The BEST low calorie peppermint cookies – 79 calories each!

These low calorie peppermint cookies are the absolute BEST low calorie holiday cookies ever! They are soft, they are chewy and they are filled with delicious peppermint flavor. Each cookie contains just 79 calories and is bursting with crushed candy cane goodness with every bite! The best part? These cookies are completely vegan, sugar-free and require no eggs or dairy.

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here. 

This recipe was inspired by my 80 calorie chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to make a delicious, gooey cookie for this holiday season that is still low in calories!

It can be challenging to fit all the sweet treats we know and love into a calorie deficit during this holiday season. Cookies are super high in calories and it’s easy to think you need to cut them out completely when losing weight. These low calorie peppermint cookies are the perfect little treat to enjoy this holiday season so you don’t feel left out! You seriously would have NO IDEA they are super low in calories!

These cookies are super easy to make, require only a handful of ingredients and aren’t a massive batch so you won’t be tempted to eat in excess! This recipe only makes 3 cookies at 80 calories each so even if you end up eating the entire batch, you still get 3 cookies with half the calories of one regular cookie!

Low calorie peppermint cookies

Having a massive sweet tooth and embarking on a weight loss journey can seem like an impossible task. These low calorie cookies are the best of both worlds! They are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth all while having less than 100 calories per cookie.

The best part is, these cookies take less than 10 minutes to bake! You can have a batch of these delicious cookies with only a handful of ingredients and very minimal effort.

Although I don’t think you need to miss out on regular foods, especially during the holidays, I know some people like to stay within their deficit so of course I needed to come up with some delicious low calorie treats for the holidays.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• These cookies take less than 10 minutes to bake!
• This is a small batch recipe making overeating less likely.
• This recipe is completely vegan, dairy-free and can easily be made gluten-free.
• These cookies are super sweet and satisfying!
• These cookies are naturally sweetened and contain little to no added sugars.
• These cookies have the PERFECT texture – soft and chewy with crispy edges!
• This recipe requires very minimal effort and just a handful of ingredients.
• The BEST low calorie peppermint cookies!

INGREDIENTS

The exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make these low calorie peppermint cookies you will need:

All-purpose flour – I used regular AP/Plain flour. You can use gluten free plain flour for a gluten free alternative.

Stevia – Any 0 calorie granulated sweetener should work for this recipe. Stevia is a natural sweetener and tastes the most similar to sugar.

Baking soda – Baking soda helps the cookies spread a little.

Applesauce – Applesauce is a great alternative to eggs and butter. This helps keep the calories super low whilst holding the cookies in shape.

Olive oil – Olive oil is great for keeping the cookie intact as this recipe has very little fat. You can swap out olive oil for any oil you would prefer.

Peppermint extract – The delicious peppermint flavor for these cookies comes from the peppermint extract!

Vanilla extract – No cookie recipe is complete without a little vanilla!

Chocolate chips/chunks – I used regular milknchocolate chips for this recipe but you can use any chocolate chips you would like. For an even lower calorie and completely sugar-free cookie, you can use sugar-free chocolate chips. You can also omit the chocolate completely and use just the candy cane pieces.

Crushed candy cane – I used 1 crushed candy cane to cover all 3 cookies. You don’t need to add this but it just adds an extra layer of delicious peppermint flavor.

HOW TO MAKE LOW CALORIE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

These cookies are really easy to make and can be ready in just 5 simple steps!

1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Mix together the flour, stevia and baking soda.
3. Fold in the extracts, applesauce and oil.
4. Crush the candy cane until you have smallish chunks. Fold the candy cane chunks and chocolate chips into the dough. Alternatively, you can crush the candy cane until super fine and roll the cookie dough in the crushed candy cane.
5. Scoop 3 equal spoonfuls, roll into a ball and place onto a prepared baking tray.
6. Bake for 8 minutes and let the cookies cool on the baking tray before transferring onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Top tips & storage

1. Refrigerate before baking – Chill the cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking for the perfect chewy cookie! Chilled cookie dough also produces a firmer cookie.
2. Don’t over-bake – When these cookies come out of the oven, they’ll be very soft and can seem under-baked. But they will firm up and bake more as they cool so avoid over-baking!
3. Sprinkle with salt – A sprinkle of sea salt makes a cookie just that little bit better.

Storage

These cookies can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days. These cookies are suitable for home freezing, Place them in a zip lock bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

More low calorie cookies…