Dairy Free Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Soft and perfectly chewy, these dairy free chocolate peppermint cookies are a festive treat for the holidays! Filled with two kinds of chocolate and just the right amount of mint-y flavor, they’re finished with a generous dip in even more chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes. Gluten free option included.
Nothing says the holidays like a batch of these dairy free chocolate peppermint cookies!
Soft, thick and delightfully chewy, they’re seriously delicious and wonderfully festive.
The cookies start with a double chocolate base that’s infused with just the right amount of peppermint extract.
Once baked and cooled, they’re dipped in melted chocolate (that’s swirled with a touch more peppermint extract) and then sprinkled with plenty of crushed candy canes.
Making them an absolute must for cookie trays and exchanges.
Tips & Tricks
- The chill time is non-negotiable for these cookies. The dough will be too soft and sticky to roll into balls if you try to skip it or cut down on the time.
- After chilling, the cookie dough should be slightly hard to scoop but not overly so. If you find that it’s just too hard, let the bowl sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
- This cookie dough is slightly more sticky than regular cookie dough, but it’s worth it for the end result. When rolling the dough into balls, it helps to have clean hands. Once you notice that they start to get a bit chocolate-y, wash your hands and then keep going. It makes the process a bit easier.
Ingredient Notes
- When measuring out your flour, fluff it in the container then scoop into your measuring cup with a spoon and level off. Don’t dunk the cup straight into the bag as you’ll likely use too much.
- Please be sure to allow your melted dairy free butter to cool for about 5 minutes before using in the recipe. Otherwise you run the risk of scrambling the egg.
- While I normally love to use coconut oil in baking, I would not recommend it here. Because of the longer chill time, the dough will get way too hard. So please stick with the dairy free butter.
How To Store
Counter: Once the chocolate coating is completely set, store the cookies in an airtight container layered with parchment paper. They’ll keep at room temperature for about 5 days.
Freezer: The baked cookies without the chocolate coating will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the cookies in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature and proceed with the chocolate coating.
Alternatively, you can freeze the cookie dough to bake off at a later time.
To do this, scoop the dough, roll into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet (they can be close together), then transfer to your freezer. Once hard, add the balls to a freezer safe baggie or container, then keep in the freezer until ready to enjoy.
Bake straight from the freezer, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the cook time (but keep an eye on them as you may not need to add any time at all). Once cooled, proceed with the chocolate coating.
Additional Dairy Free Cookie Recipes:
- Dairy Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Dairy Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Dairy Free Cut Out Sugar Cookies
- Dairy Free Snickerdoodles
- Dairy Free Thumbprint Cookies
- Dairy Free Snowball Cookies
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
Dairy Free Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Soft and perfectly chewy, these dairy free chocolate peppermint cookies are a festive treat for the holidays! Filled with two kinds of chocolate and just the right amount of mint-y flavor, they’re finished with a generous dip in even more chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes.
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour*
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (or lightly packed brown sugar)
- ½ cup dairy free butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ cup dairy free chocolate chips
For the coating:
- 1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon avocado oil (or another neutral oil)
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- crushed dairy free candy canes, for decorating**
Instructions
For the cookies:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt (making sure there are no clumps of cocoa powder).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cane sugar, coconut sugar, melted dairy free butter, egg, vanilla and peppermint extract for about 30 seconds until well combined.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky / shiny and not stiff enough to scoop at this point.
- Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the dough is well chilled but not so hard that you can’t scoop it. {For me, this is right around 1 hour, but it can vary based on your fridge and even the mixing bowl you’re using.}
- Toward the end of the chill time, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of the chilled dough and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart.
- Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just set.
- Let the cookies cool completely directly on the baking sheet.
For the coating:
- Add the chocolate chips and oil to a small to medium-sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract.
- Dip one side of the cooled cookies into the melted chocolate, gently shaking off the excess. Set on a piece of parchment paper then sprinkle with some crushed candy canes. Repeat with all the cookies.
- Let the chocolate set before enjoying.
Notes
*To keep these gluten free - use a 1 to 1 gluten free all-purpose flour. I tested the cookies with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and we thought they came out great that way as well (not sponsored, just what I used).
**The crushed candy canes are completely optional. Festive dairy free sprinkles would be a fun alternative.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 166Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 146mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.
Excited to make these! Is it possible to swap out the natural cocoa with Dutch-processed instead?
Hi Tammy! Hmm I’m not sure it will work as well with this recipe (natural cocoa powder + baking soda help the cookies rise). There’s a chance it could work but I haven’t tried it myself!