Crispy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Bake a double batch of these delicious crispy chocolate peppermint cookies that are also gluten-free and flourless. With just 6 healthier ingredients, dunked in dark chocolate, and garnished with crushed candy canes, they are perfect for the holiday season or anytime you’re craving a decadent chocolate treat!

How To Make Flourless Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

This recipe requires no flour (so it’s naturally gluten and grain free!), but it does require a little patience and faith. The batter will at first seem really soupy and impossible, but if you just keep mixing you will be amazed by the dough-y consistency it can become. And that belief will be rewarded in the form of the prettiest cookie spread and thin crispy crackle texture you’ve ever seen with no flour in the way to stop them.

The Gluten-Free Egg-Free Ingredient List

Chocolate SunButter. This ingredient does a lot of heavy lifting in this recipe, essentially replacing the flour, butter, cocoa/chocolate, and adding lots of yummy flavor. I’ve made these cookies with regular SunButter as well, but the chocolate just adds so much decadence and pairs perfectly with peppermint. Quick note! If your jar of Chocolate SunButter has a little bit of oil on top from natural separation, usually I would say stir it in but for this recipe I’d recommend pouring it off actually.
Maple syrup. Agave will work too, or even honey if you’re not going for a vegan cookie. You don’t need too much as the Chocolate SunButter itself is lightly sweetened.
Tapioca starch. Most flourless cookies require egg to work, but this ingredient is what allows us to skip the egg and still achieve a perfect cookie texture. Cornstarch or arrowroot starch will work as well, 1 for 1.
Baking soda and salt. Two cookie essentials.
Peppermint extract. Because it wouldn’t be a Christmas cookie without this flavor addition. I like to use an all natural peppermint flavoring or extract, but pure peppermint oil can be used too (wayyyyy less, it’s very potent!). I used the full 1 teaspoon, but use less if you prefer.

The Dark Chocolate Candy Cane Coating

You could totally stop at the freshly baked cookie stage, and enjoy these chocolate peppermint cookies as is. Or! You could half-dip them in melted dark chocolate, add a sprinkling of crushed candy cane, and make the cutest Christmas cookies with still pretty minimal effort. I used a 60% cacao dark chocolate, but anything from semi-sweet to extra dark will work. You can also crush your own candy canes in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, or buy them already in tiny (less sticky) pieces. Make sure your cookies are completely cool before dipping, melt a little coconut oil in with the dark chocolate to get an easier thinner coating, and let them dry so the chocolate sets completely before stacking or serving.

Tips For Baking Perfect Flourless Cookies

Use a hand mixer to mix the dough. Because 1) it will beat it more vigorously than you can ever do by hand and 2) it takes multiple minutes of mixing and your arm will get tired. I haven’t tried this recipe in a stand mixer, but I don’t think that would work as well either.
Mix a little past the clumping stage. When it starts to come together into a dough consistency, keep going for another minute or so till more of the liquid is gone otherwise your batter will be too wet to easily roll into balls.
Leave LOTS of room for spreading. Six cookies per pan is the maximum I recommend, and even then they will sometimes spread into each other.
Use a cookie cutter to reshape after baking. Take a cookie cutter larger than the actual cookies, and right when they come out of the oven use it to scrunch in the sides of the cookies to re-form perfect circles. More scrunching = thicker cookies. You have to work fast, you probably only have a couple minutes while the cookies are really hot to pull this off.

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