Healthy Mini Chocolate Peppermint Pies

Ok how is it already the last day of Cookie Week?! It's gone by too fast. Is it too soon to start planning next year's recipes?

In case you missed it, this week was the first annual Ka Pai Cooking Cookie Week! I released a brand new cookie recipe every day this week and we've all been making cookies together.

If you're new here or missed the memo, check out my new recipes for Healthy Snickerdoodles, Salted Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chunk Cookies, an Ooey Gooey Chocolate Chip Pizookie, and my new favorite Chewy Snowman Molasses Cookies!

Well the last day had to go out with a bang, so I figured these Mini Chocolate Peppermint Pies would be perfect! I got the idea from these Mini Banana Cream Pies I made earlier this year and I honestly can't decide which one I love more.

But for Cookie Week's sake, I'll say the peppermint pies!

Why? Well, one, it's almost Christmas. But two, it's an edible chocolate cookie dough cup with white chocolate peppermint pudding swirled with candy canes and topped with whipped cream and a peppermint. Drooling yet?

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How are these mini chocolate peppermint pies "healthy?"

Yes, these are cookies, and yes, these cookie cups are a dessert, that doesn't mean they can't be healthy! With a few simple ingredient swaps and some baking knowledge, each chocolate peppermint pie is only 128 calories! Some of the healthier ingredient swaps are:

• Olive oil butter: I'm not naturally dairy-free, but when I discovered olive oil butter I instantly made the switch. It's still butter, but the fats in olive oil butter are actually good for you - they're heart healthy - where the fats in regular butter are the opposite haha. This is my favorite brand (not sponsored) but feel free to use any brand you like.
• Stevia: a one-for-one plant-based swap for sugar that has zero calories. Trust me when I say you'd never know the difference! Not only is it better for you, but it's also saving you over 300 calories and 12g of sugar per pie!
• Sugar-free pudding mix: this is the base for our "pie filling." I've eaten spoonfuls of just the sugar-free pudding and it's plenty sweet. Besides, we're also swirling in candy canes, so don't worry about it being not sweet enough!‍
• Unsweetened almond milk: did you know that you can make instant pudding with non-dairy milk? It's my new favorite hack! This helps lower the calories in the mini chocolate peppermint pies. If you don't have (or want to use) non-dairy milk, you can use regular milk too.‍
• Almond milk whipped cream: like I mentioned above, I'm not naturally dairy-free, but when I discovered that almond milk whipped cream didn't have any high fructose corn syrup in it, I made the switch. This is the whipped cream I recommend, but feel free to use any canned whipped cream you like.

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Some other important ingredients for these chocolate peppermint cookie cups are:

• All purpose flour
• Cocoa powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Peppermint extract
• Mini candy canes

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How to make mini chocolate peppermint pies

Ok these little pies are SO fun to make! And they're actually way easier than you think. If you've ever made cookies, that's half the work!

Start by making your chocolate cookie dough. I modified my classic chocolate chip cookies recipe to make this chocolate dough, so you know these are delicious!

Once the dough is ready, let it chill in the fridge while you warm up the oven.

Then, when the oven has preheated, scoop 1 tablespoon of cookie dough into each tin of a muffin pan. Don't worry about shaping the "pie crusts" now, the oven will do that!

(If you want step by step photos for this part of the process, check out this blog post.)

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Bake for 9 minutes, then let cool for 2 minutes in the pan before shaping into pies. After shaping, allow the cookies to cool for another 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

While the cookie cups cool, make your peppermint pudding filling. Stir the almond milk and peppermint extract together in a mixing bowl. Whisking constantly, pour in the pudding mix.

Continue to whisk to combine until the pudding has thickened, little to no clumps remain, and the pudding begins to set. Fold in the crushed candy canes, but do not overmix. We want swirls of white and red with bits of candy cane!

Assemble your chocolate peppermint cookie cups by filling each cookie cup with 1 tablespoon of pudding. Squirt a dollop of whipped cream on top, place a round peppermint on the cream, then sprinkle cookie crumbles on top for garnish (if you have any). That's it!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What can I use to shape the cookie cups?

As long as it's smaller than the diameter of the cookie, it doesn't matter! I've seen small measuring cups or the bottom of a skinny glass, but I personally use this condiment cup. I don't recommend using your hand because the cookie will be hot out of the oven and you won't be able to press it down evenly.

Can these mini chocolate peppermint pies be made ahead of time?

Yes. Make the cookie cups and allow them to cool completely at room temperature. Store in an air tight container for up to 48 hours. Don't stack the cookie cups! They're very fragile.

When you're ready to serve, make the pudding and spoon into the cookie cups. Serve immediately.

Can I make these cookie cups gluten-free?

I haven't tested it, but I'm sure a high quality one-to-one gluten-free all purpose flour would work just fine. This is the brand I recommend. Please let me know in the comments this works for you!

How long will these mini chocolate peppermint pies last?

Unfortunately, they won't keep more than 24 hours. The pudding softens the cookie cups so much that they aren't stable after a day.If you plan on storing them, don't top with whipped cream or peppermints until ready to serve. When you do store them, store them in an even layer in an air tight container.

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I hope you love these mini chocolate peppermint pies as much as we do! They're so fun to make and they're perfect for your next Christmas party with friends and family.

Be sure to leave a star rating and review below if you try them to let other readers know what you thought! You can also tag me on Instagram. I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen! Happy baking, happy Cookie Week, and Merry Christmas!