Vegan Peppermint Cookies
Vegan Peppermint Cookies are crisp edged, tender centered, and bright with mint. This easy cookie recipe uses pantry staples for a simple, festive treat perfect for cookie swaps and holiday gifting. Expect a pleasant peppermint aroma and a soft bite that firms as it cools, making it a reliable go to when you want a quick homemade cookie.
Equipment
- Gallon Ziploc bag
- Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Baking Tray
- Oven
- Cookie Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white, spelt, or oat flour Provides structure and bulk to the cookie dough; flour choice affects texture and flavor. White flour yields a tender crumb, spelt offers a nutty note, and oat flour creates a slightly denser, chewier cookie. Sifts easily into dry mixture to ensure even incorporation and consistent results.
- 3/4 tsp baking soda Leavens and helps cookies spread properly by reacting with acidic components; measured precisely to avoid off flavors. Activates during baking to produce carbon dioxide, contributing to lightness without excessive rise. Blends into dry ingredients to ensure uniform distribution.
- 1/2 tsp each: baking powder and salt Balances leavening and enhances texture while controlling sodium levels in the dough. Baking powder adds additional lift when combined with baking soda, and salt sharpens sweetness and rounds out flavors. Ensures even browning and helps with final crumb structure.
- 1/2 cup sugar, unrefined if desired Sweetens the dough while contributing to browning and moisture retention; unrefined sugar adds deeper flavor if chosen. Dissolves into the fat and liquid to create a tender, cohesive dough and affects cookie spread. Adjusts overall sweetness to taste and works with extracts to highlight peppermint.
- 6 tbsp oil or melted vegan butter Provides fat for tenderness, richness, and mouthfeel; choice between oil or vegan butter changes flavor and texture. Melted vegan butter gives a more buttery flavor and slightly firmer set, while oil yields softer, moister cookies. Incorporate at proper temperature to bind dry ingredients and create the right dough consistency.
- 1 1/2 tbsp milk of choice Adds necessary moisture to hydrate dry ingredients and help bind the dough while influencing tenderness. Milk choice can subtly affect flavor and richness; plant milks like almond, soy, or oat work well in vegan recipes. Stir in gradually to achieve a scoopable, cohesive dough without over-wetting.
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Imparts warm, sweet aromatic depth to round out flavor and complement peppermint without overpowering it. Pure vanilla enhances perceived sweetness and complexity, tying together sugar and fat for a more balanced cookie. Add to wet ingredients to evenly distribute aroma.
- 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract Delivers bright, cooling peppermint flavor that defines the cookie's character; purity prevents medicinal notes. Use sparingly because the extract is concentrated, and adjust to taste for a subtle or pronounced mintiness. Mix into the wet ingredients to evenly infuse the dough.
Instructions
- If you want to frost the peppermint cookies, feel free to either use your favorite icing or the recipe I've written out earlier in this post. To make the cookies, stir all dry ingredients together. Add remaining ingredients to form a dough – it will be dry at first but should turn into cookie dough within a minute or two of stirring, no extra liquid needed. Transfer to a gallon-sized ziploc bag and smush into a ball from inside the bag. If desired, refrigerate overnight or for a few days. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 F. Fold the ziploc in half and roll the dough out from inside the bag until it takes up the full half of the bag (as shown in the photo above). Cut open the bag and use a cookie cutter or knife to cut shapes of choice. Place on a baking tray, and cook 11 minutes – they will look underdone when time's up, so let them cool completely before handling, as they firm up as they cool. Once cool, frost if desired.: The aroma of icing mixing with baked sugar can be nostalgic, and deciding whether to frost is mostly about presentation. When I frost, I notice the contrast between the matte cookie and glossy topping, which creates a festive mouthfeel. A slip many make is applying frosting while the cookie is still warm, which melts the icing; always wait until the cookie is completely cool so the frosting sits neatly. Also, if your frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar; if too thick, a few drops of plant milk will smooth it.
- To make the cookies, stir all dry ingredients together: As you whisk the flour , baking soda , baking powder , salt , and sugar , take note of the uniform color and the faint scent of sugar. Proper mixing prevents clumps and ensures every bite rises the same. If you smell any stale or off aromas from the flour or baking soda , discard and use fresh, because old leaveners can make cookies dense or flavorless. A common error is insufficient mixing, which leads to uneven pockets of leavening and inconsistent texture.
- Add remaining ingredients to form a dough – it will be dry at first but should turn into cookie dough within a minute or two of stirring, no extra liquid needed: Once you add the oil , milk , vanilla extract , and peppermint extract , the mixture will go from dusty to cohesive. The scent shifts: the vanilla lifts the sweetness, while the peppermint begins to peek through. If your dough remains crumbly after thorough stirring, it may need another splash of milk , added sparingly, because overwetting will make it sticky and challenging to shape. Avoid constantly adding liquid; instead, stir vigorously for a minute before deciding it's too dry.
- Transfer to a gallon-sized ziploc bag and smush into a ball from inside the bag: Pressing the dough in a bag keeps hands clean and helps compact the crumb into a workable disk. As you press, listen for a faint softening sound as the pieces cohere, and watch the dough lose its granular look and take on a smooth surface. If the dough sticks to the bag excessively, chill it briefly; if it cracks when you press, it may be too dry and benefit from a touch more milk . One mistake is overworking the dough by pressing relentlessly, which can lead to a tougher cookie.
- If desired, refrigerate overnight or for a few days: Resting the dough mellows flavors and hydrates the flour, producing a deeper, more cohesive taste. I find chilling enhances the peppermint, making it more integrated with the cookie meat. If you skip chilling, the cookies will still bake fine, but they may spread a bit differently. A frequent misstep is refrigerating for too long without sealing properly, which can dry the dough; always squeeze out excess air from the bag before sealing.
- When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 F: The oven's warmth is the final magic for texture. Preheating ensures the cookies begin setting immediately and bake evenly. I watch for the oven to reach full temperature before baking, because too cool an oven can produce dense, overly pale cookies. An error to avoid is opening the oven door repeatedly during baking, which causes temperature dips and may result in underbaked centers.
- Fold the ziploc in half and roll the dough out from inside the bag until it takes up the full half of the bag (as shown in the photo above): Rolling inside the bag creates an even thickness with minimal mess, and you can hear the gentle pressure as the dough flattens. Aim for consistent thickness so each cookie bakes uniformly. If parts look thinner, adjust with a gentle press. A common issue is uneven rolling that yields cookies with crunchy edges and soft centers; rotate and re-roll as needed for uniformity.
- Cut open the bag and use a cookie cutter or knife to cut shapes of choice: The cut edges should be clean and defined, with a slight powdery sheen from the flour . When I lift a cut shape, I look for smooth edges and an even base. If the dough sticks to the cutter, dip it lightly in flour between cuts. A mistake I see is stretching shapes when transferring them; use a thin spatula to lift shapes carefully to keep their form.
- Place on a baking tray, and cook 11 minutes – they will look underdone when time's up, so let them cool completely before handling, as they firm up as they cool: During baking, the cookie edges will set and the centers will still appear soft, and you may catch a faint mint steam as you open the oven after the first tray. The cookies will continue to set as they cool, so resist the urge to move them immediately; handling too soon can deform them. An error to avoid is overbaking for a darker color; these should be pale with set edges for the best texture.
- Once cool, frost if desired: Cooling brings out the final textural contrast, and frosting adds sweetness and visual flair. When frosting, I spread gently and watch for a neat finish. If your frosting is too runny, the cookies will look sloppy; if too stiff, the topping will crack. Let the frosting set before stacking or packaging to preserve presentation.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off to avoid packing, which can make the dough dry and heavy.
- Fresh leaveners matter, replace baking soda and baking powder regularly because stale agents give weak rise and flat texture.
- Control peppermint intensity, add peppermint extract in small increments and taste the raw dough cautiously, since extracts are concentrated and can become medicinal if overused.
- Press in a bag for neatness, use a gallon ziploc to compress and roll the dough without dirtying your counter, which also keeps shapes tidy.
- Chill for flavor depth, refrigerate the dough overnight when you have time, as resting helps the flour fully hydrate and the flavors meld into a more rounded profile.
- Cool before frosting, ensure cookies are completely cooled to prevent melting the icing and ruining the appearance.