1-Step 1: Prepare Your Baking Station Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. This temperature is ideal for creating cookies with golden brown edges while keeping the centers soft and chewy. While the oven heats, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Parchment prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze, plus it helps the cookies bake evenly without developing over-browned bottoms.

2-Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together until evenly distributed. This step ensures that the leavening agent and salt are evenly dispersed throughout the flour, preventing pockets of saltiness or uneven rising. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

3-Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugars In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with both the light brown sugar and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes. Use an electric mixer on medium speed for best results. The mixture should become lighter in color and slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything incorporates evenly. This creaming process creates tiny air pockets in the butter, which helps give the cookies their tender texture.

4-Step 4: Add Egg and Peppermint Extract Add the egg and pure peppermint extract to the butter mixture. Beat until fully combined, about 30 seconds. The egg provides structure and richness, while the peppermint extract infuses the dough with that signature refreshing flavor. Be careful not to overbeat at this stage; you just want everything mixed together evenly.

5-Step 5: Incorporate the Dry Ingredients Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients while the mixer runs on low speed. Beat until just combined; you should still see a few streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten, which can make cookies tough instead of tender. It’s better to stop early and finish mixing by hand if needed.

6-Step 6: Fold in the Mix-ins Stir in 1 cup of your chosen mix-ins (mint chips, chocolate chips, and/or chopped mint candies) by hand using a spatula or wooden spoon. Reserve the remaining ½ cup for pressing onto the tops of the baked cookies. This two-step approach to the mix-ins ensures that every cookie has visible, attractive pieces on top for that bakery-worthy appearance.

7-Step 7: Scoop and Shape the Dough Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, portion out 2-tablespoon amounts of dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 2-3 inches apart to allow room for spreading. If you want uniformly sized cookies, a cookie scoop is worth the small investment; it ensures even baking and a professional look.

8-Step 8: Bake to Perfection Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through if your oven has hot spots. The cookies are done when the edges start to turn golden brown and the centers still look slightly underdone. This underbaked center is the secret to soft, chewy cookies; they’ll continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet.

9-Step 9: Add the Finishing Touch As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, immediately press the reserved mix-ins into the tops of the warm cookies. The residual heat will slightly melt the chips or candies, helping them adhere while creating an appealing decorative finish. This step also lets you position the mix-ins exactly where you want them for Instagram-worthy results.

10-Step 10: Cool Completely Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Cooling on wire racks prevents the bottoms from getting soggy. Once cooled, the cookies will have a perfect texture with crisp edges and chewy centers. If you’re looking for another crowd-pleasing treat, check out these chocolate chip walnut cookies that pair wonderfully with this mint variety for any cookie platter.