HEALTHY LITTLE VITTLES is a food blog created by certified health coach and published author, Gina Fontana, that focuses on gluten-free + vegan + plant-based recipes that anyone can make and everyone will enjoy! Here you'll find simple, flavorful meals, many made in 30 minutes or less. All eaters are welcome!
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These Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti make the perfect gluten-free, vegan cookie to share with all your loved ones this holiday season! Dip them in vegan white chocolate and garnish with crushed peppermint or candy canes for extra festive cookies!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill. The opinions and text are all mine. The product used in this recipe was sent to me as a gift, thank you so much Bob’s!
Growing up in an Italian home, we always had biscotti at family gatherings. It didn’t matter if it was Christmas or a birthday party, biscotti always had a place on the dessert table. But until I made Vanilla Oat Biscotti for my new gluten-free, vegan dessert book, The Beginner’s Guide to Gluten-Free Vegan Baking, I’ve never actually made them.
I called my dad over with his box of family recipes and we got to work figuring out the perfect combination of gluten-free and vegan ingredients to make this old family tradition a new one 🙂 And boy oh boy did we succeed! It did take us a few tries to get the batter just right, so I wanted to share it here with you here today so that you can add these Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti to your holiday dessert menus too!
The recipe of course starts with my go-to gluten-free baking flour from Bob’s Red Mill. Their Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour is made with a special blend of gluten free flours, starches and xanthan gum, making it easy to transform traditional cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins and pancakes into gluten free treats, and works wonderfully in this Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti recipe.
I like using Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in my baking recipes because they combine all of the baking flours and starches into one baking mix cutting down on the separate ingredients I need to buy, and they’ve already figured out the perfect blend taking the guess work out of trying to figure out the right amount of each ingredient to use. You can also buy the flaxseed meal, coconut sugar, and baking powder used in this biscotti recipe from Bob’s Red Mill too, so it’s a one-stop-shop! 🙂
The key to making traditional biscotti look authentic is making sure the loaf is just the right shape and size. It was a little tricky figuring that part out since gluten-free, vegan biscotti doesn’t rise and spread at all. The other thing you’ll need to do is allow for cooling time, then you slice it diagonally into cookies, and then you’re going to add it back to the oven to “dry out” the cookies and make them crunchy like traditional biscotti.
This recipe takes just a tad longer than others on my blog, but I promise it’s worth it. You can enjoy these Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti as is, dunked in your coffee or hot cocoa, or you can decorate them by dipping them in vegan white chocolate or dark chocolate (or both!) and sprinkling with crushed candy canes or peppermints for an extra festive oomph.
You’ll want to make sure to keep these Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti left uncovered otherwise they will soften. And actually they are even better the next day as they “dry out” a little bit. They get crunchier like traditional biscotti.
Be sure to head to the Bob’s Red Mill website to order or to locate in a store near you that carries their products. I would love to hear how you like these gluten-free, vegan Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti- I’m pretty confident you will love them! Be sure to leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook!
These Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti make the perfect gluten-free, vegan cookie to share with all your loved ones this holiday season! Dip them in vegan white chocolate and garnish with crushed peppermint or candy canes for extra festive cookies!
2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
7-8 tablespoons water
Decorating
1/2 cup vegan white chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips (or both!)
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 teaspoon coconut oil
candy canes/peppermints, crushed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flaxseed meal and water in a small bowl and set it aside for about 5 minutes to gel up.
Using an electric beater, beat the butter, sugar, and peppermint extract in a large bowl until smooth and creamy and then add in the flax eggs.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Then stir in the butter mixture and water, you may also use your hands to form a dough. You want to make sure the dough isn't too crumbly and sticks together well when you form it into a log.
Turn the dough out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and form the dough into a log measuring approximately 3-inches wide, 1 ½-inches thick, and 10-inches long. Bake for 25 minutes, until firm. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes.
With a sharp knife, carefully slice the log diagonally into ¾-inch thick slices. If it’s too crumbly, allow it to cool for longer. Place the cut sides down on the same parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for an additional 10-12 minutes and then set the oven to broil and broil the biscotti for 5-7 minutes on each side, watching them very carefully so they don’t burn. Store leftover biscotti on your counter uncovered for 3-4 days.
To decorate, place the biscotti on a wire cooling rack with parchment paper underneath. Then simply melt the white or dark chocolate chips with the peppermint extract and coconut oil and spoon the melted chocolate over the ends of the biscotti and sprinkle with crushed candy canes/peppermint. Allow the coating to harden before enjoying.
The Healthy Little Vittles blog provides general information and discussions about health, health foods, nutritional content and value, and related subjects from time to time. The information, recipes, or other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended to and should not be taken as medical advice, nor should it be a substitute for seeking the advice from a medical professional or replacement of treatment.
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The opinions and views expressed on the Healthy Little Vittles blog have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, health practice or other institution, and are simply provided on a health coaching basis.