These fun Peppermint Swig Sugar Cookies are the perfect sugar cookie with a buttery texture, the addition of peppermint chips, and a creamy frosting! They are one of the best cookies for a Christmas cookie exchange, Christmas party, or simply as a treat during the holiday season!
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Confession time: I actually stock up on Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips during the holiday season so I can bake with them year round. Anybody else do this? They are my favorite and they have such a short season that I grab them when I can!
This Peppermint Swig Cookie recipe blends traditional sugar cookies with festive peppermint chips that have just a bit of crunch and a vanilla sour cream frosting to make the finest peppermint cookies for the Christmas season! The frosting not only adds to the taste but also makes these Christmas cookies so pretty and fun so the perfect cookie for a Christmas party or as a gift during the holiday season.
For more delightful holiday treats with a generous layer of frosting, check out my recipes for Soft Frosted Eggnog Cookies, Frosted Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies, Frosted Copycat Swig Sugar Cookies, Fudgy Frosted Mint Brownies, and the Best Sugar Cut Out Cookies decorated with Easy Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies!
Why We Love This Recipe
- The sour cream in the frosting adds a subtle tang, balancing the sweetness of the powdered sugar and complementing the peppermint flavor of the cookies.
- The combination of buttery, soft sugar cookies with the wintery bite of peppermint makes these cookies an absolute standout during the holiday season. And the pale pink and red tones are a total vibe.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Granulated Sugar – The backbone of any good sugar cookie, granulated sugar not only sweetens the dough but also helps the edges of the cookies become crispy when baked.
- Salted Butter – Butter adds richness and flavor to the cookies, and using it at room temperature ensures it creams well with the sugar.
- Vegetable Oil – This helps keep the cookies moist and tender.
- Sour Cream – Adds moisture and a slight tang to the cookies, balancing the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract – A classic flavor enhancer for any cookie recipe.
- All-Purpose Flour – The main structure of the cookie, it provides the necessary body and chew.
- Baking Powder – Helps the cookies rise and become fluffy.
- Salt – Just a pinch to balance the flavors.
- Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips or Crushed Candy Canes – These add the distinctive peppermint flavor and festive look.
- Powdered Sugar – For sweetness and structure in the frosting.
- Red Food Coloring – Gives the frosting a festive, holiday look.
- Milk – Used to adjust the consistency of the frosting.
- Optional Sprinkles, Crushed Candy Canes, or Coarse Sanding Sugar – For decorating and adding texture.
How to Make Peppermint Copycat Swig Cookies
- Prepare equipment. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. This will prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar, softened butter, and vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is creamy and light. This step is crucial for achieving the right texture.
- Incorporate wet ingredients. Add sour cream and vanilla extract to the mixture and mix well, ensuring to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. This ensures a uniform texture throughout your dough.
- Add dry ingredients. Gently mix in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt on low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Mix in the chips. Add the Andes Peppermint Chips and mix in by hand until fully combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Shaping the cookies. Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough balls onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, or roll the dough into golf-ball-size mounds. Space them a few inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Flattening the cookies. Spray the bottom of a glass cup with cooking spray and dip it in granulated sugar. Press down on the top of each cookie with the cup, twisting slightly to create jagged edges. This signature look is part of what makes Swig cookies so special.
- Bake and cool. Bake the cookies for 12–15 minutes until the edges start to turn golden brown and the centers are set. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool completely. Chill them before frosting.
- Making the frosting. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and food coloring until fluffy. Add milk as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.
- Decoration time. Frost the chilled cookies generously and add sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or sanding sugar for decoration.
Recipe FAQ’s
If you can’t find Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips, you can buy two boxes of the Andes Peppermint Crunch candies and unwrap and chop them yourself. Or sub in regular Andes mints the rest of the year if you can’t find the peppermint crunch bits. Even chopped peppermint bark will work. I don’t recommend subbing candy canes or peppermint extract for these cookies because they won’t give the same texture, even if they have a similar flavor.
Yes, you can use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of regular flour. Just be sure it’s a 1:1 substitution.
Absolutely! You can prepare the dough ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it. Just bring it to room temperature before shaping and baking.
Stored in an airtight container, these cookies will stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature. If frosted, it’s best to refrigerate them. Leftover frosting can be frozen or stored in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Yes, both the baked cookies and the dough can be frozen. For the baked cookies, freeze them unfrosted and add the frosting after thawing. Store the cookies in a freezer-safe container, with parchment paper between each cookie to prevent them sticking together.
Tips for Success
- Make sure your butter, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. This ensures even mixing and a smoother cookie dough.
- Mix the dough just until the ingredients are combined. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies. This ensures they all bake at the same rate.
- If the dough is too soft, chill it for 30 minutes before shaping. This makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies hold their shape while baking.
- Adjust the frosting to a spreadable consistency. If it’s too thick, add a bit more milk; if too thin, add more powdered sugar. It should be smooth and spreadable, but not runny.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. This prevents them from breaking.
- If using sprinkles or crushed candy canes, decorate the cookies while the frosting is still soft so they stick better.
Getting the Right Frosting Consistency
Adjust the frosting until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
Start with the amount of milk suggested in the recipe and add more, a teaspoon at a time, until it is smooth and spreadable but not runny.
If it’s still too thick, add a bit more milk; if it becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Substitutions and Variations
- Replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free cookie.
- Greek yogurt can be a great substitute for sour cream in both the cookie dough and frosting.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Andes Mint Cookies
- Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Biscoff Cookie Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fruitcake Cookies
- Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
- Christmas M&M Soft & Chewy Cookies
- White Chocolate Pistachio Christmas Star Cookies
- Classic Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Cookies
Peppermint Oreo Cookies
Cookies
Frosted Eggnog Cookies
Christmas
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Peppermint Sugar Cookies Recipe (Swig Copycat)
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300g) + extra for the outsides of the cookies
- ½ cup salted butter, softened (115g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour (563g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (10-ounce) bag Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
Frosting
- ½ cup salted butter, softened (115g)
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 cups powdered sugar (480g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops red food coloring (affiliate link)
- 2-3 tablespoons milk, as needed
- Optional sprinkles, crushed candy canes, or coarse sanding sugar, to decorate
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat sugar, butter, and oil, in a large mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light. Add sour cream and vanilla, then mix well to combine. Stop to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.1 ½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup salted butter,, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 cup sour cream,, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, and Andes Peppermint Baking Chips, then mix on low speed just until combined, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 (10-ounce) bag Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
- Use a 2-inch cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheets or roll dough into golf-ball size mounds and space them a few inches apart.
- Spray the bottom of a glass cup with cooking spray, then dip in about ¼ cup of additional granulated sugar. Use the cup to press down on the top of each cookie, twisting as you do so, to flatten the cookies slightly. The twisting motion is what will give the cookies their jagged edges. Continue to dip the bottom of the cup in the sugar and repeat for each cookie, spraying the bottom of the cup with cooking spray as needed so the sugar sticks.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown slightly and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Chill until ready to frost.
Frosting
- In another large bowl, beat the butter, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and food coloring (affiliate link) until fluffy and light. Add as much milk as needed to get a nice frosting consistency, then frost the chilled cookies with as much frosting as you like. Leftover frosting can be frozen or stored in the fridge for 2 weeks.½ cup salted butter,, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 drops red food coloring (affiliate link), 2-3 tablespoons milk,
Notes
- Store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container, these cookies will stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature. If frosted, it’s best to refrigerate them.
- Freeze: Freeze baked cookies unfrosted, and frost when thawed. Store the cookies in a freezer-safe container, with parchment paper between each cookie to prevent them sticking together.
- Frosting: Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.
They are the best.The grandkids loved how easy for them to do. Will be making again.
Will the cookies stick together if stacked due to the frosting?
Yes, they will stick, so I recommend stacking them with a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper between each layer.