Vegan ingredients are truly easy to use when baking cookies. Vegan chocolate peppermint cookies will be the holiday hit this year.
I love to create vegan recipes. There are many reasons to avoid certain ingredients, and it's a great idea to keep recipes like these on hand (and in the freezer!) should a need arise. My mom herself is vegan, so this is a fun one the kids can make for holidays for her.
I jazzed up my Vegan Chocolate Cookie recipe to include bright peppermints. You can easily use vegan buttery sticks to make my Whole Wheat Shortbread Cutouts vegan. Recipes such as shortbread are already egg-free and only with a handful of ingredients. The fewer things you have to substitute in a recipe, the better your results will be.
Looking to use up your candy canes? Crush them up here and then set some aside for Dye-Free Peppermint Bark. Stir some into Candy Cane Ice Cream for a deluxe treat!
Key Ingredients
Flour - I like to keep a bucket of organic all-purpose flour on hand when I feel like using white flour.
Sugar - This cookie recipe uses only brown sugar to really deepen the flavours.
Milk - Any non-dairy milk you like to drink will work well here. Almond has a neutral flavour and you can use plain or vanilla. Keep to unsweetened for balance.
Oil - A neutral oil like olive, avocado, or sunflower works great here. Skip the extra virgin olive oil though as the flavour will stand out too much.
Chocolate Chips - If you are truly wanting to keep vegan, make sure and pick up specialized chocolate chips. Enjoy Life is an easy brand to find in most grocery stores.
How to Make Vegan Peppermint Cookies
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Crush candy canes or mints and set aside.
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients I a bowl and whisk well.
Step 3: Stir wet ingredients in a second bowl.
Step 4: Pour dry bowl into wet.
Step 5: I like to use a Danish dough whisk to combine this stiff dough.
Step 6: Fold in chocolate chips and mints.
Step 7: Portion cookie dough and use a fork to flatten (just like peanut butter cookies).
Step 8: Sprinkle with more candy canes and/or flaky salt.
FAQs
Use what ya got. That can be almond, cashew, coconut, or others. If you are new to these alternatives, I recommend almond as the one that blends (hides) most easily. Some coconut will have a strong taste. Sometimes cashew or oat are thicker than others. All have varying levels of sweetness as well. It can be a learning process!
The great part about this recipe is that it will work with any milk you have on hand. Begin vegan, it of course doesn't require butter or eggs. So if you ran out of those ingredients, or want to save on money, it's super easy to just use the oil that's called for! And then if you just have that regular cow's milk in the fridge (or goat!) then it's totally fine to use that. You can also use any chocolate chips as well. Just remember then that they are no longer vegan!
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
More Delicious Recipes
Hey friends, don't forget to follow me over on Instagram, cause if you like me here, I post there a LOT! I'm also on YouTube with tutorials and Facebook for all sorts of things.
If you like this recipe, I’d love if you reviewed it so others can find it easier. Sharing this recipe on Facebook or Pinterest is another way you can help us out at no cost to you. Thanks, xo Kate
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil or other neutral oil
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 cups unpacked brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
- ½ cup coarsely crushed candy canes or dye-free peppermint candy
- Flaky salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Crush candy canes and set aside.
- Mix together olive oil, non dairy milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Mix well with a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir dry into wet until no white flour is seen.
- Fold in chocolate chips and candy cane pieces .
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough, and make balls. Space them a couple inches apart.
- Put water in a cup and using a fork, wet the fork and gently flatten the cookies.
- Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top of each cookie if desired, or extra mint pieces.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Allow to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully moving to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for a week or freeze for longterm storage.
- Want fancy cookies like photos in books and more? The secret is holding back some toppings (or using extra) to place on top of each cookie once it is shaped.
Leave a Reply