Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies- Christmas Cookies

It’s never to soon to start making Christmas Cookies! Am I right? We would do a cookie exchange every year at work. Everyone would get so creative. We would have our warehouse guys vote on a favorite cookie, it would get competitive. I swear anything chocolate ALWAYS won. I am on the chocolate train too. So for our Holiday Recipe Series hosted by Ella Claire Inspired I thought I would share a Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookie Recipe- yes it is Paleo of course. I am a Paleo Diet Enthusiast and alway love a chance to share that the Paleo Diet can be an easy and tasty lifestyle choice. You CAN enjoy a yummy Christmas Cookie and be healthy at the same time. I love to make these and take to all the Christmas Parties!

I had my lovely assistant Lola helping me in the kitchen. She was out of school and decided to wear a fancy dress (she is always surprising me in all the best ways!) little did she know how fitting her little outfit was at 9am when we started to bake our Christmas Cookies!

This recipe actually took me about 4 tries to get right. I have a go-to brownie recipe that is basically almond butter, coconut sugar, cocoa powder and an egg. So I took that recipe and added a little more to it for the BEST Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies!

Don’t they look amazing? The key to a really good Paleo Dessert is not too much of anything. For instance I see Paleo Desserts all the time that call for like 6 eggs and no matter what I never like those recipes. Or if they have too much coconut flour I know without a doubt they will be dry. You always want more almond flour than coconut flour.

These cookies would be really good without the peppermint flavoring or the crushed candy canes too. You would just have a Double Chocolate Chip Cookie and nothing is wrong with that!

Although I LOVE the crunch the crushed candy canes give to the cookie and anything peppermint or mint I really like. BTW crushed candy canes are not paleo- so if you are strict then leave them out. But there really isn’t a lot in the recipe- a little goes a long way! The first time I made it I used 1/2 cup of crushed candy canes and it was a little too much. I ended up liking just 1/4 cup is in the entire recipe- it really goes a long way!

I had to take a picture of the cookies on the little plate Ella (who is 9 now) made with her dad when she was only 3 for my Christmas gift one year!

These Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies make a great gift too! Think of neighbors, friends or teachers. Make a batch and freeze them to have on-hand. Anyone you give these cookies to will love the fact that they are paleo and gluten-free! Make them feel a little less guilty about indulging.

I thought I would share how I packaged the cookies as a gift. I put a thin layer of crushed candy canes, topped with a stack of Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies in a large mouth Canning Jar. I put the lid on it then topped it with a linen dish towel. With a sprig of eucalyptus. Feels very festive and practical.

Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies (Paleo and Gluten Free)

Christmas Cookie

Makes about 16 cookies

Ingredients-

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (I used Young Living Peppermint and did one drop)
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Instructions-

With a hand mixer or stand mixer blend coconut oil (not melted) and coconut sugar until combined and coconut oil is blended well. Add in almond butter, egg, vanilla and peppermint and mix for about a minute. Pour in almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips and crushed candy canes. Mix until everything is blended evenly (don’t over mix). Form into balls about 2 tablespoons large and place on greased baking sheet. Smash cookies down with the bottom of a cup (if you skip this step, they will stay in the shape of a ball). Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool on a cooling rack.

*Chocolate Chips are not on the Paleo Diet- I do use chocolate chips that are really dark. Enjoy Life Chocolate Morsels are considered Paleo because they are dairy free. Candy Canes are not on the Paleo Diet either- so take them out if you are against them:) the peppermint  extract adds a nice flavor.

Happy Baking! Make sure to check out all the other Christmas Cookie Recipes the bloggers shared below-

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Ella Claire | Pecan Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies by A Burst of Beautiful | Cinnamon Cookies by Zevy Joy | Gingerbread Houses by Miss Mustard Seed

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti by anderson + grant | Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies by Nesting with Grace | Chocolate Crinkles Cookies by So Much Better with Age | Cranberry Rosemary Butter Cookies by Nina Hendrick Design Co.

Gluten Free Coconut Fudge Bites by City Farmhouse | Maple Sugar House Cookies by Finding Home Farms | Honey Nut Rugelach by Love Grows Wild | Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake Cookies by Nest of Posies

Mexican Spicy Chocolate Cookies by Maison de Pax | Coconut Shortbread Cookies by My Sweet Savannah | Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies by House 214 | Cinnamon and Sugar Lattice Pie Crust Cookies by Craftberry Bush

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