Easy One-Bowl Vegan Peppermint Brownie Cookies in Under 20 Minutes

|Updated Dec 9, 2022

Vegan cookie recipes are trending all over social media right now, and we have the perfect batch for the winter. One-Bowl Vegan Peppermint Brownie cookies are chewy, fudgy, rich, and dense, and combine both worlds, chocolate cookies, and chocolate brownies.

What You’ll Need to Make Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Flour
Cocoa Powder
Sugar
Baking Powder
Salt
Vegetable Oil
Peppermint Extract
Plant Milk
Chopped Dark Chocolate (Optional)
Peppermint Flavored Candy Cake (Optional)

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Vegan Peppermint Brownie Cookies is an easy vegan recipe made in just one bowl so very little cleanup is required. The pre-baking process is simple and takes just ten minutes. You'll combine the dry ingredients (your flour, powders, and sugar) in a bowl and mix then add your wet ingredients and mix until cookie dough consistency.

Then, you'll roll your dough into a ball on a baking sheet and leave room for a festive crushed peppermint topping. Bake your cookies for roughly 8 minutes –– they will appear slightly "under-cooked." The key to the perfect, gooey on the inside and crisp on the outside cookie is to not let them cook all the way through. If you have leftovers, you can easily freeze them!

Tips and Substitutes for Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Brownie Cookies

Have allergies or want to try another way to make these cookies? Try any one of these easy alternatives:

Instead of all-purpose white flour, you can try whole wheat, oat, or a gluten-free blend as well. You can use white or brown sugar here.
Feel free to use only 1/3 cup sugar for a less sugary version, or more for extra sweet cookies.
Instead of basic (unsweetened) milk use chocolate milk instead. Or for the fudgiest and most delicious result try chocolate pudding If you don’t like the peppermint flavor you can skip it completely or use vanilla extract instead.
If you're not using peppermint you can add extra chopped chocolate or walnuts to the cookies instead for more flavor and texture.

Is Chocolate Vegan?

In this recipe, the chocolate taste comes from cocoa powder, derived from the cacao bean which is completely vegan. Dark chocolate is typically vegan because it's not commonly made with milk, however, make sure to double-check the ingredient label.

Are Candy Canes Vegan?

Candy canes are typically vegan since they are simply made with sugar, corn syrup, and natural flavoring and coloring. On the other hand, gourmet candy canes dipped in chocolate or butterscotch are not vegan since these ingredients are dairy-based.

Prep time: 10 mins
Baking time: 8 mins

Vegan Peppermint Brownie Cookies

Makes about 20 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup / 120 g flour
1/2 cup / 50 g cocoa powder
1/3 to 1/2 cup / 70-100 g sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
7 tbsp / 100 ml vegetable oil
few drops of peppermint extract
1-6 tbsp plant milk
1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (optional)
peppermint flavored candy cane, crushed (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 340 F / 170 C.
Sift flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt, and mix well together.
Add vegetable oil and peppermint extract, and mix well together, until you get a cookie dough consistency. You likely need to add a few tablespoons of milk to reach desired consistency. Go slow and add 1 tablespoon at a time.
Stir in chopped chocolate, if using.
Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions (a mini ice cream scoop works best for this). Roll into small balls, and place on a baking tray, leaving some space between them.
Bake for 7-8 minutes, until edges are crispy, but cookies look still “underdone”. Sprinkle with crushed candy, then let cool completely.