Chocolate chunk cookies with peppermint are gluten free, egg free and vegan Christmas cookies that will wow everyone! These vegan chocolate cookies are so fudgy and delicious, nobody will be able to tell that they’re allergy friendly!
Well… Hey there almost December! I’m about to bombard you with a week of christmas cookies. Don’t run, don’t hide! These are the best of the best gluten free christmas cookies that are (for the most part) refined sugar free with vegan options. GASP! I may be bias, but please believe me when I say I have had them tried and tested 3x! My kitchen basically exploded with holiday baking ever since these thumbprint cookies. Anyways…. let’s kick it off with a little peppermint and chocolate chunk magic. Mmmm k?
Chocolate chunk cookies with peppermint! Yep, a favorite holiday cookie of nearly everyone, but when you bake a batch that is vegan, gluten free, and egg free? Well, that just makes these vegan Christmas cookies downright addictive!
Commonly Asked Questions …. about gluten free (and egg free) cookies!
Questions that inquiring minds need to know. Also known as, give me the low down on these vegan chocolate cookies, Cotter.
What’s in a vegan cookie?
I think it may be easier to explain what isn’t in vegan cookies than to explain what is in a vegan cookie. You know what I mean?
Vegan cookies (and for that matter, all other vegan recipes) have no animal products or byproducts in them.
Here’s the thing, though. This recipe for Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Cookies is also egg free and gluten free, you will find NO eggs, wheat, bulgur, or rye flour in the recipe, either.
Some of my favorite cookie recipes are vegan. Have you tried these vegan cookie recipes of mine yet?
Now that you know what isn’t in the Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe, let’s talk about what is in them. I know what you’re thinking, if all that is missing from a cookie, then what good stuff is left? It’s all good stuff YO! And no, they don’t taste like cardboard. Pinky promise!
What’s in a vegan chocolate chip cookie?
Technically chocolate chunk cookies are chocolate chip cookies, with more chocolate. Right? And since we know that chocolate has anti-inflammatory properties, it only makes sense to use MORE chocolate. Hence, the chocolate chunks.
In addition to the chocolate chunks (which, by the way I buy from Enjoy Life Foods), this chocolate chunk cookie recipe also calls for a few other simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry!
- Cocoa Powder
- Dairy free milk
- Vegan butter (you have got to try this one!!)
- Peppermint Candies
- Gluten Free Flour (Gluten Free 1:1 Flour works best or a flour with xanthan gum added)
- Unrefined Sugar (with sugar-free options)
- And of course… SPRINKLES!
How to Bake Allergy Friendly Cookies EASILY:
You can use dairy free chocolate chips OR chocolate chunks in the cookies – you can get either/both from Enjoy Life Foods. Using a gluten free flour mix like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour does wonders, too. I also used a vegan butter that actually tastes like butter. But if you don’t have vegan butter, don’t worry, coconut oil works just fine. Or real butter if you are not vegan.
TIP– Chilling cookie dough controls spread as it solidifies the fat (butter or oil) in the cookies. So as the cookies bake, the fat in the refrigerated dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. Which prevents too much spread.
Need some tips for making that peppermint shine?
I love using real peppermint extract with a touch of vanilla, OR 2 drops of peppermint essential oil for a more soothing aftertaste. This is the combo that makes Christmas shine.
Print
Vegan Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
- Total Time: 59 minutes
- Yield: 14 –16 cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Delicious Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Peppermint! Gluten Free and easy to make Christmas cookies!
Ingredients
recipe updated 12/2022
- ½ cup (113 grams) plant based butter, room temp
- ½ cup cane sugar or xylitol
- ¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (180 grams) Gluten Free 1:1 Flour (See notes for substitute)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine kosher salt
- ¼ cup non dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons distilled vinegar
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chunks or chips
- ⅓ cup crushed peppermints or 4 candy canes, crushed
- Optional sparkling sugar or sprinkles to coat (dye free sprinkles can be used)
Instructions
- Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer or stand mixer for about 1-2 minutes or until they are creamed together. Add vanilla, and mix to combine.
- In another mixing bowl, sift the gluten free flour and cocoa powder together. Whisk in the baking soda and salt.
- Working in batches, add the dry mix to the sugar and butter. The batter will be thick and crumbly.
- Pour in the milk and peppermint extract, and mix again. Then, gently mix in the vinegar (do not over mix).
- Fold in the chocolate chunks and crushed peppermints.
- Cover batter. Then, chill the batter in the freezer for 20 minutes or the fridge for 60 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- While batter is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and set it aside.
- Remove the batter from the fridge or freezer. Using a medium cookie dough scoop (1 ½ to 2 Tablespoons), scoop out dough, and roll it into a ball.
- Coat each cookie in sparkling sugar or sprinkles (optional). Then, place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake cookies on the center rack for 10-14 minutes, depending on the type of flour you use.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool on the tray before touching them. They will set and harden as they cool.
- Store the cookies in a Ziplock bag or container. They are best when kept in the fridge, but room temperature will be fine for 5-7 days.
Notes
Substitute – Real butter can be subbed for plant based butter. Substitute a homemade flour blend for the store-bought Gluten Free 1:1 Flour blend by whisking together: 1 cup gluten free All Purpose flour, ½ cup oat flour and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum.
Baking Tip – Chilling cookie dough controls spread. If you prefer flatter cookies, press the dough balls down a little bit before baking. Each type of flour will vary with how the cookies spread.
- Prep Time: 15
- chill time: 30
- Cook Time: 14
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 16.5 g
- Sodium: 140.4 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.3 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15.4 mg
Keywords: vegan cookies, christmas cookies, chocolate cookies, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, chocolate peppermint
Preheat the oven, let’s do this!
To conclude –> Making Christmas cookies without eggs isn’t hard at all. The best part is, no one will ever know they are VEGAN Christmas cookies!
Okay friends, that’s all I can reveal for now. I have 2 more cookie exchange posts/recipe coming up next week that will go into more vegan baking detail. Sound good?
For now, save this recipe or give it a whirl this weekend. You might be surprised at how easy they are to make (and eat). Obviously. Tis the season! Let’s just make sure the season is balanced with oh say… some nourishment.
Cheers!
LC
Sorry about that. Looks like the recipe plugin had a glitch and didn’t update. Honestly, you don’t need it if you’re using 1:1 flour with xanthan gum already in it. But if not, the starch will give a little extra texture to gluten free and egg free cookies.
If you do use it, use 1 tbsp Sift together the cornstarch with the gluten flour and cocoa. We will correct the is soon. Thank you for your patience. Feel free to email me if you have questions while making it.
These are AMAZING. I made them for my coworkers and they couldn’t stop raving about them. I made a double batch using your recipe as-is, using 1 tsp of peppermint extract. 12 minutes in the oven, let cool, and refrigerated overnight. I made a few without rolling in sprinkles just to compare and everyone agreed they prefer them with the sprinkles. It gives them a nice zing.
★★★★★
Thanks for the feedback Amanda! So glad everyone loved them!
This is perfect for my mom, who is Gluten-Free! Perfect Stocking Stuffer for her! So long as my dad takes her out of the house for a couple of hours…
These cookies are very tasty and I’ve now made them twice. However mine spread out way more then the photos. I followed the instructions to a T (I even have an oven thermometer)
Oh no! That is so strange. Did you use 1:1 flour?
The “1:1” type of gluten-free flour is crucial. Don’t use regular GF flour.
I don’t usually cook vegan (was making these for a friend) and didn’t know that 1:1 is a special blend of GF flour. I made these with regular GF flour and they didn’t hold their shape and were sticky to the touch. My vegan friend explained the 1:1 type of GF flour contains xanthan gum which helps with binding the dough (adding structure). And yes, I did refrigerate the dough before cooking (almost an hour) and they still didn’t hold their shape when baked.
Even though the resulting cookies were sticky and super-soft (fall to pieces when picked up), the flavor was still good. I would definitely try these again with the right type of GF flour.
Also, I did 1 tsp of peppermint extract and they were very strongly flavored. Next time I will try the suggested 1/2 peppermint and 1/2 vanilla.
★★★★
Thanks for sharing your experience! It will be helpful for others who are wanting to make these cookies.
The cookies melted into one giant flat sheet cookie. I did the (hard) coconut oil substitution and followed all directions to a tee. I doubled everything to make two batches.
At least they taste good!
★★
oh no! what type of oil, refined coconut oil or unrefined? Vegan butter works best. Maybe try chilling the batter if you use coconut oil. Thanks for your feedback.
These cookies tasted great but mine spread out and looked so ugly. The only difference I made to this recipe was using regular flour instead of GF flour. So if I was to make these again, I’d use about a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup more AP flour than GF.
★★★
Oh no, that’s not good. Gluten free flour adds in extra xanthan gum and a protein rich flour (like garbanzo bean flour) to get them to rise and stick. That’s probably why yours didn’t work. You could try adding in xanthan to AP flour. 🙂 Maybe 1/2 tsp. Just a thought. Check your ingredient list first.
did you use butter or coconut oil?
Can’t wait to try these !!! Can I swap out gf flour for almond flour?
i don’t think that would work with these, but try my almond flour cookies and maybe add cocoa powder 😉 https://www.cottercrunch.com/almond-flour-cookies-vegan-paleo/
Can I use regular flour and regular sugar if I’m. If I’m not going for gluten/sugar free?
Sure, that should work!
Bob’s Red Mill flour is the best! I love how you colored these a peppermintyy color. 🙂 Bookmarking to try next week. 🙂
aren’t they the best? Truly a blessing to have wonderful products!
You are the vegan cookie Goddess. I bow before you.
I love the Enjoy Life brand. It’s what I use for all my City Hippie granola flavors too.
Nothing better than peppermint and chocolate together – and it cookie form, how could it be wrong?
★★★★★
right? So agree!
These cookies turned COMPLETELY flat in the oven and didn’t turn out AT ALL! I followed the recipe exactly and let the dough chill in the fridge overnight. The dough is delicious and I was so excited to enter them in the Cookie competition I have tomorrow. Now I’m screwed!
Oh no! I’m so sorry that happened. Did you use 1:1 flour with xanthan? You could roll them in a ball and cover with chocolate. I do that with edible cookie dough or brownie batter all the time. 😉 https://www.cottercrunch.com/strawberry-dark-chocolate-gluten-free-brownie-bites/
I just made them again (check out my instagram stories), and they worked great! so let me know what flour you used. I updated the notes again in the recip.e
I could eat a whole sheet of these! Thank sweet baby Jesus for cookie season!
amen bro! Haha!
I would NOT be complaining if someone gave me these for Christmas!
★★★★★
Chocolate peppermint cookies are perfect for the holidays! These are so festive!
★★★★★
Anything with chocolate and peppermint is a WIN!
★★★★★
Now these would make the perfect gift for my GF friends! They look absolutely delish. Thanks for all the tips!
These cookies look soooo good! Perfect for Christmas!
★★★★★
THanks Natalie! I agree, but a little bias. 🙂
These are the most festive cookies ever!