Paleo Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Omg December is flying by!!! I absolutely adore Christmas. Everything about it. Especially the baking and the cookies. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to share this post – things down here have been in full swing between Basel and the holidays and life. Christmas in Miami definitely feels a bit strange, but I’m channeling all the vibes. And you better bet just after Thanksgiving weekend we got a tree and I got busy making Paleo Peppermint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and voilà – Christmas magic is all around! 

Fortunately for me, the weather here did actually dip down into the sixties that first week of December – I think it’s gotten as low as the frigid fifties a few nights since. Yep, I’ve fully adjusted to Miami weather! Fifties feel frigid. It definitely threw me for a loop and made me extra grateful I do not live in winter anymore. But it also made baking and cookies – in particular chocolate peppermint cookies – all the more necessary. 

Our Christmas tree didn’t make its grand entrance until that Tuesday, but by the Monday after Thanksgiving I decided if we couldn’t get the tree we could at least get the cookies. We deserved them at that point. It was about more than the cookies themselves. For me it was about creating the warm and cozy hygge vibes and channeling the magic of my favorite season. I figured peppermint and chocolate would do the trick! 

I had spent all day Saturday with friends admiring their decked-out tree and adorable Christmas decorations and watching a Christmas movie. On Sunday, we had a girls night in and watched Home Alone before the Victoria’s Secret show. By Monday I was definitely feeling alllll the Christmas feels and when I got home I was like ok these double chocolate peppermint cookies that I’d been daydreaming of need to happen stat. 

And double the chocolate double the fun, right? Yes, the answer is always yes when it comes to chocolate 😉 And of course when I saw the organic candy canes at Whole Foods, I knew the whole chocolate peppermint cookie thing needed to happen. So I bought organic candy canes, peppermint extract, and chocolate chips then whipped out my baking supplies. 

Because ALSO – I realized I have exactly ZERO Christmas cookies or holiday-vibe baked goods recipes here on the blog! How on earth have I allowed this to happen!? I used to be the Queen of Cupcakes, particularly around the holidays. Sugar and gluten shifted me away from those decadent cupcakes, however I still do love my treats, especially on special occasions. For real – you only live once and chocolately baked goods are always #worthit. I had hoped and planned to get more than one holiday-worthy recipe up this month, but if nothing else, these paleo double chocolate peppermint cookies are all ya need.  

Naturally I went down the paleo gluten-free grain-free dairy-free vegan refined sugar-free rabbit hole. This recipe is technically nut-free as well – coconut is not the same as tree a nut. And if you get the right chocolate chips (like these), these cookies will be very allergy-friendly. The only thing I can’t guarantee is the candy canes – while you can definitely find organic candy canes these days and which I highly recommend, I don’t think you can completely avoid a lil sugar cane. But at least they don’t contain any weird chemical colors or additives – still winning in my book. 

And let’s be real, it’s the holidays – ya gotta let go and indulge at least a little bit! And that’s the beauty of these paleo double chocolate peppermint cookies – allll the taste of indulgence without any weird ingredients. Hi hello more please! 

Bonus – they’re pretty darn easy to make, especially as far as holiday cookies go. I didn’t even use my mixer for these (though you totally can of course). All you gotta do is preheat the oven, mix the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, mix the wet, add the dry to the wet, mix in the chocolate chips, then pop em in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Then sprinkle the crushed candy cane on top when they come out and bam you’ve got scrumptious paleo double chocolate peppermint cookies. I dare you to eat just one 😉 

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Paleo Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

An easy paleo, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, low sugar extra chocolatey version recipe of a classic holiday cookie  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp monk fruit or sugar-free sweetener of choice
• 1/4 cup coconut oil make sure the oil is soft but not liquid
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp chia seed flax seed or vegan egg replacer will work, or you can use regular egg if you are not vegan
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips I aim to use allergen-free/ vegan/ brands as much as possible
• 1-2 crushed candy canes organic if possible

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make the chia egg by combining with the water in a small bowl. Stir briefly then allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes. 

2. Combine the dry ingredients – the flours, cacao powder, baking soda, salt, and monk fruit – in a medium-sized bowl and mix with a fork or whisk until thoroughly combined. 

3. Combine the coconut oil and coconut sugar in a large bowl. Using either a mixer or a fork, mix until the sugar and oil are completely combined. Add the egg, the vanilla, and the peppermint extracts to the sugar and coconut mixture and continue mixing until all the ingredients are evenly mixed in. 

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until there are no remaining dry spots. 

5. Mix in the chocolate chips. 

6. Create small balls about an inch in diameter and space them evenly on the baking sheet, a couple inches apart. Press them down ever so slightly. 

7. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. While the cookies are baking, crush the candy cane using a mortar and pestle (or anything with a heavy blunt end).** As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, sprinkle the crushed candy cane chunks on top.  

8. Allow them to cool slightly and eat up! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days – if you have the willpower to let them last that long! 

While I’m (hopefully) working on a couple more holiday recipes, check out these others (plus a little chocolate!): 

• Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie Bars
• Creamy Ginger Turmeric Squash Soup 
• Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake
• Vegan Salted Chocolate Fudge Bites

What’s your favorite holiday cookie? I’d love to hear – and maybe experiment with another yummy version 😉