Vegan

Name: Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Cups
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 3 h 8 min
Yield: 16 Cookie Cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 flax eggs* or 2 large eggs, room temp; 6oz dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped; 1/3 cup solid coconut oil; 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder; 3/4 coconut sugar; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tsp peppermint extract; 5oz dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped; 1/2 cup coconut cream or full fat fat coconut milk; 3-4 Tbsp dairy-free white chocolate chips; 1-2 Tbsp crushed peppermint pieces; 1-2 Tbsp sugar sprinkles

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Cups (vegan)

December 11, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Some of the ingredients I like for this recipe:

Flaxseed meal mixes with warm water to create a thick egg replacement. You don’t taste the flax at all in this recipe, but if you’re not vegan, feel free to use large eggs instead.

Semi-sweet chocolate is the perfect chocolate for these cookie cups! With just the right amount of sweet, you can use it for both the cups and the chocolate ganache. If you like your desserts extra rich, you can use dark chocolate (72%) for the ganache.

Coconut oil is a simple, dairy-free alternative to butter in this recipe. It sets up quickly in the refrigerator, so you’ll only need to chill the dough for 30 minutes. Plus, the coconut taste doesn’t come out in the final product!

Dutch-process cocoa powder has a richer chocolate flavor and deeper color.

Peppermint extract makes these peppermint cookie cups! Make sure to use peppermint extract and not mint extract (which tastes like spearmint toothpaste!).

Coconut cream (or full fat coconut milk) thickens the chocolate ganache. It’s a wonderful replacement for dairy cream, and you won’t taste any coconut in the final product.

Yield: 16 Cookie Cups

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Cups

Rich and indulgent dark chocolate peppermint cookie cups topped with a decadent chocolate ganache, creamy white chocolate drizzle, and festive peppermint pieces!

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 8 minutes

Ingredients

Cookie Cups

2 flax eggs* or 2 large eggs, room temp
6oz dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup solid coconut oil
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 coconut sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp peppermint extract

Toppings

5oz dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup coconut cream or full fat fat coconut milk
3-4 Tbsp dairy-free white chocolate chips
1-2 Tbsp crushed peppermint pieces
1-2 Tbsp sugar sprinkles

Instructions

Make the Cookie Cups

Make your flax eggs by combining the flaxseed meal and warm water in a small bowl; set aside to allow time to thicken. OR bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a medium pot with about an inch of water and place over medium heat. Grab a heatproof bowl (one that will sit on your pot of water without touching the water), place it on your pot of water, and add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil. Stir frequently until everything is melted; set mixture aside.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until flour and cocoa are combined; set aside.
Return to your chocolate mixture and stir in the coconut sugar. Add the flax eggs and peppermint extract and stir to combine. Finally, add the dry ingredients and stir until totally combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and liberally spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray - I used olive oil spray. Remove dough from the refrigerator and scoop 1" balls (a little more than 1.5 Tbsp). Roll dough balls smooth and place in the prepared muffin wells.
Bake at 350°F for 7-8 minutes. Immediately press small, circular wells into the tops of each cookie cup, making them as shallow or deep as you'd like. I used the top of a sesame oil bottle with a 1" bottle cap - it worked perfectly! Allow cookie cups to cool in the muffin pan.
Once your cookie cups are cool, use a butter knife to very gently loosen the top edges of each cup. Turn your muffin pan over and hit the back until all muffin cups have released - this may take a bit of finagling, but all of your cups should come out clean.

Prepare the Toppings

Using the same double boiler method as above (heatproof bowl sitting on top of a pot of simmering water), melt the chopped chocolate and coconut cream, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, stirring here and there. Ganache should thicken quite a bit.
Use a ziploc bag or piping bag fitted with a small, circular tip to pipe the ganache into each cookie cup.
Melt the white chocolate chips by microwaving in 15 second intervals until smooth, careful not to over-heat them. Pour white chocolate into a ziploc bag, snip the corner, and drizzle the chocolate over the ganache.
Immediately (and quickly!) top the cookie cups with a mix of sugar sprinkles and crushed peppermint pieces.
Store cookie cup leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

*2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp warm water
Make sure you use peppermint extract, not mint extract (which tastes like toothpaste!).
The piped ganache and melted white chocolate will begin to set soon after piping, so make haste with sprinkling the crushed peppermint pieces and sprinkles onto the tops!
It's important to bring your eggs to room temperature because cold eggs could affect the coconut oil, solidifying the melted oil into little chunks

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles (Vegan)

November 25, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Chocolate truffles are one of those simple desserts that always remind me of the holiday season. The combinations are endless, and who doesn’t want to bite into a big ball of chocolate on Thanksgiving or Christmas? They’re simple to put together (though the chocolate does take some time to firm up), and they’re also a fun treat to make with kids. My toddler loved helping me roll the truffles and dip them in chocolate sprinkles! But I did have to keep her from licking a couple of the truffles – ha!

For these truffles, you’ll make a simple chocolate ganache with your favorite chopped chocolate, coconut cream, and olive oil. The coconut cream helps give the ganache that thick and creamy texture – perfect for making truffles (and you can’t taste it in the final product). Then you’ll stir in some dried cranberries and chopped pecans, refrigerate the chocolate until firm, and then roll the truffles! This recipe is super customizable so you can leave out what you don’t like and add what you do. And you can roll your truffles in any topping you’d like or dip them in tempered chocolate for even more decadence!

Yield: 16 Truffles

Cranberry Pecan Olive Oil Chocolate Truffles

Simple and decadent olive oil chocolate truffles filled with dried cranberries and chopped pecans! These vegan-friendly truffles are ultra-creamy and so delicious!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

8oz chopped semi-sweet or dark chocolate
1/2 cup canned coconut cream
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
6 Tbsp chopped pecan pieces
Cocoa powder, sprinkles, or extra chopped pecans to roll truffles

Instructions

Add the chopped chocolate to a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of about 1" of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir the chocolate until totally melted; remove from heat.
Whisk in the coconut cream and olive oil until totally combined - mixture will thicken up. Stir in the dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Allow mixture to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Cover and refrigerate chocolate mixture for 3-4 hours or until firm enough to scoop.
Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop truffles 1.5 Tbsp in size. Freeze for 5 minutes before rolling the truffles into smooth balls.
If the truffles are sticky, put them in the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling them in the topping(s) of your choice (sprinkles, chopped pecans, cocoa powder, etc). If your truffles needed to be chilled again, gently roll them in your hands to heat up the surface before rolling them in the topping - this helps the topping stick.
Store truffles in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

Shake your can of coconut cream prior to opening. If the cream has hardened, scoop out all of the contents and heat them up until melted and combined. Then measure out 1/2 cup.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232 Total Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 17mg Carbohydrates: 21g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 16g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 2g

calculated nutrition information may not always be accurate

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred

Other recipes you might like:

Orange Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies (DF)

Orange Cranberry Swirl Bread (Vegan)

Dark Chocolate Mini Peanut Butter Cups (Vegan)

Healthier Classic No-Bake Cookies (DF)

November 14, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

If you’re here then you’re probably already a huge fan of no-bake cookies. So many of us have fond memories of snacking on no-bake cookies as kids, or making them for our kids! My mom made these easy cookies all the time when I was a kid, and I was always overjoyed about them! They never lasted more than a day or two at our house.

I took the recipe my mom has always used and tweaked it a little for a “healthier” version – I use that word lightly, because I don’t think these cookies are actually healthy. But they’re better for you than the original! They’re made with olive oil instead of butter, raw turbinado sugar (and less of it!), and plant-based milk. I also prefer using old fashion oats for my no-bake cookies, but you can use quick oats if you prefer!

If you’ve made your own no-bake cookies before then you know just how finicky they can be. Will they set? Will they get too hard and crumble in your hands? Is it the weather? I’ve wondered these questions many times!

The secret to perfect no-bake cookies every time actually has everything to do with how hot the sugar mixture gets. For this no-fail recipe, you’ll want to use a candy thermometer since timing the mixture alone doesn’t guarantee that it will reach the right temperature to set without becoming hard. Once your sugar mixture ingredients come to a rolling boil (bubbling all over the surface) you’ll pop your candy thermometer into the mixture – making sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan – and watch for the temperature to reach 100°C. I found that this temperature lends to a very gooey cookie (you’ll think they’re not going to set!) that after sitting out for a few hours turns into a soft, stackable no-bake cookie!

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Olive oil is a better-for-you alternative to regular butter (and even some dairy-free butters). It works just as well as other fats in this recipe, so don’t let its liquid state deter you!

Turbinado sugar is the raw, unrefined sugar you can find at almost any grocery store. Since I tested this recipe using only turbinado sugar (not regular granulated white sugar), I only recommend using turbinado! White sugar may cook/set differently and could affect the outcome of the cookies.

Dutch process cocoa powder gives these cookies a richer chocolate flavor. And look at that color! You can use natural cocoa powder in its place if you prefer it or have it on hand.

Natural peanut butter is the best peanut butter! Made with only peanuts, it has no extra sugar or fillers to affect these cookies.

Unsweetened almond milk works wonderfully as a dairy milk replacement in these cookies. I like the unsweetened, original variety for this recipe.

Yield: ~15 Cookies

Healthier Classic No-Bake Cookies

Ooey gooey chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies made with olive oil and raw sugar. These fudge-like cookies will stay fresh for days!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 41 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp dutch process cocoa powder (or natural cocoa powder)
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup natural (sugar-free) peanut butter
1 - 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

Instructions

Prepare your ingredients and workspace. Have your candy thermometer ready, your peanut butter measured out, and your oats available/ready to measure. Lay out a piece of parchment or wax paper on your counter (about the size of a baking sheet) and have a mixing spoon and cookie scoop ready.
In a medium pot, whisk together the milk, cocoa powder, and oil. Whisk in the sugar. Set heat to medium-low for a gas range and medium-high for an electric range. Allow the sugar to melt, giving a quick stir with your whisk. Insert your candy thermometer and allow the mixture to come to a full, rolling boil until it reaches 100°C or 212°F. If you're using a gas range, I recommend turning the flame lower during this waiting period to ensure none of the mixture gets too hot.
Immediately remove from the heat and mix in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Working quickly, stir in 1 cup of the oats. If the mixture looks thin, add more oats by the 1/4 cup (I added 1 1/4 cups oats to my cookies).
Quickly scoop your cookies onto the parchment or wax paper, making them as big or small as you'd like - I used a 1.5 Tbsp scoop. For uniformity in cookie size and shape, I highly recommend using a cookie scoop. Then, once your cookies are all scooped, you can use the back of a spoon to re-shape them as you see fit - flatten them a bit, "tuck in" any rough edges, etc (this is totally optional and won't affect how delicious the cookies will be!).
Allow cookies to set for at least 30 minutes. They will be gooey. The longer the cookies have to set, the firmer they will be. After sitting overnight, these cookies will be completely firm but not dry and crumbly.
Store set cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. If you wish to store the cookies while they're still gooey, avoid stacking them or place parchment paper between stacks for storage.

Notes

I highly recommend using a candy thermometer to cook the chocolate mixture. I've found the timing method (where you boil the mixture for 60-120 seconds) that most recipes call for to be inconsistent at best, especially when taking different range types into consideration! A thermometer ensures that your cookies will set up without turning too hard or dry.
I don't recommend any sugar substitutes for this recipe.