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These copycat Peppermint Joe Joe’s are a Trader Joe’s copycat made gluten-free! They’re a chocolate sandwich cookie filled with peppermint cream and coated with chocolate. They can be made Paleo and AIP!

A plate of peppermint joe-joe's.

 

What are Peppermint Joe Joe’s?

Shopping at Trader Joe’s is always a fun shopping experience, but especially during the holidays! Peppermint Joe Joe’s are one of their holiday cookies that are made with a sandwich cookie (similar to an oreo) that’s coated with chocolate and topped with crushed candy canes. They definitely scream holiday,  but if you don’t eat gluten or dairy, you may feel left out!

This gluten and dairy-free version is also grain-free and can even be made paleo! The best part is that they look and taste just as yummy as anything you’d buy in a store.

The Ingredients for the Copycat Gluten-Free Peppermint Joe Joe’s

  • Coconut Flour, Cocoa Powder, and Tapioca Starch. These dry ingredients form the base of the chocolate sandwich cookie.
  • Baking Soda.
  • Coconut Oil.
  • Maple Syrup. This sweetens the cookies and the icing.
  • Palm Shortening. This gives the icing a great flavor!
  • Peppermint Extract. This gives the cookies and icing an authentic peppermint flavor!
  • Chocolate Chips. My favorite brand is Enjoy Life, but any dairy-free chocolate chips will work or you can sub carob chips for AIP.
  • Candy Canes. I like these yum earth candy canes , but you can omit them if you don’t tolerate them and the cookies will still be delicious!

How to make Copycat Gluten-Free Peppermint Joe Joe’s

  • Make the cookie dough. Sift the coconut flour, cocoa powder, and tapioca starch together until well combined. Mix in the baking soda, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Stir well to combine and transfer to the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes.
  • Cut the cookies into small cookies. 
  • Bake and cool.
  • Make the cream filling and fill the cookies. Make the cream by combining the shortening, maple syrup, and peppermint extract. Alternatively, you can use Simple Mills frosting (if tolerated) and add peppermint extract. Spoon about a heaping tablespoon worth of cream onto one cookie, and use another cookie to sandwich. Transfer the cookies to the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.

The open-face sandwich cookie being iced.

  • Melt the chocolate and coat the cookies. Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil and melt over a double boiler method, or in the microwave until fully liquid. Add the peppermint extract and combine. Prepare a large plate lined with parchment paper. Using a fork, carefully dip each cookie into the chocolate coating and stir to coat. Pick up the cookie with the fork and allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Transfer to the parchment paper and top with crushed candy canes. Repeat for all of the cookies.

The cookie dipping into melted chocolate.

  • Allow to set in the fridge until the chocolate is fully hardened. Serve chilled.

A plate of peppermint joe-joe's.

 

Can you make this recipe without candy canes?

You can! Though it will look a bit less festive, it still tastes delicious.

Can you make this recipe coconut-free?

You can definitely find a way to make this recipe coconut-free, but it would take changing out the cookie base in the recipe entirely. But this concept is definitely easy to replicate with a different, small round cookie.

How do you store these Peppermint Joe Joe’s?

Since these are made with a chocolate coating, you definitely want to keep them chilled! Keep in mind that chilling them does make it so it requires a big bite to break into them!

Stacked peppermint joe-joe's.

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Copycat Peppermint Joe Joe’s (Gluten-free, Paleo Option)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Michelle
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 12
  • Total Time: 42 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the cookies

  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (sub carob powder for AIP)
  • 2 tbsp tapioca starch
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

For the cream filling (sub simple mills frosting if tolerated)

  • 1/2 cup palm shortening
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

For the coating and topping

  • 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (sub carob chips for AIP)
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/4–1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 3–4 crushed yum earth candy canes (if tolerated, omit for AIP)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with lightly greased parchment paper.
  2. Sift the coconut flour, cocoa powder, and tapioca starch together until well combined. Mix in the baking soda, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Stir well to combine and transfer to the fridge to chill for about 10 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and flatten to about 1/4″ thickness. Use a small cookie cutter (1.5″ or smaller) to cut small cookies (you’ll have about 12-14 depending on the size of your cookie cutter) and transfer to the baking sheet.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until baked through. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
  5. Make the cream by combining the shortening, maple syrup, and peppermint extract. Alternatively, you can use Simple Mills frosting (if tolerated) and add peppermint extract.
  6. Spoon about a heaping tablespoon worth of cream onto one cookie, and use another cookie to sandwich. Transfer the cookies to the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.
  7. Combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil and melt over a double boiler method, or in the microwave until fully liquid. Add the peppermint extract and combine.
  8. Prepare a large plate lined with parchment paper. Using a fork, carefully dip each cookie into the chocolate coating and stir to coat. Pick up the cookie with the fork and allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Transfer to the parchment paper and top with crushed candy canes. Repeat for all of the cookies.
  9. Allow to set in the fridge for an hour, or until the chocolate is fully hardened. Serve chilled.

Notes

All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 392
  • Fat: 29.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 33.5g
  • Fiber: 4.5g
  • Protein: 3g