These fudgy and chewy Almond Flour Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are the perfect gluten-free Christmas cookie and can easily be made dairy-free! They’re made with almond flour, cocoa, dark chocolate chips, peppermint extract and candy canes so they’re double the chocolate and double the peppermint. If you’re not a lover of peppermint, don’t worry, it’s not overwhelming in these cookies. The amount of peppermint pairs perfectly with the dark chocolate. The recipe is also small batch and no chill!
If you love rich, chocolatey cookies, you’ll also want to add these no chill almond flour chocolate crinkle cookies to your holiday baking list!
Table of contents
New and improved recipe
I first published the recipe for these chocolate peppermint cookies in November 2019. While the recipe was good, I really wanted to make it better. More importantly, I wanted to use more common baking ingredients instead of speciality items like coconut oil, coconut sugar and almond butter.
I’m happy to report that the recipe is now much simpler to make and includes more basic baking ingredients. They also taste truly amazing! The Dutch processed cocoa adds a more intense chocolate flavor, while the dark chocolate chips play up the fudgy texture. I love that the candy cane pieces incorporate a little crunch and minty flavor that complements the dark chocolate. And, of course, the chewy texture that the almond flour brings to baked goods makes these the best chocolate peppermint cookies!
Key ingredients and substitutions
Below are just a few of the key ingredients and notes on substitutions. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for all of the ingredients and quantities used.
- Candy canes – While you can buy crushed candy canes, they’re usually a really fine texture. I like to buy candy canes and break them up myself so I have more control over the size of the pieces. For this recipe, you don’t want large chunks of candy canes, but you also don’t want tiny sprinkles either. I used red, white and green candy canes, but red and white work too.
- Almond flour – I always use fine blanched almond flour in cookies because it has a finer texture than almond meal.
- Cocoa – You’ll need Dutch-processed cocoa for this recipe. It produces a richer and darker chocolate cookie.
- Peppermint extract – The cookies only need 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to play up the candy cane flavor. You can leave it out and just use vanilla extract, but the cookies will lose some of their minty flavor.
- Chocolate chips – Dark chocolate chips work best in this recipe but semi-sweet will work too.
- Butter – The recipe calls for unsalted butter. For a dairy-free version of this cookie, you can use plant-based butter.
How to make chocolate peppermint cookies (step-by-step with photos)
These cookies couldn’t be easier to make!
Measuring ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you’ll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Tips for recipe success
- The dough is sticky but still firm enough to roll into balls. Your hands will get a bit messy, so you’ll want to rinse and dry them a few times while rolling the dough into balls. If the dough is really too sticky to handle, just pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill.
- Best not to overbake. It’s better to underbake these cookies so they have a fudgy texture. If you overbake them, they will end up a little dry.
- Light colored sheet pans. I always use light colored pans for cookies because they brown more slowly. If you use a dark sheet pan, just keep an eye on the cookies as they will brown more quickly and could burn on the bottom.
Recipe FAQs
Just replace the butter with plant-based butter, but go for the type that’s meant for baking and not the spreadable kind. You’ll also want to make sure your chocolate chips and candy canes are dairy-free.
Yes, if candy canes are out of season, you can substitute with peppermint candies.
To get a nice round cookie, roll the dough into balls instead of just scooping it with the cookie scoop. Some of the candy cane pieces may also melt out of the side of the cookies causing them to look a bit misshapen. That’s okay. Once the cookies are hot out of the oven, just use a spoon to push any candy pieces back in and reshape any cookies into nice circles. You can also use a large round cookie cutter or wide mouth glass to scoot around the cookies to make them round.
Keep these cookies stored in an airtight container on the counter and they will last for 3-4 days. To freeze, wait for the cookies to completely cool, then place them in a freezer safe container. I like to store them in between sheets of wax or parchment paper just in case the candy canes on top of the cookies are a bit sticky. They’ll keep for up to one month in the freezer.
More almond flour Christmas cookie recipes
- Almond Flour Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Almond Flour Snickerdoodles
- Almond Flour Monster Cookies
- Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Almond Flour Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 20 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Gluten-free Almond Flour Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are fudgy and chewy with cocoa, dark chocolate chips and candy cane pieces. They’re also small batch and no chill!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (182g) fine blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup (30g) Dutch-processed cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (110g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (57g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup (85g) dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons candy cane pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the egg and peppermint extract and mix until combined.
- On low speed, gradually add the dry mixture until just combined. The dough will be thick.
- Stir in most of the chocolate chips and candy cane pieces, reserving some for the tops of the cookie dough balls.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the cookie dough and roll into balls.
- Arrange on the prepared baking sheet, about 2-3 inches apart. (About 8 per pan). Press some of the chocolate chips and candy cane pieces into the tops of the dough balls.
- Bake 9-11 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and the tops still look a little puffy and underdone. (They will firm up as they cool).
- Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
Notes
- While you can buy crushed candy canes, they’re usually a really fine texture. I like to buy candy canes and break them up myself so I have more control over the size of the pieces. For this recipe, you don’t want large chunks of candy canes, but you also don’t want tiny sprinkles either.
- The dough is sticky but still firm enough to roll into balls. If the dough is really too sticky to handle, just pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill. Your hands will get a bit messy, so you’ll want to rinse and dry them a few times while rolling the dough into balls.
- It’s better to underbake these cookies so they have a fudgy texture. If you overbake them, they will be a little dry.
- Some of the candy cane pieces may also melt out of the side of the cookies causing them to look a bit misshapen. That’s okay. Once the cookies are hot out of the oven, just use a spoon to push any candy pieces back in and reshape any cookies into nice circles.
- For dairy-free cookies, use plant-based butter and chocolate chips and make sure your candy canes are dairy-free too.
These had just the right amount of peppermint and were delicious! My kids loved them.
So happy to hear that Joss! And glad your kids enjoyed them too!
Love all the specks of color in them, they look so incredibly festive!
Thanks Erin!
I adore chocolate and peppermint together, especially around the holidays! These look super!
Thanks Amy! It’s a great festive flavour!
So glad to hear you are as excited about Christmas as we are! We love Christmas carols and our tree has been up for quite a while. The Christmas season always seem to zip past so fast, so it’s nice to extend it as much as possible. I love the look of these cookies – chocolate and peppermint are my favourite combo. Definitely bookmarking these!
I’m with you Katerina! Christmas goes by so quickly. We love to celebrate for as long as we can!