Naughty or nice, baking these cookies will put you on the nice list! Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies to celebrate the season! Gluten-free and vegan, healthy and delicious, the perfect holiday cookie for kids of all ages!
Free-handed candy canes. I tried my best! Cookie baking should require more than mixing and blooping on a baking sheet though! That takes the fun out of being in the kitchen, making a mess, having fun, all while jamming out to Christmas music! To say these cookies were fun to make is an understatement. Chocolate peppermint (my favorite holiday flavor) most definitely had to happen. And the biggest reason behind why these were so much fun is because today is a very special occasion on the blog!
It's the biggest and greatest first annual HOLIDAY COOKIE PARTY! I got a wild idea to bring together some of my favorite food blogger friends to celebrate the best season (the season of cookie baking) by throwing a virtual cookie party! The 12 of usΒ each made a gluten-free and vegan cookie to shareΒ and basically give you no excuse not to get in the kitchen and start cookie-ing it up! I have a feeling Santa will be spoiled this year π
You guys are in for a serious sweet treat today. If you have a real cookie swap coming up, you will never be without some amazing ideas! I kinda wish I had a real cookie swap to go to, but alas, at least I can share my creation with you here on the blog and hope you make them yourselves! So before you go and check out the other 13 amazing cookie recipes, let's talk about these chocolatey candy canes!
You know I love my chocolate and mint. I even almost shared another chocolate mint flavored recipe on Monday, but that will have to wait till nest week π Don't get me wrong, I love my gingerbread and cinnamon goodies during the holidays, but chocolate mint? Just stop right there and shove it all in my face! Since one of the most iconic symbols of the holidays are candy canes, I felt a candy cane cookie with my favorite flavor would be pretty rad. I half wish I had some allergy-free white chocolate, but chocolate chocolate is the only thing I have and tastes much better than white (in my humble chocolate opinion!)
I mean, white chocolate is pretty and all, but CHOCOLATE is where the flavor is at! Dark bitter chocolate please and thank you! My chocolate candy canes are missing their stripes, but they are a secret crunch! The crunch of crushed candy canes, inside and out! It's a pretty contradictory cookie actually. The cookie is super soft and chewy (as you know), but the crushed candy cane acts as the crunch! Basically you have a ton of textures and flavors doing a happy dance in your mouth when you bite in!
What else is in the fun shaped cookies? Applesauce, arrowroot, teff flour, and cocoa! They're really simple to make, a bit messy to roll and shape, but fun nonetheless π My hands were stained brown by the end and my frustration for trying to fit the entire batch on one baking sheet got me a bit in a tizzy, but the smell of chocolate and peppermint while I cleaned up...priceless π So now prepare yourself for some quintet cookies! CCCCC! (That was unintentional in the making of the title!)
Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies
Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies
Naughty or nice, baking these cookies will put you on the nice list! Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies to celebrate the season! Gluten-free and vegan, healthy and delicious, the perfect chocolate and peppermint holiday cookie dessert recipe for kids of all ages!
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 14-16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 Cup Arrowroot Starch
- Β½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Β½ Cup Teff Flour
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2 TB Cocoa Mint Stevia Syrup
- Β½ Tsp Pure Peppermint Extract
- 4 Candy Canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375Β°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients on the list up to the candy canes. Give it a good mix to form your dough.
- In a plastic bag, crush 2 candy canes, add them to the batter, and mix to incorporate.
- Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or good parchment and begin to form about 1 TB balls of dough.
- Roll these in your hands, form a log shape and then bend one end to make a cane shape and place on the baking sheet.
- Now crush 1 more candy canes and sprinkle them over the cookies.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, remove, crush and sprinkle on the last candy cane. Let cool before removing from the sheet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
Now are you in the cookie mood? I really hope so because you're about to be bombarded with more cookie deliciousness! 12 bloggers, 12 cookies, 1 for each day of the 12 Days of Christmas, eh? Feast you eyes!
1.Β Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies - Rebecca from Strength And Sunshine
2.Β Gingerbread Fig Bars - Natalie from Feasting On Fruit
3.Β No-Bake Marzipan Rum Balls - Bianca from Elephantastic Vegan
4.Β Chocolate Drizzle Ginger Pecan Cookies - Laura from Chronicles Of Passion
5.Β Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies - Jenn from Veggie Inspired Journey
6.Β Cranberry Chocolate Coconut Macaroons - Linda from Veganosity
7.Β Vegan Orange Cinnamon Christmas Cookies - Sina from Vegan Heaven
8.Β Cranberry White Chocolate Ginger Cookies - Leah from Love Me Feed Me
9.Β Chocolate Tahini Cookies - Lucie from Win-Win Food
10.Β Sugar Cookie (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free)Β - Brandi from The Vegan 8
11.Β Orange Spice Cookies - Harriet from Harriet Emily
12.Β Vegan Cranberry Crunch Dark Chocolate Truffles - Sophia from Veggies Don't Bite
And I was to say a big THANK YOU to these lovely ladies for bringing so much goodness to this party and an extra special thanks to my partner in crime, Natalie, my feasting fruity friend, who helps me out more than she knows (and made these killer photos for the party!). I don't know what I'd do without that girl! xoxo
So tell me:
+ What's your favorite holiday cookie?
+ Do you like candy canes? I always like the fake fruity strawberry ones best π
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Cricket Plunkett
I love that you even shaped them like candy canes. what a fun idea!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Creatively Homespun
Fabulous!! I hope you had a great holiday!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks, you too!
Amanda @The Kolb Corner
These look delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Kelsie
These are so cute and festive!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Jennifer A Stewart
What a delicious and festive holiday cookie! I want to try these and all the other ones in that round up!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Jennifer! They are all winners!
Carol
These look delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
Such a fun festive treat!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Sam // DIY Just Cuz
Yummy! Pinning this! They sounds so good and I love that they are shaped like candy canes, too cute π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you!
Miz Helen
Your Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies look awesome.Thanks so much for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Maria
Such a great idea for those cookie swaps that are so popular these days. This will certainly be a hit anywhere they're shared. I love the fact that they're glutten free! My MIL has celiac and she misses cookies of all things and this would be something she'd love to try.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
There's no need to miss cookies!? That's silly!
AnneMarie
Those look so good!!!! Oh, I so agree with you-dark (very, very dark) chocolate is so where it's at!!!!! I wish I could make these, but I honestly don't keep many of these ingredients in my kitchen, but if I can figure out how to adapt the recipe sometime to the ingredients I do have, I"m totally making these!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Chocolate should be ALL cocoa and so bitter! I just love it!
What do you need swapped?
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
Looks amazing as always! Pinned!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Lauren
These look so yummy! Peppermint and chocolate is one of my favorite combos this time of year!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Same! It is the best!!!!
Sandy Sandmeyer
These cookies look absolutely delicious and the fact that they are gluten-free and vegan open them up to so many others.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That's my goal! Thanks Sandy!
Kathryn Doherty
What a fun cookie for the holidays! Pretty sure my 4-year-old, who adores candy canes, would really flip over these! I see a baking project in our future π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You guys will have a blast making them.....and eating them π
Liora (Allthingsloveli)
These are too cute! I love the idea of a candy cane within a candy cane. I bought some peppermint in preparation for the season but I have yet to make anything. Thanks for the idea!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Well it's time to peppermint it up my dear friend!
Kaitlyn
Love these!! We are having a cookie party this year and I wanted to find a recipes besides the "typical" cookies! Thanks for sharing these adorable cookies!! Can't wait to make them!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
These totally fit the bill then! You'll have the best cookies to swap!
Alex Caspero MA,RD (@delishknowledge)
Great idea for a cookie party! These candy canes are adorable!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Alex!
Emma
I love finding out that something that looks SO yummy is vegan too! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
It's a beautiful thing π
Lee MacArthur
These cookies look fantastic. I'll have to try them.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Sarah
Yum, these look so cute and delicious!
Favorite Christmas cookie for nostalgic reasons and because they are my favorite to make/decorate, sugar cookies!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Sugar cookies give me no nostalgia at all! Hahaha! Not something we ever did here π
Debbie
Oh my goodness! All these cookies sound delicious! And I even have some chocolate mint stevia on hand! Thanks for sharing these yummy recipes!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Debbie!
Esther
Those look awesome! And all the cookies in the round up are fantastic!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They all did such a great job!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table
these are so flipping cute!!! there's nothing i won't do for chocolate... especially in the form of a holiday treat. awesome use of teff too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahaha, thank you Laura! I know...chocolate...it's all I need π
Marla
Hi Rebecca,
What a great array of cookies recipes. The chocolate candy canes cookies sound perfect for Christmas and I also the the #6 Chocolate Cranberry Maroons.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
They are all fabulous!
Annmarie
My kids are obsessed with candy canes and would totally love these!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes they would! And they're fun to bake π
Vicki Montague - The Free From Fairy
I love the sound of your cookies! They are wonderful. What an amazing selection of others to check out too! Congratulations for organising that!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Vicki!
Anita
This recipe looks so delicious!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks!
Susie @ SuzLyfe
Delicious and healthy! I need to make chocolate chip cookies for my husband's secret santa (see how that works? yeah) so I might just make these for myself π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Um yes!! All for yourself π
Evi @ greenevi
Teff flour, wow, you are so cool!!!
These cookies look super cute and so delicious, pinned π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I love my teff flour!! xoxo
Miss Polkadot
Soft, chewy and crunchy all in one cookie? Sign me up!! Or let's be cookie swap partners ;). Because I baked many kinds already and was surprised to notice two of our German classics happen to be naturally gluten-free, one even almost paleo.
I'm slightly envious of those organic candy canes. Not only are candy canes a rare sight in stores in general here but the few you'll find aren't even vegetarian.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm sure you could find something online for that candy cane conundrum! I know...soft, chewy, crunchy....all the textures!!!
Ally
Favorite cookie? Anything hot and with chocolate! I am digging the idea of putting a candy cane in my cookie π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Chocolate is a must π
Sophia @Veggies dont bite
These look amazeballs!! I seriously don't know whether to eat them or use them on my tree!! Love! And thank you for doing all this!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I think make one batch to eat and one bath to decorate with...and maybe a triple batch to east some more π
Thank you Sophia and thank you for joining in!! xoxo
Claire
These are beautiful and sound sooo tasty! My favorite holiday cookie--more like a candy--is fudge! (Since going lactose-free I've started to make a version with coconut cream that is, dare I say it, even better than my original recipe!) π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Anything with coconut milk is a winner π And you can't go wrong with fudge!
Thank you Claire!
Sandi (@sandigtweets)
These are almost too cute to eat...I love the chocolate mint combo.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you Sandi!
Ariana
These look SO good! And I actually have everything I need for them! Thanks for sharing this...and perfect timing, too. I'm getting my bake on this weekend π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes!!!!! And these are the perfect festive treat to start with!
Kristy @ Southern In Law
Hellllllllooo deliciousness! You know that chocolate and mint is always a winning combination in my mind - but these look SO good!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
The best combo!! Thank you dear!
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh
Thank yoThese look so cute, and I bet they are tasty as well. I love the chocolate mint combination!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
One of the best π
Dani @ Dani California Cooks
These are beyond cute!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks sweet!
Liz Jo
These look delicious!! I can't get over how great this looks. I wouldn't even be able to eat this just because it looks so pretty
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahaha π I think after a few minutes, you'll be devouring them!
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness
So creative!! Yummy - that candy crunch. Yes please!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you dear!
The Vegan 8
Girl, these look so amazing!! Seriously love chocolate and peppermint together and I love the cute candy cane shapes! I could eat a ton of these! They are so festive. Thanks for the awesome cookie party!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you Brandi!! Cookies are always fun when they're fun-shaped π
Nora (A Clean Bake)
These are so fun! Do you have any idea if I could swap something else in for the teff flour? Maybe quinoa flour?
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I would go with oat or millet. Quinoa is rather strong!
Bianca @ ElephantasticVegan
These are adorable! I really admire your gluten-free baking skills. I think it's so much harder than regular baking, so respect!! π And those Chocolate Candy Cane Crunch Cookies look perfect to me. <3 Soooo cute.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I am still majorly learning, but I love the extra challenge π Makes you feel even more accomplished! Thank you so much my dear friend! xoxo
Kari
These are so adorable!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Leah M @ love me, feed me
YAY these are so fun!! I've never baked with arrowroot or teff, but I'm so intrigued!! I think I'll have to make my way to bulk barn to stock up!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
You will love both! Like I said in my last cookie post, the magic of soft and chewy cookies comes from the arrowroot!
Laura
Teff flour!!! The best! Such a good idea for chocolate things! Can't wait to try this delicious combo. Thanks for sharing:)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I wanted to give them some extra brown color love π
Florian @ContentednessCooking
So festive and delicious! Perfect for the holidays!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yup! Thanks Florian!
Shaunacey
these look like all kinds of delisciousness!!!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you!
Jenn
These are the cutest! I am horrible at trying to shape things...I can't even do icing or frosting correctly without making a ginormous mess. Mine probably wouldn't resemble candy canes at all. I am totally the mix and bloop girl you refer to above. LOL!!! I can't believe how few ingredients are in these!! Amazing! They sound so good! My hubby would go nuts for these...he is a peppermint fanatic!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Blooping is always good too π I mean...as long as they taste good that's all that truly matters!
Your hubby is a good man π A keeper! Hahahaha!
xoxo
Mikayla
This looks so delicious! I always love new cookie recipes. They are so cute too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks dear!
Andrea B.
These look amazing. I just want to move into your blog - okay? Or your house. Whatever works.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahahaha π I think I should start a business?
Trish - Mom On Timeout
So fun! These cookies would be a hit at any party!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I think they will!
Megan
These are so cute!!! I want to try them now!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thanks Megan!
GiGi Eats
I need to just go to your house for the holidays because I KNOW FOR A FACT your treats would be 100000% delicious and 10000% GiGi-Diet approved! π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Thank you dear! Haha! All the goodies for everyone!
Michele @ paleorunningmomma
These look so fun! I like the idea of crunchy bites mixed in a chewy cookie - yum! Going to check out the other cookies now - I love cookie overload π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha! Me too!! Greatest baked good of the season! xo
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate
I love candy canes and I am sure I would love these cookies! My favorite is frosted sugar cookies - but I am a cookie-lover, so any cookie makes me happy.
Cheers,
Chrystal
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I feel yea! It's hard to turn down any festive cookie!
Manila Spoon
I wish could grab a few from the screen so I can dunk these delish cookies on my coffee! So festive and delightful!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
That would make some damn good peppermint chocolate flavored coffee action π
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
Seriously, award for most all-out festive goest to you my dear! The shape, the sprinkles, chocolate, they are perfect. Your free handing is actually quite impressive I'd say, but the word "blooping" totally cracks me up hahahaha! I'm still a little bit shocked we pulled it off my cookie party partner (air five and big hug to you) xoxo
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Hahahahahahaha! Blooping, that's what it is! That's how I usually do my cookies π
Fit pump, air five, virtual hug, and I'm sending a personal letter to Santa to treat you extra special! xoxoxoxo
Lisa @ RunWiki
You can't beat a Holiday Cookie exchange unless you do a vegan gluten free one. Love this. Pinning away here!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Haha, thank you Lisa!!! xoxo
Linda @ Veganosity
Love chocolate and mint! I can't wait to try these festive cookies, Rebecca! Thanks for including me in the party, it was truly a blast. π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
A cookie blast! I want to try everyone's!
rachel @ Athletic Avocado
these are so adorable and so festive! Gotta love peppermint π
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! Thanks Rachel!
Marye
These are gorgeous, they are a must have on the dessert table for sure!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I think so! Thank you Marye!
Christie
I love that you made then candy cane shape. They sound amazing with the candy cane bites on them.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Just a little extra special crunch!
Sarah Grace
these are the cutest girly! how did you get them to stay in that shape?! also all the others look AMAZING. all the gingerbread recipes are making me dieeee/want to make them all π
xo,
Sarah Grace
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Lol, dough isn't liquid! Haven't you made cookies before?!
I just want every cookie recipe right now! They are all just so fun to bake!
Elizabeth
My kids would absolutely love it if I made these for them! Such an adorable idea!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Do it!!! You'll be getting lots of cookie hugs π
Nicole
OMG, these look so amazing and delicious! I've been trying to decide what cookie I'd bake with my three year old this year and I think she'll love the fact that this one is shakes in a candy cane. All have to check out all the other cookies as well, just to be sure this is it. Thanks for sharing!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Yes! These will be so fun to make with her and they taste so good π Haha!