Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Recipe
These Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are a festive treat combining rich cocoa with refreshing peppermint flavor. Perfectly soft and topped with crushed candy canes and a drizzle of melted white chocolate, these cookies are ideal for holiday celebrations or any time you crave a delicious gluten free dessert.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 57 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free all purpose baking flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (dairy free or regular)
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar (can substitute coconut sugar)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup almond butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ – 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (3/4 teaspoon recommended)
Topping
- 2 crushed candy canes
- 4 oz melted white chocolate (dairy free as needed)
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until well combined and creamy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the almond butter, egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract until fully incorporated.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Spoon and level the gluten free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl. Beat the mixture until all ingredients are well blended.
- Chill Dough: Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm up, which helps control spreading during baking.
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Shape Cookies and Add Topping: Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, portion out about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into balls. Lightly sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes, taking care not to overdo it as more will be added after baking.
- Bake: Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Around 11 minutes is ideal for most ovens. The cookies will be soft when hot and will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Shape Cookies: Immediately after removing from the oven, use a round cookie cutter that is slightly larger than the cookie to gently spin around the edges, forming perfect even circles. This works only while the cookies are soft.
- Melt and Drizzle Chocolate: Microwave the white chocolate in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies and sprinkle additional crushed candy canes on top for garnish.
- Serve: Allow the cookies to cool completely and enjoy your delightful gluten free chocolate peppermint creation!
Notes
- Use peppermint extract rather than peppermint flavor to ensure a strong, authentic peppermint taste. If only peppermint flavor is available, use slightly more to compensate.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain softness and freshness.
- For a vegan option, replace the egg with a flax egg or another egg replacer, noting that texture will differ slightly but remain delicious.
- To make nut-free, substitute almond butter with sunflower seed butter. Neutral flavored nut butters such as almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butter work best; avoid peanut butter as it is less suitable.
Keywords: gluten free cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, holiday cookies, dairy free cookies option, festive dessert
