Soft and chewy on the inside with crisp outer edges, these fudgy vegan chocolate peppermint cookies are filled with chocolate chips and peppermint flavour, the best festive mix for the holidays. These double chocolate cookies are topped with crushed candy canes and also happen to be gluten-free. They make the perfect addition to your yearly Christmas baking list.
Prepare your baking sheet(s) by lining it with parchment paper (if needed).
Prepare your flax egg by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to thicken.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, and flax egg together.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.
Stir in chocolate chips until they have combined with the cookie dough.
Using a medium-sized cookie scoop (or a tablespoon) scoop equal amounts of the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet(s). Leave enough space around each cookie, and flatten each cookie slightly, they will only spread a little as they bake. (See image above)
Bake for 8 minutes, don't over bake! (see note below)
Remove from the oven and let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, while they are sitting, immediately sprinkle the tops of each cookie with crushed candy canes. This must be done immediately after they have been removed from the oven. Lightly press in any large pieces.
After the resting time has passed, carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Cool almost fully before serving.
Notes
Before making this recipe, please read all of the helpful tips and FAQ above, as well as the notes below.
The calorie count is based on 1 of 20 cookies, which is the amount you will get if you use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop them out (medium scoops are usually 1.5 tablespoons). If you scoop them with a tablespoon, you will end up with a few more cookies.
If you make your own oat flour, be sure to sift it before using it for this recipe so none of the harder bits remain. Measure the correct amount needed for the recipe using the sifted oat flour. The oat flour needs to be fine for this recipe or the cookies will be too crumbly. If you buy oat flour, I recommend this one.
This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour.
If you want to use coconut oil instead of vegan butter, I recommend using refined coconut oil and not unrefined / virgin coconut oil. Unrefined coconut oil will give these cookies a coconut flavour that overpowers the peppermint flavour.
Cookies may seem underbaked when you take them out of the oven because they will be very soft and delicate but they firm up as they cool. Don't skip the resting time or they will fall apart when handled.
Make sure to sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top of the cookies immediately after the cookies have been taken out of the oven so the candy canes stick to the hot cookies, if you wait until they start cooling, the candy will roll off and not stick. lightly press in any large candy cane pieces so they stick.
A range of crushed candy canes is given int he recipe above, if you prefer lots of candy canes on your cookies, use 2 tablespoons.
Store your cookies for up to six days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze the cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container, with parchment paper separating each layer, for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Freeze Cookie Dough for Baking Later: Follow steps 2-8 in the recipe (Don't forget to flatten them slightly), then place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Once completely frozen, place the cookie dough in an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container, with parchment paper separating each layer, and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake them, remove them from the freezer, place them on a prepared baking sheet, and bake for 10-11 minutes (no need to thaw them but if you do, just bake for 8 minutes). Do steps 10 and 11.
The nutrition info listed below is based on one cookie made using the recipe as written. Nutrition info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.