Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
A delicious vegan chocolate cookie with a brownie-like texture, a smooth chocolate topping, a candy cane sprinkle and a burst of minty freshness.
Equipment
- 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, if you have one
- Double broiler or equivalent (or microwave in a pinch)
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey's 100% cacao)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 8 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature (like Earth Balance sticks)
- 1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp Bob's egg replacer (plus 2 tbsp of filitered water to mix, equivalent to one real egg)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (like Enjoy Life brand)
- 2 to 3 candy canes, crushed
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and set aside. If you do not have a sifter, do your best to break up cocoa powder clumps and mix ingredients together well.
- 3. Combine the vegan butter with the granulated and brown sugars with a whisk (or paddle attachment on your standing mixer) and mix until smooth. Prepare the egg replacer with water per the instructions on the bag, then add it to the sugar mixture. Stir in the vegetable oil, vanilla and peppermint extract.
- 4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine with a spatula or wooden spoon. The batter will be quite stiff, it may even seem for a moment like there may not be enough moisture in there, but it will come together.
- 5. Using a 1.5-tablespoon scoop, place level scoops of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet about two inches apart.
- 6. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8 minutes. They should be slightly under-baked but still set on top (not wet-looking). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes as they will be very soft, then slide your parchment directly onto the rack to cool completely.
- 7. While cookies are cooling, create your peppermint sprinkle. Place two or three candy canes into a small baggie (like a sandwich or snack size), pushing the excess air out before sealing it. Using a rolling pin, apply pressure on top of the candy until it breaks, no need to actually roll over them. Ensure the pieces are not too large, as candy canes can be sticky to chew. You also don't want to pulverize them into just powder dust as it can melt and disappear into the warm chocolate.
- 8. In a double broiler or equivalent, melt 3/4 cup of vegan chocolate chips over gently simmering water (around medium-low heat), stirring until chocolate is smooth. Although it's not preferable, if you do not have a double broiler you can try melting the chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power in small increments, checking and stirring the chocolate often until smooth.
- 9. Dip the top of each cookie into the warm melted chocolate, using a spoon if need be to help spread the chocolate evenly across the top. Place cookies on a sheet of parchment paper. Because the chocolate takes a while to set, you should be fine to dip all 18 cookies before moving on to the peppermint sprinkle part.
- 10. Immediately after you finish all your dipping, while the chocolate is still glossy, sprinkle the crushed candy canes on the tops of your cookies. Note: if you're washing your hands prior to sprinkling, rinse with cool water and dry your very well, as extra heat or moisture on your hands will cause your candy dust to clump.
- 11. Allow chocolate to set completely and harden back to room temperature (you can refrigerate them briefly if you need to speed this process up). Store cookies in an airtight container, using parchment or wax paper to separate layers of cookies so they are less likely to stick together.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!