Oreo lovers, take note: These Matcha Mint Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches are a better-for-you alternative, loaded with antioxidants from matcha and raw cacao. They also just happen to be gluten-free and vegan friendly too!
Ooooooh friends, am I ever excited to tell you about these today!
I mentioned on Instagram last weekend when I posted these cookies that I’m not much of a baker. However, I recently noticed the abundance of almond flour, nut butter and raw cacao in my pantry, and figured it all needed to be put to use. Inspired by a few indulgent Instagram scroll sessions and Youtube video watching, I’ve been testing out a few creations that incorporate nutrient-dense ingredients. In today’s case, those are raw cacao powder and matcha!
When I was a kid in primary school and packing my lunches, I don’t think I could have picked a favourite cookie. At Christmas, it was a gingerbread-like one that my mum and I make every year. Outside of holidays though, I was into oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, the monster ones at the grocery store with Smarties inside, and strangely, Mr. Christie’s Arrowroot cookies. You know, the ones with the baby on the box? I LOVED those.
And Oreos.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a child who doesn’t like Oreos, and I don’t know many adults who would turn them down either. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed an Oreo myself so I’m a little out of the loop, but a quick Wikipedia read tells me that they now exist in a plethora of flavours around the world – coconut delight, green tea, orange creamsicle, brownie batter, banana split, birthday cake, candy corn, gingerbread, neapolitan, cookie dough, caramel apple, s’mores, root beer float, cinnamon bun, peeps… the full list is here. Apparently there are also sugar free, reduced fat and organic ones too? Sounds kinda like ordering a supersize meal at McDonalds and opting for the Diet Coke, but ok.
Apparently Japan had a matcha flavoured Oreo at one point, and today’s Matcha Mint Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches are a riff on that. I used peppermint extract and vanilla to create a lovely minty icing with coconut cream, then a touch of matcha to add a pale green colour to it. As is the case with anything I bake, these are dead easy to make and you can count on the ingredients being clean and simple. No high fructose corn syrup or craziness happening here – just whole foods you’ve probably already got sitting in your pantry. The only question left… have you preheated the oven yet?
Matcha Mint Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 11-12 cookie sandwiches 1x
Description
Oreo lovers, take note: These Matcha Mint Chocolate Cookie Sandwiches are a better-for-you alternative, loaded with antioxidants from matcha and raw cacao. They also just happen to be gluten-free and vegan friendly too!
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1/2 cup almond flour*
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
For the mint matcha icing:
- 1 x 400mL can full-fat coconut milk (you’ll just need the cream off the top)**
- 1 tsp high-quality matcha (I used Navitas Organics)
- 1/2 tsp each vanilla and peppermint extract
- 2 packets stevia
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Follow with the maple syrup, stirring well until evenly incorporated into a dough. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough out onto a flat surface (I used a piece of parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to my countertop) and use a lid or cookie cutter about 1.5-2” in diameter to cut out 22-24 chocolate cookie rounds. Place them on the lined cookie sheets. (They won’t grow very much, so it’s fine to space them about 1” apart.)
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 mins.
- Meanwhile, make the mint matcha icing. Whip all of the ingredients together using an electric mixer or stand mixer until thickened. If it doesn’t thicken as much as you want it to, add a pinch of cornstarch or brown rice flour. (Just a pinch!)
- Once the cookies have baked and completely cooled, use a teaspoon to scoop a bit of frosting onto the rough side of each one. Use the remaining 11-12 cookies as lids, sandwiching the icing in between.
Notes
*I haven’t tried this recipe with all almond flour yet (which would make them paleo-friendly) because I anticipated the cookies might be too flat. I think they’d still work, so please let me know if you try!
**Don’t waste the coconut water – you can use this in smoothies! Simply freeze it in ice trays and pop them straight into the blender. I first attempted the icing with homemade coconut butter, but preferred the fluffy consistency and look of the recipe with coconut cream instead.
- Prep Time: 20 mins (+ chilling)
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: snack
- Method: bake
Looks so good!!
★★★★★