Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 12 mins Yield: 32 cookies

Gluten Free | Dairy Free | Egg Free

These Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies have a rich and chewy chocolate cookie with a velvety smooth chocolate ganache center, and are topped with crushed candy canes or you favorite Christmas sprinkles. Surprisingly gluten free, these cookies are also dairy and egg free too, but no one will know- I promise!

Welcome to day 1 of our first annual Christmas Cookie week! Woot woot!! I’m so excited.

To start of this exciting week that’s packed with not one, not two but FIVE brand new cookie recipes, are these Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies.

Happy baking!

To see all other cookie recipes on the website, click here.

Want more Chocolate Peppermint Recipes?

• The Best Chocolate Peppermint Oreo Bark
• Chocolate Peppermint Whoopie Pies
• Chocolate Peppermint Fudge (Secretly Dairy Free!)

Reasons to love this Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookie Recipe:

• They’re an adorable two-bite cookie
• Completely gluten, dairy and egg free
• They’re decadent especially with the chocolate ganache center
• Tastes like Christmas in a cookie
• You can decorate and top these cookies with crushed candy canes or your favorite Christmas sprinkles
• Since these cookies need to chill for 2 hours, you can work on other cookies in the meantime while they chill, which is really helpful when you’re doing a lot of holiday baking

Ingredients in Gluten Free Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies:

Gluten Free Flour– not all gluten free flours are created equally. I used a 1:1 gluten free flour, specifically King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour.

Cocoa Powder- unsweetened 100% cocoa powder.

Baking Soda and Salt

Dairy Free Butter- to keep these cookies dairy free, I used Country Crock Plant Butter. If not dairy free you can use regular butter.

Brown Sugar and Sugar- using a mixture of regular granulated sugar and brown sugar gives these cookies moisture and a perfect chewy texture.

Applesauce- Instead of using a flax egg we’re using applesauce as a binder. I promise this will not change the texture or taste of these cookies- you won’t even know it’s in there!

Vanilla and Peppermint Extract

Chocolate Chips- use your favorite dairy free chocolate chips for the velvety smooth ganache center.

Non-Dairy Milk- use your favorite non-dairy milk, or regular milk or heavy cream if you’re not dairy free. I used plain, unsweetened almond milk.

Crushed Candy Canes

Tools needed to make these Thumbprint Cookies:

• Measuring spoons and cups
• Glass bowls
• Hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
• Rubber spatula
• Cookie scoop
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper sheets
• Cooling rack

How to make Gluten Free Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies:

Make the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix together with a whisk. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-4 minutes. Add the applesauce and the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Mix together until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Do not over mix.

Scoop,roll, coat and indent: Using a small cookie scoop, or 1 Tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls and coat in sugar. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Using the back of a rubber spatula (that has a circular end), or I used a round 1 teaspoon measuring spoon and pressed into the cookie to make an indent. You could also use your thumb, but I found this to be less messy and make a more perfect and clean indent. Repeat until all the dough has been used. I found that if you roll them into ball, coat in sugar and then indent them one at a time, that they created less cracks in them then rolling all of them first, coating all of them in sugar and then indenting them all. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Bake: Bake according to the directions below in the recipe card.

Make the chocolate ganache center: Make the chocolate peppermint ganache by melting the chocolate, milk, and butter together over low medium heat. Once melted, stir in the peppermint extract. Carefully spoon into the center of each cookie until filled. Top with crushed candy canes or your favorite Christmas sprinkles.

Tips for the best Gluten Free Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies:

• Do not over mix the dough once you have added the dry ingredients. I have found that when using a 1:1 gluten free flour, if you over mix it, it turns into a dense, gummy mess. Mix until just combined.
• I used a round 1 teaspoon measuring spoon (from this exact set) to indent the cookies, and it worked wonderfully! After they came out of the oven, they rose and the indent was bigger so I switched to a larger measuring spoon, 1 Tablespoon, to reindent them and I highly recommend this method.
• Let the cookies completely cool all the way on a cooling rack before adding the chocolate ganache.
• Before you add your toppings of crushed candy canes or sprinkles, let the ganache slightly cool so it doesn’t melt the candy canes or sprinkles.
• Chocolate ganache may sound intimidating, but I promise it is so, so easy to make and rather foolproof too! When you spoon it into the cookies, it will look just like melted chocolate but don’t worry. Once the ganache has completely cooled, it will turn into a thicker, but silky smooth texture and it is DELICIOUS.

How to store leftover Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies:

These cookies keep very well and for a decent amount of time too, so they are such a great cookie for gift giving or cookie exchanges.

These thumbprint cookies stay good at room temperature for up to a week when sealed up (I just put them on a plate and store them in a ziploc, fancy I know haha!). Or you can store in the fridge too.

My other favorite way is storing them in the freezer and eating them right out of the freezer. They’ll stay good for up to two months when sealed properly in an airtight container or freezer ziploc.

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