Gluten-Free, Chocolate, Peppermint Cookie Bars

Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Cookie:

• 1/2 cup grass-fed butter or coconut oil, melted (I used a mixture.)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3–1/2 cup sugar

Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter*
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons coconut cream (the cream that rises to the top of full fat coconut milk when it is refrigerated)
• 2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk**
• 1/2 teaspoons peppermint flavor
• 1 small beet root
• 4 natural candy canes, crushed (optional)

Directions:

Cookie:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the melted butter/oil with the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, and sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined. Press the batter into an 8 x 8-inch greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

Frosting:

Place the butter and sugar in a pan on medium heat until butter starts to melt. Remove from heat and stir well. Pour the mixture into a Vitamix or blender with the coconut cream, coconut milk, and peppermint flavoring. Blend until smooth.

Peel the small beet root, place in a saucepan with about 2 tablespoons water, and cook over medium heat until the water is red. Pour some of the red water into your frosting and stir until desired color is reached. Place the frosting in the refrigerator to set if it’s runny.

Once the cookies have cooled, spread the frosting evenly and sprinkle the crushed candy over the wet frosting. Place in the fridge to let the frosting set. Store in the refrigerator (I think these taste best straight out of the refrigerator!).

Quick notes:

*You may be able to used 2 additional tablespoons of coconut cream instead of butter in the frosting. I haven’t tried it, but it should work. It may just make it more coconutty and more peppermint extract may be needed.

**For the freshest coconut milk, make homemade coconut milk. (See video at this link.)

Variations:

For those that do not like peppermint, try any other flavor extract or simply use vanilla. Add 1/4 teaspoon to start in case it’s a stronger extract.

Recipe and photo submitted by Kate, Highlands Ranch, CO.

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