Eggless Peppermint Mocha Sandwich Cookies

Although I love gingerbread-flavored things dearly, as a chocolate- and Starbucks-peppermint-mocha-lover, this recipe seemed fitting. And as Christmas approaches, I always enjoy testing out new recipes to be shared with my friends and family. 

I adapted my eggless double chocolate chip cookie recipe into these delicious, chewy cookie sandwiches. They taste like a peppermint mocha in cookie form, and I’m pretty darn happy about it. I hope you will be, too.

These cookies make the perfect holiday gift or treat and are pretty simple to make!

They're are nut-free and can easily be made dairy-free and vegan with the substitution of coconut oil for butter in the cookies. And similarly, you can easily use butter for the icing filling; just make sure it's slightly softened before using!

Warning: If you plan on filling the sandwiches in advance of serving, I suggest keeping them in a cool environment; coconut oil softens easily and the icing might start to "melt" a bit. I just kept mine in the fridge and took them out about 20 minutes before serving. 

I hope you enjoy!

Eggless Peppermint Mocha Sandwich Cookies Recipe

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup softened butter or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar or coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbs water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 and 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tbs espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbs canola or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (I used a roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate bar)
• 1/4 cup crushed candy cane

Frosting:

• 6 tbs coconut oil or butter
• 1.5-2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Cream butter with sugars in a large bowl until smooth. Add in 2 tbs water and 1 tsp vanilla and mix.

3. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined, then add in the oil.

4 Lastly, stir in semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips.

5. Scoop tablespoon-sized dough balls onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes.

6. While letting the cookies cool completely, mix coconut oil/butter with sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy.

7. Add in the extracts and water/milk and mix until combined. Put in fridge until cookies cool.

8. Using a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off, pipe frosting onto one cookie. Top with another of   similar size. Sprinkle sides of cookies with crushed peppermint and enjoy!