These Peppermint Joe Joe’s are even better than Trader Joe’s! They are thin, mint chocolate cookies with a peppermint cream filling, covered in a rich, dark chocolate. It is the kind of cookie dreams are made of!
Has anyone else ever bought such a massive quantity of peppermint Joe Joe’s from Trader Joe’s that you’d elicit stares from fellow shoppers? They are only sold for a short time during the holiday season, and they always go quick! Even with our massive stockpile, they would not last very long at all in our home, leaving us without these delicious cookies for the vast majority of the year! We knew that we needed to perfect a copycat recipe, and this is that labor of love.
Chocolate in Peppermint Joe Joe’s Copycat:
We highly recommend you use high quality chocolate chips to ensure the best flavor and texture when it is melted. A couple of our favorites are Guittard and Ghirardelli, and they should be available at your local grocery store.
Peppermint Extract:
Using peppermint extract in the cookies, filling, and chocolate coating is what really gives these cookies the kick of peppermint needed to truly be a Peppermint Joe Joe’s copycat. You should be able to find peppermint extract in the baking aisle of your local grocery store, or you can purchase from Amazon or other online retailers.
Crushing Candy Canes:
To crush my candy canes, I simply put them in a resealable plastic bag and hammer them with my rolling pin until they are completely crushed. This is a great task for any helpers that might be joining you in the kitchen.
Assembling Cookies Tip:
Be sure to press very gently when you are squishing your cookies together with the cream. If you press to hard or are too rough with them, they will break into pieces.
Storage Instructions:
Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious cookie recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I was wondering if these could be made ahead and put in the freezer
They definitely can!
I just made these for the first time and overall I am pretty pleased with how they turned out. I have never had the real thing from Trader Joe’s (Canada does not have Trader Joe’s) so nothing to compare them to, but these are good. I was able to get 40+ cookies. I wish I could thin the chocolate a little bit as it seems quite thick, but that could be part of what makes these cookies great! Hoping family and friends will enjoy them this Christmas, and if so, they will make a return appearance next year!
I was so sad when Trader Joe’s was sold out of their peppermint Joe Joe’s this year, but thankfully this recipe filled the void! I would dare to say that they taste better because they’re fresh too. Thank you for saving the holiday season!
I thought the photos looked like the real thing, but I worried that perhaps, beneath the chocolate robe and candy cane sprinkles, there might be a disappointing cookie. Was I wrong, wrong, wrong.
The recipe for the cookies was perfect. They were tasty in a bland way (so as not to compete with the cream center), and sturdy enough to hold their shape when pressed down to seal the filling.
I opted for Ghirardelli dark chips, since I like dark chocolate, and the cookies would have been too sweet for my taste if I had used semi-sweet.
The cookies look just like the real thing, and were at least as good! My only complaint is that the cookie recipe didn’t make anywhere near 36 cookies. Even though I sliced them thinly, I still only ended up with 20. I also ended up with enough filling for another 20 (which I plan to make as soon as these are finished).
Made them for my sister, because she couldn’t get them this year.
She said they were great!
These cookies are very time consuming to make BUT they are so good. I changed nothing in the recipe and wanted to thank you for making me look like I can bake. I’ve cooked a lot of your recipes and all of them are delicious. There is a down side to it thou. Now my wife wants me to cook all the time, but because of your recipes I really don’t mind doing it.
Thanks for making it easy.
I almost forgot. Happy Holidays!
Can you substitute butter for the vegetable shortening? I love Joe Joe cookies, but can never grab enough boxes before they sell out. Thank you so much for sharing!
You could, but it would certainly stray from the original in flavor a bit.
Dear goddess… i am trying to do the whole30. This was not the recipe i needed to look at this morning. A challenge to my sugar demon. These look amaaaaazing!
I just made these and the word that comes to mind is AMAZING. These are delicious and better than any cookie I’ve ever purchased.
think gluten free flour would work? these look UNREAL! must try
Generally you can't substitute gluten-free flour for All-purpose.
Look online for a peppermint cookie recipe then follow the rest the same. That would work!
Try using Better Batter, it is often found to replace All Purpose (Gluten) Flour and works amazing!
I used gluten free flour and it worked great. I used sprouted gf flour blend from To Your Health, Sprouted Flour Company (one of the best GF flours I’ve found so far, and much healthier since they are sprouted!).
I’ve had some success with GF Cup 4 Cup flour when making cookies. Other times I use a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour.