Mint chocolate sandwich cookies—crisp vegan chocolate shortbread rounds filled with a light peppermint buttercream. These easy-to-make biscuits use everyday ingredients and make a lovely addition to a festive cookie tin or afternoon tea.
These cookies balance a rich, minty chocolate flavour with a delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Two thin dark chocolate shortbread biscuits are sandwiched around a fluffy vegan peppermint buttercream, producing a result similar in spirit to a mint sandwich cookie.
Ingredient Details:
Vegan block butter: Use block-style vegan butter or margarine, not the tub spread. Spreadable butter contains more water and will make the dough too soft and the biscuits less tender. A block butter also gives a more stable buttercream. Brands such as Naturli Vegan Block or Flora Plant Butter work well.
Sugar: Caster (superfine) sugar gives the best texture in the dough, but regular granulated sugar is an acceptable substitute. Avoid brown sugar, coconut sugar, liquid sweeteners or sugar substitutes, as these change the texture.
Icing sugar: Powdered sugar is needed for the buttercream to achieve a smooth, stable texture.
Plain (all-purpose) flour: Regular plain flour is recommended. This recipe has not been tested gluten-free.
Cocoa powder: A dark, Dutch-processed cocoa is used for a deeper chocolate flavour.
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): A small amount helps keep the biscuits light rather than dense.
Peppermint and vanilla extracts: Use good-quality extracts for the best flavour. Peppermint is strong, so add cautiously and adjust to taste.
How To Make Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies:
(Full measurements and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below)
Step 1: Whisk together the vegan block butter and sugar until well combined.
Step 2: Mix in the cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, ensuring no streaks of cocoa or lumps of butter remain.
Step 3: Add the flour and mix to form a smooth dough. It may look dry at first but will come together; using your hands helps. Wrap and chill for an hour until firm enough to roll.
Step 4: Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface or between baking paper sheets to about 4mm thick. Cut rounds with a 6–7 cm cutter, re-rolling scraps to cut more.
Step 5: Arrange rounds on lined baking trays, spaced slightly apart. Bake at the temperature in the recipe card for 13–15 minutes until dry to the touch and set at the edges. Cool on the trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: For the buttercream, whisk slightly softened vegan block butter until soft. Add icing sugar, peppermint and vanilla extracts, then whisk on high for several minutes until the mixture is very light and fluffy.
Top Tips:
- Use a digital scale and metric measurements for consistent results. Cup measures can be inaccurate and produce variable outcomes.
- Mix the dough only until combined to avoid developing gluten; overworking makes the biscuits tougher.
- Roll the dough to about 4mm thickness so the biscuits stay crisp; thicker dough will yield softer cookies.
- Ensure the biscuits are completely cool before adding buttercream to prevent melting.
- Start with a small amount of peppermint extract and increase to taste—it can quickly become overpowering.
FAQ’s:
Unfilled cookies keep for at least a week in an airtight container at room temperature. Once filled with buttercream they are best eaten the same day as they may soften, but they will keep in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
Wrapped dough will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If very firm, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before rolling.
Yes. Cut out the unbaked cookies and freeze them in a single layer on a parchment-lined tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-proof container. They can be baked straight from frozen—no defrosting needed.
More Vegan Shortbread Style Cookies:
- Vegan shortbread fingers
- Pumpkin spice shortbread
- Vegan cranberry orange shortbread
- Vegan chocolate orange shortbread
- Vegan pecan snowball cookies
- Spiced oat biscuits
- Vegan hazelnut shortbread
- Vegan vanillekipferl
- Ginger shortbread cookies
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Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (Vegan)
Crisp chocolate shortbread rounds sandwiched with a fluffy peppermint buttercream. Makes approximately 18 cookies.
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 200g vegan block butter, slightly softened
- 135g caster or granulated sugar
- 80g cocoa powder (Dutch-processed)
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 230g plain (all-purpose) flour
Buttercream:
- 75g vegan block butter, slightly softened
- 150g icing (powdered) sugar
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the butter and sugar until well combined. Mix in the cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt so there are no streaks of cocoa or lumps.
- Add the flour and mix to form a smooth dough. Use your hands if needed. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour until firm enough to roll.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) / 350°F / gas mark 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough to about 4mm thick and cut rounds with a 5–7 cm cutter. Re-roll scraps to cut more rounds.
- Place rounds on the baking sheets and bake for 13–15 minutes until dry to the touch and set at the edges. Cool on trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the buttercream by whisking the softened butter, then adding icing sugar, peppermint and vanilla extracts. Whisk on high for several minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Spread buttercream on the underside of half the biscuits, top with the remaining biscuits, and serve. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- See the post above for tips and step-by-step photos.
- Use a digital scale for accurate, consistent results—metric measurements are recommended.
