Peppermint Bark Cookies

Peppermint Bark in Cookie Form

Peppermint bark has always been one of my favorite holiday treats, so I decided to turn it into cookies. These cookies turned out so delicious. The texture is super fudgy while the toppings give the cookie the perfect sweetness and the candy canes give a delicious crunch.

Using black cocoa powder in this recipe was a game changer. It adds so much more flavor and creates a super fudgy texture. If you haven’t tried baking with it yet, I would highly recommend. I bought mine on Amazon.

 These cookies will for sure be on repeat all holiday season long. They come together quickly and are always a hit! You would never know these are vegan.

 Vegan butter: any vegan butter will work. You can also substitute for liquid oil. If you aren’t vegan, traditional butter should work.

Sugar: I used white sugar in my cookies. Any granulated sugar will work.

Vanilla extract: this is used for extra flavor. You can omit if you’d like.

Almond butter: any nut or seed butter will work (sunflower, cashew, peanut, etc.) I just prefer almond butter. I wouldn’t recommend peanut butter as it has a strong flavor and may overpower the other flavors. Be sure your nut or seed butter is on the runnier side.

Nondairy milk: I used unsweetened almond milk. Any nondairy milk will work. If you aren’t vegan, traditional milk should also work.

Black cocoa powder: I used black cocoa powder in this recipe to get the super dark color and deeper chocolate flavor for these cookies. This is optional. If you don’t have this, you can just normal cocoa or cacao powder.

All-purpose flour: I haven’t tested any other flours in this recipe.

Frosting: I used a store-bought cream cheese frosting. Any frosting will work. You could also use white chocolate instead.

Chocolate: any chocolate will work.

Candy canes: these are optional, you can top with whatever you want.

 Ingredients:

• Vegan butter

• Sugar

• Vanilla extract

• Almond butter

• Nondairy milk

• Black cocoa powder

• Baking powder

• Baking soda

• All-purpose flour

• Chocolate

• Frosting

• Candy canes

Recipe:

Makes 6-8 cookies depending on size

• ¼ cup vegan butter

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ cup almond butter

• 3 tablespoons nondairy milk

• 1/3 cup black cocoa powder

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2.    In small bowl melt the butter. Transfer to a larger bowl and add in the sugar, vanilla, almond butter, and nondairy milk. Stir to combine.

3.    Add in the baking soda and baking powder. Stir well. Add in the black cocoa powder stirring until combined. Finally add in the all-purpose flour. Stir until a dough forms.

4.    Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough. Roll the dough in your hands to form a ball. Place onto cookie sheet and press down slightly. Repeat with all the dough.

5.    Bake for 8-10 minutes.

6.    Once the cookies are completely cooled, add about 1 tablespoon of melted chocolate to the center of the cookie. Repeat with all the cookies. Allow the chocolate to harden in the refrigerator or freezer.

7.    Once the chocolate is hardened top with frosting of choice and crushed candy canes.

Be sure to store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cookies should last up to one-two weeks. You can store in the freezer to last longer. If you store in the freezer, allow to thaw on the counter for at least 15 minutes before eating. You can also warm up in the microwave for about 25 seconds.

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