A super soft chocolate cookie that not only has crushed candy canes on top, but a hint of peppermint extract inside it as well for all that wintery-minty-goodness. Dipped in a dairy-free white chocolate to help those delicious flakes of candy canes stick, these beautiful cookies will be the highlight of any Christmas goodie plate. These White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Chocolate Cookies are gluten free, vegan and free of the top-8-allergens.
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Why I Love These White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Cookies
Peppermint and chocolate are my THANG. They are just meant to go together. I’d like to say almost like peanut butter and jelly, but we have peanut allergies around here, so we’ll just skip that analogy. The brightness of peppermint and the richness of chocolate compliment each other so well, that I look forward to Christmas time all year round.
We gave these away as our goodie plates this year to our friends and neighbors and my friend said she almost thought they were brownies because these cookies are so fudgy and so soft. I take any brownie comparison as a very high compliment indeed!
Not only do these taste amazing, but they are so beautiful! The flecks of white and red speckling the white chocolate almost seem to shine. Plus, the contrast of the dark brown chocolate against the dipped edges of the dairy-free white chocolate make them look store bought.
Plus the fact that these are free of: gluten, wheat, dairy, egg, soy, peanuts and tree nuts make them available to most diets, and I love when everyone can be included during the holidays. I hope you love them as much as I do.
How do I make these white chocolate dipped peppermint cookies gluten free?
My son has a wheat allergy, and my husband has a gluten intolerance, so all of my baking must be gluten free. You can either use a homemade gluten free flour blend, or you can buy a pre-made store bought blend.
If you buy a store bought blend, try to stick to blends that are: rice, potato and tapioca based. If needed, sorghum can be added as well, like this blend from Walmart.
How are these peppermint dipped chocolate cookies vegan?
My son also has a dairy and egg allergy, so these cookies are vegan as well! The nice part is that there is NO EGG REPLACER NEEDED. I REPEAT: NO EGG REPLACER IS NEEDED. I know, crazy right? It’s so rare to have a vegan cookie turn out without some kind of binder, but these are fine all on their own.
For a milk replacement I use rice milk. And voila! No animal products and totally plant based cookies at your service.
What dairy free and vegan white chocolate do you use?
Rejoice hallelujah that there is FINALLY a dairy free, top 8 free and vegan white chocolate chip. I have been waiting YEARS for this moment and I am sooo excited it’s finally come.
Last year, Nestle came out with a white chocolate chip. I have to say, I don’t love the flavor–but it will do in a pinch if that’s all you can find. I’ve found it at Walmart. The ingredients are listed here.
I just recently found Walmart has come up with their own organic white baking chips in their great value branding. This is not sponsored by them, but I love how simple the ingredients are, and on the front of the label it reads: “free from the 8 major food allergens and artificial colors & flavors”. And, I think the taste is much more spot on. For those who also have to check ingredients, here is what the white baking chips’ label says:
- Organic cane sugar, organic palm kernel oil, organic sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla extract
I will warn you that the white chocolate taste doesn’t stand out as much as I think regular white chocolate does, but it’s as close as I’ve found, and most importantly it’s beautiful and gives the peppermint something to stick to.
What candy canes do you use for these chocolate cookies dipped in white peppermint?
I have not had any problem finding multiple varieties of what I deem “safe” or “allergy friendly” candy canes, even if the packaging does not specifically call it out. Most candy canes have very simple ingredients.
If you’re looking for specific allergen branding, YumEarth, is always great. But, we’ve had no problem with others. We go by label alone, for our food allergies, so if you have any specific questions, I always recommend calling the manufacturers directly.
What if I don’t need these cookies to be dairy free?
If you only need these cookies to be gluten free, and not dairy free, go ahead and swap in regular milk at the same ratio, and use whatever white chocolate you prefer.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes! You can make the dough up to a day ahead of time, since holiday preparations are always so busy. Just keep the dough covered when chilling in the fridge ahead of time.
You’ll want to allow the dough to sit out for 15-30 minutes after it’s been chilled, just so that it’s not too hard to scoop out.
How do you get your cookies uniform shapes?
The ONLY way to make cookies in my book is with a cookie scoop. ESPECIALLY if you’re giving them away and want nice, uniform shapes and sizes. My trusted cookie scoop that I’ve had for years and years is the OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop. (I also use it for meatballs). Trust me, it’s a bakers must have. (Great Christmas present too!).
Are these white chocolate dipped peppermint chocolate cookies allergy friendly?
Why yes they are! This blog is all about cooking for loved ones with food allergies. By label these cookies are free of: gluten, wheat, dairy, egg, soy, fish, shellfish, peanut and tree nuts. This makes these cookies super allergy friendly and top-8-free.
Do you have any other gluten free vegan Christmas cookies?
Yes! Cookies are a MUST for holiday baking, so I have lots of options for you. I hope these recipes will help you whip up some festive cheer in your own kitchens:
- Dairy Free Fudge
- Gluten Free Roll Out Sugar Cookies
- Gluten Free Vegan Eggnog Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting
- Gluten Free Vegan Rice Krispie Reindeers
- Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Orange Cookies
- Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Vegan Rice Krispie Christmas Trees
- Gluten Free Vegan Rice Krispie Christmas Roll
- Gluten Free Vegan No Bake Chocolate Pretzel Bites
- Gluten Free Vegan Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
- Gluten Free Vegan Peppermint Patties
- Gluten Free Vegan Coconut Caramels
- Gluten Free Vegan Homemade Oreos
- Gluten Free Dairy Free Peppermint Pie
- If you can have almonds and eggs, check out my friend Erin, from Meaningful Eats, Gluten Free Molasses Cookies. And, if you can do eggs also check out my friend Chandic’s, from This Vivacious Life, Gluten Free Gingerbread.
Gluten Free Vegan White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIE INGREDIENTS:
- 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose gluten-free flour mix (see post for options)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already includes this)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup rice milk
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
TOPPING:
- 1 cup dairy free white chocolate chips (see post for two options)
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, or safe shortening
- Crushed candy canes
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325. Place parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat on top of a cookie sheet. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, or by hand, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, xanthan, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly, being sure to work out any lumps of cocoa powder.
Next add the oil, rice milk, vanilla and peppermint extract.
Mix until everything is incorporated, scraping the sides with a spatula as necessary.
The dough will be slightly sticky and oily, so it's best to use a cookie scoop. Scoop out the dough, roll into balls and place evenly spaced on the cookie sheet.
Bake at the center of the oven for 7-9 minutes. Do not overcook, as they will dry easily. If you start to smell them, run for the oven!
Cookies will still be slightly soft in the center. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies continue to set on the hot pan for another 5 minutes. If they poof a bit, take the bottom of a glass cup and lightly tap them flat, if you're prefer. I like mine to be flat for easier dipping.
Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the hot pan to finish cooling on a wire baking wrack.
While they cool, crush the candy canes into either a fine powder or small pieces, whichever you prefer.
Once the cookies have cooled completely (they can be put in the freezer to speed up the process) make the white chocolate dip.
In a microwave safe bowl, place the white chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between each time until everything is smooth and melted.
Dip half of the cookie in the melted white chocolate and set on wax paper. While the white chocolate is still wet, sprinkle on the crushed candy canes. Allow the white chocolate to harden completely before serving or moving off of the wax paper.
Cookies may be kept in an air tight container either in the fridge or room temperature for 2-3 days. Enjoy.
Notes
*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested frequently, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family.
**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 122mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
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Margret
Great recipe although a wee but soft, cooked a fair bit more! Am hooping they will firm up a bit. Any chance of getting weight for flour as have heard flour need to be pretty exact. Taste is great. Am going to do a peppermint glaze. Am sure my granddaughter will be thrilled!!
Megan Lavin
Hi Margret. Yes, every oven is so different, so always go by look and smell above what I say. I may start adding in weights eventually. I hope your granddaughter loved them!