Imagine the cool, bracing combo of dark chocolate and mint in a classic chocolate chip cookie dough! We figured out how to make it happen with finely minced fresh mint. Make these when fresh mint is at its peak.
They came into being because of a stroll through our FODMAP Farm.
Let Ingredients Inspire
These Fresh Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies began life when Robin presented me with an armful of chocolate mint that she had just picked from our low FODMAP Garden. I am not exaggerating when I say that this bunch of mint was huge!
Look at the images above and below. It was like a gigantic bouquet. I had a potluck to go to later in the day and the inspiration struck.
The mint beckoned. It was so fresh, so fragrant, and just so damn gorgeous that I had to make something with it. Chocolate is a crowd pleaser and I needed something that I could make before a party that night.
I calculated that I did have time to make dough, chill it for a few hours like I like to do, and bake them off and photograph them in time for the potluck. I grabbed a bunch of mint and made the 5-minute drive from The Farm to the Test Kitchen.
The idea was to highlight the mint so extracting the mint flavor was paramount. I decided to combine it with the sugar – to infuse the sugar with the mint flavor at the get-go.
Similar to the classic Crêpes Suzette recipe where a cube of sugar is used to extract the aromatic orange oil from orange rind by rubbing it vigorously all over the outside of the orange peel. The orange oil in the zest gets absorbed into the sugar cube, which is then used in the dish to impart pure orange flavor. I wanted to do the same with the mint oil compounds within the leaves.
Extracting the Mint Flavor
You will see below in the instructions that the fresh mint is combined with the sugar; the sugar granules are rough and the mechanical action of them rubbing against the mint leaves extracts the pure mint flavor.
Please do not try to make these with mint extract! This is all about the fresh herb.
By the way, while we have chocolate mint on The Farm, which is an actual type of mint, you can use other kinds of fresh mint as well, such as classic peppermint or spearmint. Types of mint do vary in strength and also in color, so your results might fluctuate depending.
Is Fresh Mint Low FODMAP?
These are virtually the same cookies as our Monash University compliant Chocolate Chunk Cookies with a slightly different ratio of brown sugar to white sugar and of course the addition of the fresh mint.
The Monash app lists fresh mint as Green Light at “1 bundle” or 90 g per serving, so our inclusion of 20 g total is well within this recommended range. We suggest that you try these, 1 cookie as a serving, and see how you do. Below you can see them cooling on the deck outside of the Test Kitchen.
FODMAP Information
All recipes are based upon Monash University & FODMAP Friendly science at time of initial publication.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar has been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. There are many kinds of brown sugar, from cane to beet (to blends) to Muscovado and more, which we discuss in our Explore An Ingredient: Sugar. Unfortunately, there is no information about what kind of brown sugars were lab tested. Monash gives us a low FODMAP amount of ¼ cup or 40 g but no further information. In addition, in private correspondence with Monash University we know that there are amounts larger than 40 g that would be considered low FODMAP. FODMAP Friendly gives us a low FODMAP amount of 13 g. Dark brown Muscovado sugar does appear in a product lab tested and certified low FODMAP by FODMAP Friendly, so we do know there is a low FODMAP amount.
- Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly used to give it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are/were presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Currently FODMAP Friendly lists butter as containing no FODMAPs, which is more accurate to FODMAP content, and does not overlay government guidelines. Eat to your tolerance.
- Chocolate: Monash University has lab tested dark, milk and white chocolate all have low FODMAP amounts: 85% dark at 20 g; dark at 30 g; milk at 20 g; white at 25 g. FODMAP Friendly has also lab tested dark chocolate, milk and white chocolate. Their lab tests place low FODMAP servings for dark chocolate at 30 g, with a max low FODMAP serving size of 102 g (that contains dairy). Milk chocolate is 30 g with a 42 g max serve; white chocolate is also 30 g with a max low FODMAP serve of 42 g.
- Dairy: The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is however, low in lactose. Many dairy ingredients are low in lactose, such as heavy cream and many cheeses.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- Herbs: Many fresh and dried herbs have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly and are easily looked up in the apps, which we strongly suggest that you have. The additional good news is that if you are interested in an herb that has not been lab tested, you can look at the nutritional panel and assess its FODMAP load for yourself. If the “Sugars” and/or “Carbs” are 1 g or less per serving, then the item would be a good bet to try.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine. As the fructose is never in excess of the glucose, white sugar will never be high FODMAP, even in large amounts.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Fresh Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Move over Thin Mints. These cookies use fresh mint leaves in the cookie dough for an incomparably fresh flavor.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 2 dozen cookies; serving size 1 to 2 cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cups (338 g) low FODMAP gluten free all-purpose flour; such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (160 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (149 g) sugar
- .75 ounce (20 g) fresh chocolate mint leaves (1 cup lightly packed, leaves only), such as chocolate mint or peppermint, washed and dried, very finely minced. Very. (See Tips)
- 1 cup (2 sticks; 226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 12 ounces (340 g; about 2 cups) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks, cut into approximately ½ inch (12 mm pieces; we like 60% to 70% cacao)
Preparation:
-
Whisk together flour blend, baking soda and salt to aerate and combine; set aside.
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Place brown sugar, sugar and minced mint in bowl of standing mixer or a regular mixing bowl. Use flat paddle attachment for stand mixer or just the regular beaters for a hand held mixer and beat the sugars and mint on medium speed for about 2 minutes. The rough sugar particles will be grinding against the mint leaves extracting all that cool minty flavor that we want.
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Add the butter and continue beating on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Fat is a great carrier of flavor and the aromatic mint oil will combine with the butter at this point, setting the stage for the most awesomely fresh mint chocolate chunk cookies you have ever tasted. Beat in vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time allowing each one to be incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the dry mixture until a few streaks of flour remain. Add chocolate and beat just until combined. Cover the bowl and chill for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
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Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F/190° Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Form golf ball sized balls and place the cookies 8 per pan, spaced evenly apart. No need to press them down.
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Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned with the edges firmer than the centers, which should be soft. The cookies firm up tremendously upon cooling. Cool cookies completely on pans set on racks. (Make subsequent batches with cooled pans). Cookies are best served the same day but may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes:
Tips
- Truth be told I like to chop my mint for this recipe in the food processor fitted with a metal blade. I pulse the processor a few times and then process the mint until it is as fine as can be without turning into a paste. Of course this means that you would be using and dirtying both a food processor and an electric mixer for this recipe and that might seem like a lot to ask. You can mince the mint by hand using a sharp chef’s knife. Just be patient and chop, chop, chop.
FODMAP Information
All recipes are based upon Monash University & FODMAP Friendly science at time of initial publication.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar has been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. There are many kinds of brown sugar, from cane to beet (to blends) to Muscovado and more, which we discuss in our Explore An Ingredient: Sugar. Unfortunately, there is no information about what kind of brown sugars were lab tested. Monash gives us a low FODMAP amount of ¼ cup or 40 g but no further information. In addition, in private correspondence with Monash University we know that there are amounts larger than 40 g that would be considered low FODMAP. FODMAP Friendly gives us a low FODMAP amount of 13 g. Dark brown Muscovado sugar does appear in a product lab tested and certified low FODMAP by FODMAP Friendly, so we do know there is a low FODMAP amount.
- Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly used to give it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are/were presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Currently FODMAP Friendly lists butter as containing no FODMAPs, which is more accurate to FODMAP content, and does not overlay government guidelines. Eat to your tolerance.
- Chocolate: Monash University has lab tested dark, milk and white chocolate all have low FODMAP amounts: 85% dark at 20 g; dark at 30 g; milk at 20 g; white at 25 g. FODMAP Friendly has also lab tested dark chocolate, milk and white chocolate. Their lab tests place low FODMAP servings for dark chocolate at 30 g, with a max low FODMAP serving size of 102 g (that contains dairy). Milk chocolate is 30 g with a 42 g max serve; white chocolate is also 30 g with a max low FODMAP serve of 42 g.
- Dairy: The low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet. It is however, low in lactose. Many dairy ingredients are low in lactose, such as heavy cream and many cheeses.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- Herbs: Many fresh and dried herbs have been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly and are easily looked up in the apps, which we strongly suggest that you have. The additional good news is that if you are interested in an herb that has not been lab tested, you can look at the nutritional panel and assess its FODMAP load for yourself. If the “Sugars” and/or “Carbs” are 1 g or less per serving, then the item would be a good bet to try.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is ¼ cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine. As the fructose is never in excess of the glucose, white sugar will never be high FODMAP, even in large amounts.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. Foods will be retested from time to time; in the case of raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, results may vary. All lab tested results are valid and represent a snapshot in time. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
And here is Dédé’s husband, Damon, aka The Cookie Monster giving them his finger licking sign of approval.
Totally making these today!!!! My family is going to flip!
🙂 Let us know.