosting. Add sprinkles for holiday elegance, if you so desire. Feel free to leave out the pep if you are in search of a classic vanilla cream-cheese sugar cookie.
Frosted Peppermint Cream-Cheese Sugar Cookies
A fabulous frosted classic with a jolt of peppermint. Makes 20-24 cookies.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups all purpose flour sifted
- 1½ tsp baking powder sifted
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 63 grams [¼ brick] cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large or extra-large egg room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½-1 tsp peppermint extract
- ¼ cup granulated sugar or transparent decorator sugar [optional]
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 125 grams [½ brick] cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cups icing sugar sifted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp peppermint extract
Instructions
Peppermint Cream-Cheese Sugar Cookies
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Add salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment OR in a bowl with a hand mixer or with a fabulous wooden spoon, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add the 1 cup of sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract, and beat until fully combined.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet mixture until fully combined. The dough will be easy to shape into a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl [if using a stand mixer], cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. And place the granulated or decorator sugar in a small bowl if using.
- Roll the dough into 1½-to-2-inch balls, using approximaely 2 tbs dough per ball.
- Roll each ball in the bowl of sugar [optional].
- Place each ball on the parchment, approximately 4 inches apart from one another.
- Flatten each ball with the bottom of a measuring cup.
- Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, on the centre rack of the oven, for 15 minutes, or until just golden brown at the very edges and shiny in the middles.
- Place the cookie sheet on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before removing the pan and leaving the cookies on their parchment to cool completely on the wire rack.
- After the cookies have cooled completely, make the frosting.
Peppermint Cream-Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk OR in a medium bowl with a hand-blender or a good wire whisk, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the icing sugar and beat slowly until the mixture begins to combine.
- Add the vanilla and peppermint extract and continue to whisk until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
- Spread the frosting generously on the cooled cookies, topping with sprinkles if you'd like. [Who wouldn't like? I mean, who wouldn't?]
- Enjoy!
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