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These Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are a festive holiday recipe that everyone loves. They are naturally gluten-free (because they’re flourless!), and they also happen to be vegan and paleo-friendly for those who are following special diets. But you can’t tell just by tasting them!
These mint chocolate cookies remind me of a chewy brownie in cookie form. Kind of like the chocolate crinkle cookies I grew up eating– you know, the ones that are covered in powdered sugar?
This chocolate peppermint cookie recipe is better because it’s entirely grain-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened. You’ll use almond butter instead of flour, similar to my popular almond butter cookies!
(Note: this recipe is naturally sweetened until you add in dark chocolate chips and crushed candy cane pieces on top. I love making these cookies look as festive as possible, but feel free to leave them out if you are strictly watching your sugar intake.)
I am normally not a fan of candy canes, but a few crunchy flecks on each cookie really takes these over the top. They’re perfect for serving at a holiday party!
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How to Make Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
These healthier chocolate cookies are a quick one-bowl recipe. Just stir together the flax egg (you can use a real egg if you prefer), almond butter, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, and a few other ingredients, and then the cookies are ready to scoop and bake.
I like to sprinkle a bit of crushed candy cane on top for a festive look, but you can leave that off if you’re avoiding added sugar. These cookies need to cool completely on the pan, so be patient. They will be very soft to the touch when they are hot from the oven, but they firm up as they cool.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup creamy raw almond butter
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 crushed candy cane (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In a large bowl, stir together the ground chia seeds and water. This is your "chia egg." (You can use a real egg if you'd rather skip this.)
- Add the almond butter to the chia seed mixture, along with the coconut sugar, cocoa, salt, baking soda, peppermint extract, and vinegar. Stir well until a thick and uniform mixture is created. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if using, then drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the lined baking sheet. Use your hands to gently flatten each cookie.
- If you'd like to add the crushed candy cane pieces to the top, sprinkle them on generously before baking. They will melt in the oven and then re-harden when cooled for a crunchy peppermint-flavored topping.
- Bake the cookies at 350ºF until the cookies have slightly spread and the tops look dry, about 9 to 12 minutes. The cookies will still be very soft to the touch, so it's important that you let them cool on the pan for at least 20 minutes before trying to move them to a wire cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool completely before serving.
- These cookies can be stored uncovered at room temperature for up to 3 days, but for best shelf life keep them in the fridge or freezer. They should last up to two weeks in the fridge, and up to 3 months in the freezer. If you don't eat them all before then!
Video
Nutrition
Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Nutrition (per cookie with the added chocolate chips): Calories: 119, Fat: 8g, Carbohydrates: 12g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 3g
Recipe Notes:
- If you don’t want to use a flax or chia egg, you can most likely use a real egg to replace it, but the texture will be slightly different. (Usually it’s drier.)
- I also assume that you could use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version, but you might need to adjust other ingredients since sunflower seed butter is more bitter in flavor.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make a modification, please let me know what you tried and how it worked out. We can all benefit from your experience!
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite holiday cookie? Gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies are my other favorites!
Hi Megan,
If I wanted to substitute Young Living Essential Peppermint Oil for the extract, do you know how many drops I should add?
Thanks!!
I usually add 8-10 drops peppermint ess. oil depending on how minty I want them.
Thumbprint cookies are yummy!
I would make your cookies with TruJoy brand candy canes (I like to call them Candy J’s).
They don’t have high fructose corn syrup or most of the icky stuff that regular ones do.
I am making these this month!
Thanks so much!
I just made these tonight. No use commenting until you can give tangible feedback! They are delicious! I made a double batch out of the gate. I like that it mixes all in one bowl. They mix up and bake nicely. I was even able to remove them from the baking sheet within a few minutes of taking them out of the oven. Tasty little cookies! Well done! 🙂
Hi!
Could I use cashew butter instead and should I keep the 1 cup amount? I have a good sensitivity to almonds.
Thanks!
I meant food not good – gotta love auto type!
Yes, I think cashew butter would work the same as almond butter. Let us know how they turn out for you!
Just finished making these with cashew butter and they turned out fantastic!! I did pick up some dye-free candy canes from Natural Grocers to keep with the mint theme and to make them festive. Another winner, Megan!
I’m so grateful for your easy and delicious recipes–thank you! 😀
These look amazing! I love chocolate peppermint anything, it’s definitely my favorite seasonal flavor. Sharing now!
I love chocolate mint and these are fantastic! I love that they are chewy and not cakey.
Can I substitute vanilla for peppermint? Also if I do, should I still include the vinegar?
Yes, if you don’t want the chocolate mint flavor, I’d use a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. And yes, still use the vinegar to help react with the baking soda. 😉
I can’t believe this! At Christmas time, I always make the kids chocolate chip mint cookies with organic candy canes, but they are made with spelt flour. I wanted to have a grain-free option also. So I was thinking about adding mint and candy cane to your vanilla cookie recipe, but now you have saved me the trouble! I will probably make them this weekend or next weekend. I will let you know how they turn out.
I hear you! As much as I love being creative and making new recipes, most days I just want to make my standard spicy roasted chickpeas 😉 Because I know they’re delicious!
Favorite cookie? Hmmmmm…Probably cut-outs minus all the work involved! But these cookies look absolutely divine on every level, right down to the peppermint when your stomach has had it with rich foods this season. And the truth….even people who eat overall pretty healthy need a cookie now and then. So you might as well try to make them as healthy as possible! Yum.