Cool Mint Oreo Cookies
Nothing says winter like peppermint, and nothing pairs better with mint than chocolate, so the cool mint oreo cookies were born. Originally I was going to make a raw-vegan minty hot cocoa, but raw and piping hot are kind of an oxymoron. In raw food prep it’s spice that gives heat and that just wasn’t going to cut it for hot chocolate.
Being cookie season around here, I tried to think of how to combine the two flavors and still make it visually interesting. As you can see from the photo, the cookies look fantastic, but the taste…minty perfection!
You’ll find this recipe relatively simple. My struggle doesn’t have to be yours. Flavoring the center cream with fresh mint was a great idea, but for me the mint taste was too subtle no matter how much mint I added. I made a mint syrup and folded that in. That was also too subtle. Finally I used mint extract. Although it’s a tiny less raw than I would’ve liked, it gave me the minty taste I was looking for. And, being the final taste tasters for all things sweet, the kids here gave it the ultimate seal of approval. They even tried stealing some. Those mint oreo cookies really didn’t have a chance!
The choice is yours, but my preference is the stronger flavor. You need to be careful, one drop too much extract and it can taste like toothpaste. The right amount should leave your mouth feeling cool and tingly.
Oreos were a staple in my house as a kid. My dad and I would sit up and chat, munching away in the middle of the night. Everyone has a different way to eat them. Do you eat the middle first? The top and then the middle? Or are you an oreo popper? Shoving that entire cookie in your mouth and chasing it with a big ol’ glass of ice cold nut milk.
Whichever way you like to eat them, this mint oreo recipe will be on your list to make again and again. We certainly were up for more the minute we finished them.
RAW VEGAN RECIPE: Cool Mint Oreo Cookie
The Cookie
2 cups almond meal
2 tblsp raw cacao
3 tblsp maple syrup
2 tblsp filtered water (you might want to add more if it’s too dry)
Mix all ingredients together until completely blended. It should be a firm dough, not too wet and sticky and not too dry either. Roll out and cut into even circles. Place the cookies on the mesh sheet and dehydrate 10-12 hours at 115 degrees.
Mint Filling
1 cup coconut manna (coconut butter, not oil)
1/8 cup pulverized raw sugar
2 cups fresh mint leaves
water
1/8 tsp mint extract (optional)
Bruise/crush by hand the mint leaves and place in a bowl with enough water to cover the leaves. Sprinkle sugar over it and stir. Place in dehydrator at 115 for 6-8 hours stirring the syrup every hour or so. Syrup is done when it reduces into a syrup consistency. Strain and add mint extract if you want a stronger flavor.
Put manna in bowl and place in the dehydrator for about 3o mins. till soft. Stir syrup into melted manna, cover and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour, stirring once. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Let cookies completely cool before filling.
A healthy dollop in the center and squeeze the cookie slightly will evenly distribute the filling. Use a small spatula around the cookie to clean up the edges. Ta da! Mint oreo ready to eat! You don’t have to refrigerate, the filling will firm up on it’s own.
*You can buy manna in the store or blend a cup of young (but firm) fresh coconut meat until it whips into a thick cream. Follow the rest of the recipe.
