These gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies are perfect for the holidays with their festive flavour. A delicious, buttery cookie filled with white chocolate, peppermint extract, and crushed candy canes will be a crowd favourite on your Christmas cookie table.
These gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies are packed with holiday cheer! Filled with white chocolate puddles and crushed candy canes, these giant buttery cookies are soft and chewy in the middle with delicious crispy edges.
Based on my recipe for Gluten-Free White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, this holiday version brings cheer with its fresh minty flavour. These cookies are big and thick like a classic bakery-style cookie.
These homemade gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies are perfect for your Christmas cookie table. They'd be great as a gift, when you're entertaining, or of course for yourself when you have the craving. Want all the details for these white chocolate candy cane cookies? Keep on reading!
Looking for more gluten-free Christmas cookies? Check out some of these:
- Gluten-Free Matcha Shortbread Cookies
- Gluten-Free Slice-and-Bake Sugar Cookies
- Grandma's Gluten-Free Shortbread Cookies
- Gluten & Dairy-Free Millionaire Shortbread
- Gluten-Free Christmas Crack (Dairy-Free option)
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A holiday hit! These cookies are festive in look and flavour. Plus they're allergy-friendly!
- Bakery quality. These giant cookies are filled with pools of white chocolate and chunks of candy cane. This recipe makes about 14 large cookies, so they're the size you'd find at a cute little cafe. This makes them super chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
- Quick and easy to make. Mixing the dough together takes just a few minutes! Then half an hour of chill time, and they bake. You could have delicious white chocolate peppermint cookies in just 1 hour.
- Looks super impressive. These cookies are giant and brightly coloured, so they are super impressive. Your friends and family will think you picked these up from a bakery!
Ingredients Needed
Here is everything you'll need to make these gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies:
- Salted butter: Ensure the butter is soft yet still cool. Add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt if you are using unsalted butter.
- Brown sugar
- White sugar: The combination of both sugars ensures these cookies develop crispy edges, while staying moist in the centre.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances all other flavours in these cookies.
- Peppermint extract: Emphasizes the minty flavour from the candy canes. Omit if you don't like too much mint.
- Egg: Keep the egg cold until you add it to the dough. This will keep the dough cool and help the cookies hold their shape.
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum: I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag).
- Baking powder
- Baking soda: The use of both leaveners ensure the perfect crinkly, soft, and crispy cookie.
- Salt: Add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter.
- White chocolate chunks: I like to chop about 1 ½ white chocolate bars for these cookies. You certainly could use white chocolate chips for these cookies, but I find chopped chocolate melts so much better, resulting in ooey gooey bites. I used Lindt Swiss classic white chocolate.
- Crushed candy canes: I like to incorporate these both in the cookie and sprinkled on top after baking for a festive look and minty taste. Ensure your candy canes do not contain wheat or gluten. At some stores, I've seen that you can buy crushed candy canes. Alternatively, you can crush full candy canes in the food processor, or put them in a ziplock bag and whack with a rolling pin or heavy object. Ensure they're left in chunks, not dust.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Be sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and instructions.
(1) Use a mixer with beaters or the paddle attachment to beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. If you don't have an electric mixer, use a wooden spoon or your hands to ensure the sugars get dissolved in the butter.
Beat in the extracts and egg, switching to a whisk if you are doing this by hand.
Place the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl. Lightly stir them together on top, then gently mix together until there are no dry spots. The dough will be fairly thick.
(2) Save 16 large pieces of white chocolate for topping the cookies. Fold in the remaining chopped white chocolate and crushed candy canes until thoroughly combined.
(3) Divide the dough into 14 balls, each about 2-3 tablespoon of dough (approximately 60g). Place on a small parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and top each ball with a large piece of white chocolate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Halfway through the chill time, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Place the dough balls on 2 large parchment-lined baking sheets. Make sure there is room between them for the cookies to spread. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are lightly coloured and the centres are still a little soft.
Baking Tip: For perfectly round cookies, take a large cookie cutter or the top of a glass and gently run it around each cookie immediately after removing it from the oven. This will reinforce a circular shape as the cookie cools. Sprinkle the tops with more crushed candy cane pieces.
(4) Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes until they have set slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy warm or allow to come to room temperature.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Storage Instructions: Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. Reheat for 10 seconds in the microwave if desired.
Freezing Instructions:
Cookie dough balls can be frozen in an airtight container for several months. Bake from frozen according to the above instructions, but note that the cookies may take a few extra minutes in the oven.
Baked cookies will freeze well. Wrap cookies tightly in plastic wrap or tin foil and place in an airtight, freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours. Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if desired.
Customizations
Here are a few suggestions if you're looking to make some substitutions:
- Dairy-free: Changing the butter for a dairy-free stick of butter is relatively simple these days. The white chocolate may be slightly more challenging. No Whey is an option that is gluten-free and dairy-free. ichoc makes a vegan white chocolate, but notes it may contain traces of gluten. Be sure to check the candy cane ingredients too.
- Change the chocolate: Milk, dark, or flavoured chocolate would also be great in here.
- Make smaller cookies: Make approximately 28 smaller cookies instead of 14 larger cookies. Note that the bake time may be shorter. Check the cookies around 5 minutes and leave until lightly golden.
Expert Tips
Here are some of my top tips and tricks for successful gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies:
- Ensure the butter is softened but still cool. Keeping the dough relatively cool will help achieve the thick bakery-style cookie.
- Roughly chop the chocolate and crush the candy canes. Large chunks provide melty chocolate puddles and good candy cane crunch in the cookies. The textures are part of what make these cookies so great.
- How to crush the candy canes. At some stores, I've seen that you can buy crushed candy canes. Alternatively, you can crush full candy canes in the food processor, or put them in a ziplock bag and whack with a rolling pin or heavy object. Ensure they're left in chunks, not dust.
- Don't go overboard on the peppermint. Peppermint extract is quite strong, so a little bit is all you need for that festive flavour. Don't be tempted to put extra candy cane chunks in the dough either, as they can make the cookies spread too much when baking as the sugar melts.
- Form the cookie dough balls before refrigerating. The dough will be easier to shape and work with prior to chilling.
- Shape them right out of the oven. For perfectly round cookies, take a large cookie cutter or the top of a glass and gently run it around each cookie immediately after removing it from the oven. This will reinforce a circular shape as the cookie cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most candy canes should be gluten-free—they're basically just made of sugar. But as always, be sure to check the ingredients on the candy canes at your grocery store to ensure there are no gluten-containing ingredients.
Yes, but it may be tricky. Changing the butter for a dairy-free stick of butter is relatively simple these days. The white chocolate may be slightly more challenging. No Whey is an option that is gluten-free and dairy-free. ichoc makes a vegan white chocolate, but notes it may contain traces of gluten.
Adding cocoa powder to the dough and changing the white for dark chocolate could turn these cookies into double chocolate peppermint cookies. However, I have not tested this variation and cannot yet recommend an amount of cocoa powder, as that would likely change other ingredient quantities. Try searching for a gluten-free chocolate peppermint cookie.
Chilling the cookie dough will help achieve the classic soft-in-the-middle, yet crispy-on-the-edges bakery style texture. Trust me it's worth it! Plus it's only 30 minutes in the fridge.
Make 28 smaller cookies instead of 14 large cookies. Note that the bake time may be shorter. Check the cookies around 5 minutes and leave in the oven until lightly golden.
Cookies will freeze well. Wrap cookies tightly in plastic wrap or tin foil and place in an airtight, freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours. Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave if desired. Cookie dough balls can also be frozen in an airtight container for several months, and baked right from frozen. Note that they may require a few extra minutes of baking time.
These gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies are packed full of chocolatey chunks and candy canes. With a crispy edge and chewy centre, this festive flavour will fit right in on your Christmas cookie table. See below for more gluten-free Christmas baking ideas!
Have you made these gluten-free white chocolate peppermint cookies? I would love if you leave a 5-star review below and tag me on instagram @livglutenfree. I hope you enjoy as much as I do!
More Gluten-Free Christmas Treats
Recipe
Gluten-Free White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, softened add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 egg cold
- 1⅔ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
- 1 cup white chocolate chunks about 150g or 1.5 bars
- ½ cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Use a mixer with beaters or the paddle attachment to beat the butter and both sugars together until light and fluffy. If you don't have an electric mixer, use a wooden spoon or your hands to ensure the sugars get dissolved in the butter.
- Beat in the extracts and egg, switching to a whisk if you are doing this by hand.
- Place the gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl. Lightly stir them together on top, then gently mix together until there are no dry spots. The dough will be fairly thick. Save 16 large pieces of white chocolate for topping the cookies. Fold in the remaining chopped white chocolate and crushed candy canes until thoroughly combined.
- Divide the dough into 14 balls, each about 2-3 tablespoon of dough (approximately 60g). Place on a small parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and top each ball with a large piece of white chocolate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Halfway through the chill time, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Place the dough balls on 2 large parchment-lined baking sheets. Make sure there is room between them for the cookies to spread. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the edges are lightly coloured and the centres are still a little soft. For perfectly round cookies, take a large cookie cutter or the top of a glass and gently run it around each cookie immediately after removing it from the oven. This will reinforce a circular shape as the cookie cools. Sprinkle the tops with more crushed candy cane pieces.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes until they have set slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Enjoy warm or allow to come to room temperature.
Let us know what you think!