Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Dough Balls – Coconut Flour (GF), Vegan

Raw, edible Peppermint Cookie Dough Balls anyone? Me please! Cookie dough is the best part of the cookie in my world. In all honestly, I can take or leave a cookie. They’re delicious and all… but my will power can withstand even a fresh-from-the-oven, homemade, sweet-smelling cookie. Give me the dough before it hits the oven though, and I’m stuffing my face like it’s a contest.

These raw, edible Peppermint Cookie Dough Balls are made from coconut and almond flours. As a result, they’re protein-packed and super high in dietary fiber. So are they healthy enough that we can feel good about snacking on them? Check.

Why Coconut Flour?

Coconut flour isn’t for everyone. But if you’re a fan, you know what to expect. It’s popular with low carb and keto-friendly baking, because it’s, well, extremely low carb. It’s also super high in fiber and has a mild taste that doesn’t overpower your baking.

Coconut flour is also gluten-free, which is why I love it. It’s one of the few flours that doesn’t cause digestion issues for me. There are trade-offs, just like any healthy swap. The most important thing to note is how absorbent it is. Think of it as a SPONGE! It takes about 1/4 cup of coconut flour to replace 1 cup of wheat flour in a typical recipe. I wouldn’t recommend it as a straight swap, but if you’re going to, that’s the ratio.

The biggest difference I notice, is coconut flour’s texture. It’s grainier than other flours, but with a little extra liquid and some coconut oil it can work perfectly. Even compared to my oat four based cookie dough balls, I think these ones have the most “cookie dough-like” texture. But I’m a coconut flour super fan so try both ways for yourself and you be the judge!

What about the Almond Flour?

Almond flour is packed with healthy fats, protein, and fiber. For the full nutrition label, see here. Almond flour is just ground up almonds. You can buy it in bags, or make your own in your Vitamix or high powered blender. If you’re going to make your own, these are the stages to watch for:

1. Almond meal – Almonds will grind up into coarse but tiny chunks, known as almond meal. This stage is delicious as a “breading” because the coarser texture mimics Panko Breadcrumbs but in a healthier, gluten freeway.
2. Almond flour – This is the next stage after almond meal. The almonds are ground into a fine powder or flour. This is what macaroons are made of! It’s perfect for baking and makes a delicious, protein-packed, gluten-free alternative to wheat flour. Just be careful not to overeat the results. It’s very filling!
3. Almond butter – If you keep grinding away in your Vitamix past the “flour” stage, you will eventually get to the “butter” stage. You know, that delicious, gooey, sticky almond butter that tastes amazing on toast and apples alike? That’s the stuff. So now you also know you can make it in your Vitamix. But it’s pretty hard to scrape out from the bottom, so I still buy it by the jar.

How do you make these Peppermint Cookie Dough Balls?

So glad you asked, because it’s SO EASY!

Melt the coconut oil and maple syrup in a small pot over low heat. You don’t want it to get too hot, or you’ll just have to wait longer to fold in the chocolate chips, and who likes to wait? Not me. We’ve all got things to do! Well maybe not as many things right now during Covid days… but let’s practice for the day that’s coming very soon when we’re actually allowed in each other’s houses again. That’s exciting, right?! And we’ll all be such experienced home cooks by then! Ok, I got way off track there… back to it.

In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut and almond flours, cocoa, and sea salt. Once the coconut oil and maple syrup have JUST melted together, remove from the heat and stir in the peppermint and vanilla. Then scrape out the whole glorious, sweet, runny mixture over the dry ingredients. Fold them together until the “cookie dough” texture forms, and then fold in the chocolate chips. Wait until the dough is room temperature though, and not hot from the melted coconut oil addition. I’ve forgotten about the coconut oil on the stove before, and it has been piping hot. That’s fine for the dry ingredients, but it needs to cool down before the chocolate chips are added or they’ll MELT!

Shaping the cookie dough balls

Form the dough into balls, or use a cookie scoop. I love my cookie scoop for these ones because it leaves the cookie dough texture on top that looks AMAZING. Place them on a lined plate or small baking sheet once they’re in “ball” form, and pop them in the fridge to set. They set up in an hour typically, but if they’re not firm by then just give them 30 minutes longer.

The dough will be delicate and look wet. That’s why I like to use a scoop with this recipe. If you’re shaping them by hand, just delicately press them into a ball shape. They won’t hold together well enough to roll at this point. But not to worry – by the time they set, the texture is perfect. The coconut oil will act as the binder once set.

The final step? Devour them. (That’s my favorite step.)

These Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Dough Balls are:

• Chocolatey
• Minty
• Just sweet enough
• Perfect for healthy, sweet snacking
• Fiber filled
• Protein packed thanks to the almond flour
• Gluten free
• Delicious!

Love edible cookie dough balls as much as we do? We’ll just leave these here…

• Ginger Cookie Dough Balls – Coconut Flour
• Lemon Sugar Cookie Dough Balls – Coconut Flour
• Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
• Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough Balls
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

So here they are, my personal favorites: Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Dough Balls. They are gluten-free and made with coconut and almond flours. If you make these cookie dough balls, let us know how it went in the comments below! We hope you love them as much as we do – Enjoy!

📖 Recipe