So these paleo chocolate peppermint cookies are my favorite EVER. They are BOMB. Technically they aren’t perfectly paleo compliant because I used crushed candy canes to decorate them. But otherwise, they are gluten free, dairy free, grain free and refined sugar “light” (is that a thing? LOL!) There is some dark chocolate in the cookies which do have some refined sugar as well as the candy canes that I just mentioned. Otherwise compliant. And you can totally leave out the candy canes but they are super fun. It’s the holidays, gotta live a little!

My favorite cookie as a kid was always the Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. I would freeze them and then eat an entire sleeve of them in 1 sitting. Ha! I am obsessed with the chocolate peppermint combo. Are you?

Substitutions and Alterations

These cookies are the perfect blend of chewy and crunchy. A little chewy with a crunch at the end. If you like yours really crunchy, omit the nut butter and add a bit more almond flour. Like them really chewy? Cut back on the almond flour and add more nut butter. You get the idea.

If you want yours extra chocolaty you can always add more melted chocolate to the mix. Mine have a nice chocolate flavor but I didn’t want them too intense because I knew I was going to dunk them in more chocolate. I think this recipe has the perfect blend of chocolate to chocolate but feel free to play around with yours. My daughter said she would prefer if we dunked the entire cookie in chocolate – LOL!!

Now, let’s talk about the peppermint flavoring. You have 2 options here. Grab a bottle of peppermint extract and throw in a teaspoon. Or, get fancy and throw in a few drops of peppermint essential oil. Just one caveat: Make sure yours is “Therapeutic Grade” otherwise it is not safe for ingestion. Don’t just pick up any old bottle of essential oil and cook with it. Many of them are loaded with contaminants and fillers which are not safe for ingestion so know what you are buying. Check out my recommended brand here.

The Health Benefits to Chocolate and Peppermint

This is a dynamite combination for a reason. There are some serious health benefits to these 2 ingredients, especially if you use therapeutic grade peppermint oil.

For a quick list of all the health benefits of dark chocolate and cocoa, click here.

For a quick list of all the health benefits of peppermint, click here.

Happy Baking!

Paleo Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

These incredible chewy cookies are chocolate peppermint, dunked in dark chocolate and sprinkled with candy canes. Not 100% paleo compliant, but close (and totally adjustable)

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Total Time 30

Course Dessert

Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

For Cookies

1/4 cup cashew butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips melted
1/4 cup organic non hydrogenated shortening (aka palm oil)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract or 5 drops DoTerra Peppermint essential oil
1 cup super fine blanched almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbs organic cocoa or cacao powder

For Topping

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
1/2 tsp organic non hydrogenated palm shortening
4 candy canes, crushed optional

Instructions

Preheat oven o 350 degrees.
With a mixer, blend cashew butter, coconut sugar, melted chocolate, and palm oi until smooth.
Mix in egg, vanilla and peppermint extract until smoth.
Beat baking soda, almond flour and cocoa powder until thick dough forms.
Drop by rounded tablespoons on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Melt dipping chocolate in a small glass bowl in 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each session with a spoon until fully melted. Stir in the palm oil (this keeps it smooth.)
Dip each cookie half way into the chocolate and lay back on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Let dry and enjoy. Store in an airtight container.