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These Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies — or Santa’s Favorite Cookies as my family calls them — are a chocolate, peppermint DREAM! And perfect to bake this holiday season.
This recipe is inspired by on of my good friends, Staci. She is an amazing baker and makes these double-chocolate peppermint cookies during the holiday season and I fell in love with them at first bite. I told her I was going to try and recreate them so that they would be gluten-free, grain-free and refined sugar-free and let me tell you– it was a *task*. Many, many tries later, I have finally gotten the recipe for these double chocolate peppermint cookies down in my kitchen.
The holiday season means holiday baking for many of us, and whether you are preparing cookies for a holiday exchange or making a batch for Santa, these Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies are sure to be a hit. And are so easy to make! The hardest part of the recipe? Letting the dough rest for a few hours before baking! But I promise it is worth it.
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies Ingredients:
- Superfine Almond Flour
- Tapioca Flour
- Cacao Powder
- Espresso Powder
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Coconut Sugar
- Egg
- Liquid Coconut Oil
- Maple Syrup
- Crushed Peppermint
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Use dairy-free chips to keep this recipe dairy-free!
- White chocolate Chocolate Chips: Use dairy-free chips to keep this recipe dairy-free!
Step-by-Step:
Step One: Combine the Dry Ingredients
To start, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, cacao powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until there are no clumps and it is well combined. Set aside.
Step Two: Combine the Wet Ingredients
In a stand mixer with a fitted paddle attachment, combine the coconut sugar, egg, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined.
Step Three: Combine the Wet and Dry Ingredients
Next, adjust the mixer speed to medium-low. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is well combined.
Step Four: Finish the Dough and Let Rest
Add the crushed peppermint, chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips, and gently fold into the dough until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours. I know this is hard, but this is a must for grain-free dough.
Step Five: Prepare to Bake
Once your cookies only have a short amount of resting time left, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. When the dough is ready, scoop dough rounded 1 – 1.5 tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, placing at least 2 inches apart. I like to press extra crushed peppermint and chocolate chips into the top of the cookies too!
Step 6: Bake then Let Cool
Transfer to the oven and bake until the cookies are cooked on the edges, yet still soft in the centers, 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t over-bake your cookies or they will be too hard! Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire baking rack and let cool.
Recipe FAQs:
This helps to amplify the chocolate flavor of the cookies! I promise you will not taste the espresso.
You do not! I just like how the cookies look when I add a little extra to the top but it is not necessary.
These store best in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
I hope you and your family enjoy these Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies for years to come!
For More Cookie Recipes:
Brown Sugar “Pop-Tart” Cookies
Perfect Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup superfine almond flour
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup liquid coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup crushed peppermint, plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for garnish use dairy-free chips to keep dairy-free (I like Hu Kitchen, Lily's or Enjoy Life brand)
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, plus more for garnish; use dairy-free chips to keep dairy-free (I like Lily's or Enjoy Life brand)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, cacao powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until there are no clumps and it is well combined. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer with a fitted paddle attachment, combine the coconut sugar, egg, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined.
- Adjust the mixer speed to medium-low, and working in increments, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes until everything is well combined.
- Add the crushed peppermint, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, and gently fold into the dough until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2 hours (I know it’s hard to wait, but it really helps the flavors mend and the grain-free dough to thicken/harden a bit, making it perfectly delicious and easy to work with!)
- Once your cookies only have a short amount of resting time left, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. When the dough is ready, scoop dough by rounded 1 – 1.5 tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, placing at least 2 inches apart. I like to press extra crushed peppermint and chocolate chips into the top of the cookies too.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the cookies are cooked on the edges, yet still soft in the centers, 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t over-bake your cookies or they will be too hard!
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire baking rack and let cool.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography and styling by Eat Love Eats.
Amazing!!! These cookies are absolutely delicious! I didn’t have espresso powder, so I just omitted that, but they still turned out so tasty!
Hi Alex! Super fan 🙂 Can I sub arrowroot flour for the tapioca? And butter for the oil?
Hi Claire! Arrowroot should work fine here! and im sure softened butter works here- but I haven’t tried the recipe like that so I can’t say for certain it will turn out exactly right with these modifications.
These were so so so good! I honestly wasn’t expecting them to be as delicious as they were! They have great flavor and texture and are just an all around perfect holiday cookie. Gave one to a friend and she immediately asked for the recipe right after she tried it! Thanks, Alex!
So glad to hear you enjoyed these!!
For anyone hesitating making these cookie – you need to make these now!! These are some of the best Christmas cookies I’ve ever made and it’s hard to believe they are gluten and dairy free. The chocolate flavor is very rich and the crushed peppermint is a nice touch. The overall texture is slightly chewy which I love! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe that I will be making every year now!
The only substitution I made was I used ground espresso and cut the amount in half. The brand I used is Bustelo which has a very fine consistency (not sure if it would dissolve as well with a coarser grind). For chocolate chips I used the no sugar added Hu chips and they tasted perfect!
Looks like a great recipe. Has anyone made with regular flour as I don’t have almond or tapioca at home?
Can you freeze the dough to cook later?
Definitely!
Can you just melt solid coconut oil?
Yes! Just let it cool a bit.
These look delicious, but I have a family member with nut allergies. Any substitute for the almond flour?
Will be making these soon!!! Do you have a specific brand of chocolate chips you regularly use? Healthier option but tastes good? Love all your content, have both cookbooks and looking forward to getting your 3rd one!!!
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing. Do you know if you can make the dough ahead of time (more than 2 hours ahead), or even possibly freeze? Or does the dough need to be made the same day as baking? Thanks!!
You can definitely freeze!!