Hey guys!  I have been busy baking up a storm in the kitchen as I prepare to host a keto baking exchange this week.  I am a huge fan of having a selection of goodies to choose from whenever I host a holiday gathering.  When you follow a ketogenic lifestyle that means having a selection of keto goodies of course!  These keto chocolate candy cane cookies are perfect for this time of year and sharing with friends and family during the holidays…

These keto chocolate candy cane cookies are seriously super easy to make and absolutely delicious!

They combine two of my favorite baking flavours, chocolate and peppermint.  I love the rich texture of this cookie with its crunchy bits of peppermint.

How to make these Keto Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies:

To start you will need to buy sugar-free peppermint candies.  They are the “candy cane” portion of this recipe.  I found these peppermint candies at my local Shoppers Drug Mart.

• In a stand mixer combine dry ingredients.
• Add egg, extract and cream cheese.
• Combine until a soft dough forms.
• Add half of the chocolate chips and mix.
• Use a small cookie scoop to place walnut size balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 12 mins at 350.
• In a small microwave safe bowl, melt remaining chocolate chips.  Tip: heat for only a few seconds at a time, stirring frequently.

• Drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies.
• Top with crushed peppermint.  Tip: work quickly before the chocolate hardens otherwise the crushed peppermint bits will not stick to the cookies.

Sprinkling the cookies with crushed peppermint bits is my favorite part because this final step gives the cookies a fun festive look.  They look so great all plated up for the holiday season!  I have adapted this recipe to use ingredients that are sugar free, low carb and keto friendly.  If you are looking for alternatives for other recipes you could try these:

Flour Alternatives:

• Almond flour is my personal favorite for consistency and flavour.  I like to purchase the Kirkland brand almond flour from Costco.
• Coconut flour can sometimes be crumbly in my experience but good in combination with almond flour.  I like the Red Mill brand.
• Rice flour is my least favorite in terms of consistency but a great alternative for those who may have allergies.

Sugar Alternatives:

• Stevia is made from the Stevia leaf, I like to use both the granulated and powdered version of this in my recipes.  
• Monk Fruit extract is made from Monk fruit, this is another great alternative that is low on the glycemic index.
• Erythritol is a sugar alcohol and another popular low carb sweetener that can be used in baking.

These cookies are perfect for the holidays and look amazing on a cookie tray for Christmas parties and gatherings.  I plan on adding a few of them to my annual keto baking exchange this year.  They are easy to make and are absolute show stoppers.

Tips for Holiday Baking:

• Double or triple recipes to make large batches of goodies.  This allows cookies and bars to be made in an assembly line fashion and speeds up the process.
• Pick holiday recipes that compliment each other and look good plated together.  For example every year I like to make Candy Cane Brownies, Eggnog Cookies, Cranberry and Pistachio Shortbread and Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Cookies for a good variety.
• Participate in a Holiday Baking Exchange!  This is a great way to prepare for a season of holiday entertaining.
• Start baking early and store goodies in the freezer until they are needed.  I use these large Rubbermaid food storage containers (aff link) to save a mixture of cookies and bars in my freezer so that I have them ready to go for Christmas parties and gatherings all season long.

Try making these keto chocolate candy cane cookies for your next holiday gathering!  Would you share these cookies with friends?  They are so good that I have a hard time sharing and often just keep them in the freezer to pair with my morning coffee.