Peppermint oreos! Homemade oreos are such a fun Christmas cookie to make, especially for gifts. This vegan oreo cookies recipe can be made either vanilla or as peppermint oreos for the holiday season.
Back with another Christmas cookie recipe for you! Are you baking this year? Now that my babies are a little older, we are in full holiday-baking mode– and these peppermint oreos are top of the list.
This homemade oreo cookies recipe contains the most tender chocolate cookie stuffed with a peppermint frosting filling. I passed these out to friends as I was testing them and they couldn’t stop raving about them. If you’re looking for a fun addition to your holiday baking list, I highly recommend this oreo cookies recipe!
(PS– if you are looking for more Christmas cookies, make sure to check out my Chai Sugar Cookies with Eggnog glaze, Peppermint Meltaway Cookies, Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Dark Chocolate Peppermint Truffles and my Bourbon Balls)
As with most cookie recipes, you’ll need the basics:
The key to getting the color right is using dark dutch-processed cocoa powder (like Hershey’s); you can find this as most grocery stores in the baking aisle or online. Regular cocoa powder will make for a lighter colored, more tan cookie that isn’t as rich in chocolate flavor.
You’ll also need cornstarch and powdered sugar to create the thick filling and vanilla extract, or peppermint extract if you want to make peppermint oreos. I tested both and highly recommend the peppermint version– it’s fun, festive and a unique twist on regular oreo cookies.
Once you try making these homemade oreo cookies from scratch, you’ll be amazed at how different (and better) they taste than any store bought version.
You’ll start by first making the oreo cookie base. I use my stand mixer to make things easy, but you can also use a bowl fitted with a hand mixer. Full directions for that in the recipe card below.
Once the dough is made, you’ll need to roll out the dough and then cut the circles out. I use a small 2″ cookie cute, but other shapes will also work. If you make them bigger than this, you’ll need to adjust the baking time.
Unlike other buttercream frostings, this one needs to be thick enough that it won’t melt in the oreo sandwiches. That’s the reason that both powdered sugar and cornstarch are used. You can substitute arrowroot starch if you’d like, but don’t omit it.
Now it’s time to assemble! For ease, I put the frosting in a frosting bag to pipe onto the cookies, but you could also use an offset spatula. Repeat with all of the sandwich cookies.
As mentioned above, I love these as a peppermint oreo but you can also make them as regular vanilla oreo cookies. To do that, you’ll just use more vanilla extract and omit the peppermint extract. I highly recommend peppermint extract and not mint extract— to me, mint taste like toothpaste and peppermint tastes like candy canes!
You can also color the filling if you want. A few drops of red food coloring would make a pretty red filling, or you could use green food coloring to have a Christmas theme. Totally up to you– these oreo cookies are so fun and child-like, green and red mix colors are fun too!
If you have a stand mixer, then I highly recommend using one with your paddle attachment to make these cookies come together quickly. No stand mixer? No problem– a big bowl with a hand mixer also works. You can also make this by hand with a whisk and a spoon, but you will get a workout!
I place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to make it easier to roll. For best results, you want them fairly thin– about 1/8 to ¼-inch thick. I then use the opposite side of the parchment paper to bake. 9 minutes was the perfect amount of time for me (and tested multiple times with both myself and pastry-chef extraordinaire Melanie) but if you want a crispier cookie, then I recommend cooking them for longer, about 11 minutes. Note that they will soften as the sit with the filling.
After the cookies are baked, remove and place on a cooling rack before filling.
If you are looking to make these in advance, then I recommend baking and freezing the cookie part, then defrosting and filling with the frosting before serving.
Traditional oreos actually are vegan– that’s because the filling is made from high-fructose corn syrup and oil instead of dairy. The filling in these homemade oreos are made from dairy-free butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch and vanilla and/or peppermint extract.
Yes, this is how you get the classic dark color of oreos. If you use regular cocoa powder, they will be much lighter in color.
If you try this homemade oreo cookies recipe, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
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Peppermint oreos! Homemade oreos are such a fun Christmas cookie to make, especially for gifts. This vegan oreo cookies recipe can be made either vanilla or as peppermint oreos for the holiday season.
For the chocolate oreo cookies:
For the vanilla Buttercream frosting:
*The butter must be soft and creamy (room temperature is fine). If the butter is too cold, the dough will be too crumbly and not come together right. If you are wanting to make these vegan, know that Earth Balance will produce a slightly yellow filling. Miyokos or the Trader Joe’s vegan butter are more white in color and will produce a paler filling, as seen here. If you want to use Earth Balance, then you may want to add in some food coloring to tint the filling.
**The dark dutch processed cocoa powder makes these oreo cookies a classic dark brown color. If you use a regular cocoa powder, they won’t be as dark.
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I made these on a recent snow day with my kids. So fun and tasty!
★★★★★