This cookie recipe turned out better than I could have imagined! I think I have become slightly addicted to them...hence eating them as part of my breakfast and lunch today! They are basically sugar free, but still, it's time to give the rest away before I eat the entire pan! 'Tis the season!!!
The bottom of these remind me of an Oreo like cookie. I made them to be more like a crust rather than a soft cookie. If you prefer soft, even though I think the way they are is amazing, you could probably add an egg to the recipe and a bit of baking soda. This has given me a couple of other ideas of bars to make, so expect another one this month!
As you can see the candy on top isn't a bright red like traditional peppermint candies. Well, that's what happens when things are colored naturally and not with RED #40! I found these candy canes at Whole Foods, yes they have cane sugar, but at least they don't have high fructose corn syrup and red dye! You could certainly leave the candy off, but it does add some crunch and additional peppermint flavor. The red, or should I say pink frosting color is also natural and I will share my trick below! I have a special ingredient for green as well that will be revealed in my Sugar Cookie Recipe!!
Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie
- 1 cup Honeyville Almond Flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted (I used a mixture)
- 1/3-1/2 cup granulated sweetener (I used 1/2 cup Swerve for a sugar free option)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sweetener* (I used Swerve Confectioners for sugar free option)
- 2 tbsp coconut cream (the cream that rises to the top of a can of full fat coconut milk when it is refrigerated)
- 2 tbsp full fat coconut milk (shake the remaining can of milk and use two additional tablespoons)
- 2 tbsp grass-fed butter**
- 1/2 tsp peppermint flavor
- 1 small beet root
- 4 natural candy canes, crushed (optional)
Instructions
Cookie
- Mix the melted butter/oil with the vanilla
- Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and sweetener
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined
- Press the batter into an 8×8 greased pan
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes
- Let cool completely
Frosting
- Place the butter and sweetener in a pan on medium heat until butter starts to melt. Remove from heat and stir well
- Pour the mixture into a Vitamix or blender with the coconut cream, coconut milk and peppermint flavoring. Blend until smooth
- Peel the small beet root and place in a saucepan with about 2 tbsp water and cook over medium heat until the water is red.
- Pour some of the red water into your frosting and stir until desired color is reached.
- Place the frosting in the refrigerator to set if it’s runny
- Once the cookie has cooled, spread the frosting evenly and sprinkle the crushed candy over the wet frosting
- Place in the frig to let the frosting set.
- Store in the refrigerator (I think these taste best straight out of the refrigerator!)
Quick notes
*You can powder any sweetener by placing it in a coffee grinder or in a blender. The frosting will be grainy if you skip this step and that may not bother you.
**You may be able to use 2 additional tablespoons of coconut cream instead of butter in thefrosting. I haven’t tried it but it should work. It may just make it more coconuty and more peppermint extract may be needed.
Variations
For those that do not like peppermint, try any other flavor extract or simply use vanilla. Add 1/4 tsp to start in case it’s a stronger extract.
Snow is headed our direction and I think these would be delicious served with some Dairy Free Hot Chocolate!!!
Happy Holidays!
*I have recently switched all of my skincare and makeup to a company that is free of 1,500 chemicals!! I am so particular about what goes into my body, I need to be just as picky as to what goes on my body! Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs chemicals into the bloodstream faster than the gut does! I am vain when it comes to my skin and was so thrilled to find products that are anti-aging and work!!! Check out BeautyCounter for more info!! You will love it!!