Chocolate-dipped Candy Cane "Shortbread" Cookies (Gluten-free)
Tinted pink with beetroot powder, these simple, festive, gluten-free vegan cookies are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with just a touch of crushed candy canes for a burst of minty magic.
It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow! Can you believe it? We always muse, where does the time go, but this year really has been strange. Festive preparations have felt a little bit muted under weighty distractions. Luckily, some of those same preparations come pretty close to being an antidote to world weariness. Best therapeutic prep ever? Baking cookies!
Cookies have got to be up there among top popular Christmas traditions —such dazzling variety, delightful designs, and so much nostalgia folded in, beginning with the making and baking. Plus, they can almost always be made a few days in advance, helping with organization, and even frozen for longer-term storage without flavor tradeoffs. Each year, we’ve been trying to create at least one batch of something new, or at least some kind of twist on a favoite. Always, we have a variation or two using a classic simple almond and gluten-free flour dough that uses just the lightest touch of maple syrup and little oil. This year, these candy cane beauties served as both the “new” and one of two variations, the other being this Golden Milk Cutout Cookie favorite.
We used a candy cane cutter for these, but you can absolutely shape them yourself. If you do, you may find you need to press and mold more than roll, as the dough could feel a little bit crumbly. If that’s the case, feel free to add just a touch of plant milk, literally a teaspoon at a time. Or, if it’s too sticky, sprinkle some gluten free flour (gluten-free blend, oat, and rice all work well). Candy cane shaped cookies, colored green and red, were among my favorites growing up. My sisters and I would roll and twist them into plump, pillowy monsters. These give me the fuzzy feels remembering those, enhanced knowing they’re made with better-for-you ingredients and are free from artificial dye. Equally warming is knowing that the concept of these came from Felix—with particular attention to the must-have candy cane sprinkles!
Of course, these don’t have to be candy cane shapes to be scrumptious. Nor do they have to be pink! Make a batch with the beetroot powder and a batch without. Add turmeric, matcha, or moringa to portions for other colors. Cut into whatever shapes you choose. Just get playful, and enjoy! Happy holidays!
Chocolate-dipped Candy Cane "Shortbread" Cookies
Tinted pink with beetroot powder, these simple, festive, gluten-free and vegan cookies are dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with just a touch of crushed candy canes for a burst of minty magic.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup almond flour
- ⅓ Oat or any gluten-free flour (more as needed for rolling)
- 1 Tablespoon beetroot powder (optional, for color)
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 3 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons light olive oil (or of choice)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Melted dark chocolate (about 1/2 Cup) and crushed candy canes (start with 4-5 mini candy canes) for coating and decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (almond flour through baking powder).
- In a liquid measuring cup, use a fork to lightly mix the maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring to form a pliable dough.
- Roll out the dough into a about 1/4-inch layer on a lightly floured surface, sprinkling flour to the dough surface as needed to prevent stickiness.
- Cut into shapes and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10 -11 minutes. Let cool.
- While the cookies are cooling, melt the dark chocolate: you can melt in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 second intervals, stirring after each time until smooth. Alternatively, temper by placing in a glass or pyrex bowl set on top of a saucepan filled with an inch or two of simmering water that will warm but not reach the bowl. Stirr occasionally until melted.
- When the cookies are cooled and the chocolate melted, dip the top half (or the whole cookie if preferred) in the chocolate and place back on the tray with the parchment. Sprinkle with the crushed candy canes. Let the chocolate firm up, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
85Fat
7 gSat. Fat
1 gCarbs
5 gFiber
1 gNet carbs
4 gSugar
3 gProtein
2 gSodium
10 mgCholesterol
0 mgIf you enjoy these, try these other simple variations with the same shortbready base:
Golden Milk Cutout Cookies
Chocolate-dipped Moringa (or Matcha) Pistachio Cookies