Christmas cookies haven’t really been my deal since I had to go gluten-free. As a child + teenager, my Christmas diet largely consisted of my grandmother’s Christmas cookies – kieffels, Russian teacakes, chocolate chip, spritz… I was even envious of Santa on Christmas Eve – cookies at bedtime!?
But for the longest time, I didn’t really feel like gluten-free cookies were really worth my attention. They’re crumbly, dry + often lack flavour. Hard pass from me.
However, there is something so sweet about gifting people you love with things you bake in your own kitchen around Christmas-time. I wanted to bake + gift + eat allergy friendly cookies that people WANTED to eat.
Enter my Paleo Peppermint Cookies.
Making Paleo Peppermint Cookies
When I set out to create these cookies, I wanted them to feel indulgent. Nut butters are the best base for decadent paleo cookies, in my opinion. They create a cookie that’s both soft + substantial, full of healthy fats. For these Paleo Peppermint Cookies, we are using cashew butter, almond flour + cocoa powder. Together, these ingredients create the most tender, soft, chocolaty cookie mix – almost like a brownie in cookie form.
Eggs, maple syrup, vanilla + coconut oil make up the simple list of wet ingredients. These cookies are basic to make, but guys, but they taste like something spectacular!
To elevate these brownie babies to something more than a delicious chocolate cookie, we’re adding peppermint extract. A simple 1/2 tsp takes these to the NEXT LEVEL, from ordinary good to Christmas CRAZY good.
All it takes for these to come together is a little bit of mixing. First, we combined the wet, then the dry + then both mixes together into one bowl. Once it’s mixed, simply scoop + shape + bake. That’s it! 8-10 minutes in a hot oven + you’ve got yourself a little Christmas miracle.
“Optional” Toppings
These cookies are really good on their own, just naked. They’re full of rich chocolate, bright peppermint flavour. However, to wrap these cookies up in their Christmas best, I dipped them into chocolate + sprinkled them with crushed peppermint pieces. And I know I call these toppings “optional”, but Y’ALL.
Feel free to experiment with dark, milk or white chocolate. Even a mix would be so delicious! I recommend adding an extra bit of peppermint extract to the chocolate before coating the cookies. The peppermint pieces add such a lovely crunch + even more minty goodness.
Storing Paleo Peppermint Cookies
Once baked, these cookies will keep at room temperature for roughly a week. They do stay soft as long as they’re kept at in an airtight container. My favourite way to store these, however, is in the freezer. These Paleo Peppermint Cookies frozen are INSANE. I eat them straight from the freezer, no defrosting, ha!
These are wonderful for gifts, for snacking or for a Christmas cookie swap. They’re dairy + gluten allergy friendly, plus they’re made with no refined sugar, so you can feel good serving them to people you love + even eating one or two or three yourself 😉
Be sure to tag me in your photos of these babies on instagram because I adore seeing your recreations! Not baking yet? Feel free to pin these to bake once we’re a little closer to Christmas. And when you DO make these, let me know what you think in the comments below – it really helps other people find my recipes!
P.S. Need another Christmas cookie to try, but hate baking? These Paleo Cookie Dough bites are a reader favourite + one of my favs too – no cooking required!
Paleo Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashew butter (any nut butter will work!)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee, melted
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanill extract
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Optional Toppers
- 1/2 cup melted chocolate
- peppermint pieces
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350f or 175c. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Mix until the eggs, cashew butter oil, maple syrup + extracts are all combined.
- In another bowl, sift together the cocoa, almond flour, salt + baking powder. *In truth, the sifting is optional, you can absolutely just stir – I just find it makes better batter when its sifted!
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until combined. It should be a thick, shapable dough!
- Take 1-2 tbsp of the batter, depending on the size cookies you want, and roll them into balls. Place them on the baking sheet + smash them down into cookie form. These cookies won't spread or change shape once in the oven, so be sure you like the shape!
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until soft set. Cool completely before enjoying or storing in an airtight container.
- OPTIONAL – to take these up another level, melt some chocolate + add the 1/4 tsp of peppermint oil. Dip the cooled cookies into the chocolate (I do half-way) and sprinkle with crushed peppermint pieces. Cool + enjoy!
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