Gluten-Free Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies are the ultimate holiday cookie. A soft, chewy chocolate cookie embedded with mini chocolate chips, and topped with a drizzle of vanilla candy coating and crushed candy canes. A decadent take on peppermint hot chocolate, in the form of a cookie!

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Unsalted Butter: If you are dairy free, you could replace the butter with melted coconut oil.
Cocoa Powder
Sugar: brown sugar and regular white sugar
Eggs
Vanilla
Peppermint Oil or Extract: I used my essential oils for this recipe, but you can also find peppermint extract in the baking aisle near the vanilla extract. Since peppermint oil is more potent, only use 3-4 drops for this recipe. (Also, make sure it's edible.)
Almond Flour: I used blanched almond flour for this recipe.
Baking Soda
Salt
Mini Chocolate Chips
Vanilla Candy Coating or Almond Bark
Peppermint Crumbles: Crush up some peppermint candy canes, or look for crumbles in the baking aisle
TOOLS YOU MAY NEED
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, cocoa powder, and sugars. You can use a mixer, or just do it by hand with a spatula. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Mix until smooth.
TIP: 1 teaspoon peppermint extract = 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil

Add almond flour, baking soda, and salt, and then fold in the chocolate chips. The dough will be thick and moist. Put it in the fridge for a couple hours to make rolling the dough into balls easier.

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper, and scoop the dough into 1" balls. Place them on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes (don't skip this step!).

DECORATING WITH VANILLA CANDY COATING AND PEPPERMINT CRUMBLES
The cookies are delightful just the way they are, but this next step really dresses them up for the holidays.
Melt the Vanilla Candy Coating or Almond Bark according to the package directions. The trick to melting is to heat them low and slow!
Candy coating is easier to melt than white chocolate. If you don't want to mess with the skills involved in melting white chocolate, I suggest vanilla candy coating or almond bark!
You can simply dip the cookies halfway for a light coating. Or, put the the melted vanilla candy coating in a plastic sandwich bag, clipped at the point with scissors, and embellish with a design of your own! I made simple swirls and zig zags.

Before the candy coating hardens, sprinkle your crumbled peppermint over the cookies for a finishing touch.

HOW TO FREEZE COOKIES
Flash freeze the cookies after they are cooled, by putting the cookie sheet (with the cookies on it!) in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Flash freezing prevents the cookies from sticking together when storing them in the freezer.
Then, store the cookies in a zip loc plastic bag or air tight container for 3-4 weeks.
To thaw, it is best to lay the cookies out on a cooling rack and let them come to room temperature.
MORE HOLIDAY POSTS FOR YOU:
If you are looking for more inspiration for baking, homemaking, and family time around the holidays, take a look at these posts!
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