A little earthy, a little sweet, these bright green vegan matcha peppermint cookies with dark chocolate and flaky sea salt are a festive addition to your holiday baking.
Are You Here for the Recipe? Vegan Peppermint Matcha Cookies
While scrolling through Instagram, Alanna’s bright green & gooey cookies filled my screen. The combination of flavors and the vibrant color stopped me from mindlessly scrolling. Alanna, aka The Bojon Gourmet, is one of my constant sources of inspiration because she masterfully uses whole-grain, gluten-free flours to deliver wholesome yet indulgent sweets.
This recipe is adapted ever so slightly from Alanna’s original. I followed her recipe notes and substitutions and simply added peppermint extract to heighten the holiday feel.
Dark or White Chocolate? All the Chocolate?
I baked these vegan peppermint matcha cookies specifically for a vegan friend of mine (who happens to be a highly skilled and talented sewist), but if vegan isn’t a concern, the flavors pair well with white chocolate chips. Follow your holiday bliss.
Are You Here to Connect? Let’s Talk Tardiness
A friend of mine joked I should adopt her Scottish family’s crest, “Late but in earnest.” Ugh, I felt seen. Those damn Scots!
I am typically late, but there is usually an earnest and thoughtful reason for my delay. My departure time will come and go as I’m wrapping gifts for my friends while waiting for a cake to cool, or baking an elaborate cake and trying to make sure my puppy gets all her wiggles out.
Though my efforts are, as the crest said, in earnest, they still take a toll. Constantly running late is stressful for me and inconvenient for everyone else, so I’ve been prioritizing timeliness.
I’ve had to be more honest with how long it takes me to make everything on my ambitious list, or how long I need to set a table for brunch and photograph it before hungry friends arrive.
I’ve also been more gentle with myself, set lower expectations for my to-do list on days when I’m on a long shoot for my day job. It turns out time management plus self-compassion is a winning formula.
This season, I’m feeling grateful for many personal shifts, but being more realistic about time has been a big shift. What I’ve discovered is that by giving myself the time I need, I end up feeling more creative.
Rather than storing the idea for these vegan peppermint matcha cookies deep in the archives, I found myself excited to bake. I found myself mixing matcha in no time. Here’s hoping I can eventually fully inhabit a crest that says “On time and in earnest.”
Are You Here for the Dogs?
Here’s a very [begrudgingly] festive Julep…
You Might Also Like: Blackberry Matcha Tea Cakes
The matcha in these muffins adds a subtle green hue and a nuttiness that balances the tart and juicy blackberries. They’re perfect for pairing with a homemade matcha latte to really lean into the tea theme. You can find this recipe and many more in my book, The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook.
Vegan Matcha Peppermint Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup + ½ tablespoon (130 g) tahini
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons (130 g) maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons (35 g) melted & cooled coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Dry Ingredients
- ¼ cup (33 g) white rice flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (40 g) blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons (10 g) culinary-grade matcha
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Fold In:
- 4 ounces (115 g) dark chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips, to taste (optional, skip for vegan cookies)
Topping
- Flaked sea salt
Directions
- Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line a rimless cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and peppermint extract until smooth and emulsified.
- Place a strainer over the bowl and sift in the dry ingredients. Stir to combine, then stir vigorously for 10 seconds for an extra soft and chewy cookie.
- Stir in the dark chocolate chips and/or white chocolate chips if using (omit white chips for vegan cookies).
- Use a spoon to scoop cookies onto the prepared cookie sheet, spaced 2-3 inches apart. Sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt.
- Bake the cookies on the top rack of the oven until golden and puffed, with the edges beginning to set and the centers soft, 10-14 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet at 8 minutes for even baking.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Let them cool slightly; they will become firmer as they cool.
- Enjoy warm, at room temperature, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
