Welcome to chocolate and peppermint season!
It’s one of my favourites, for sure. There’s something about this combo that puts my taste buds in sheer ecstasy. So invigorating! So peppy! I feel like I can conquer the world when I’m eating peppermint and chocolate in the same bite. Strange, but true.
A few of my favourite chocolate and peppermint recipes on the blog are: No Bake Peppermint Patty Bars, Peppermint Patty Bars II, Peppermint Patty Green Monster.
Clearly, I have peppermint patty issues.
Despite all the peppermint patty themed recipes that I’ve shared with you, I don’t actually have a peppermint patty recipe on the blog yet. Major oversight! The truth is, I tested some vegan peppermint patty recipes a few years ago, but I was never satisfied with the filling that I came up with. So the recipe was pushed aside for other things. This happens all the time in my kitchen. I have approximately 64752 unfinished recipes stuffed into a drawer or on my Google Drive recipe file. When I’m desperate for ideas, that’s when I’ll often sift through them all.
My previous trial involved powdered sugar and vegan butter, but I wanted to up my game. So, I started playing around with a coconut butter version which I’ve seen on many blogs, but it was too coconut-y for my liking. To be honest, I’m not a huge coconut butter fan to begin with so pairing it with my beloved childhood peppermint patty just seemed out of place.
I want a peppermint filling that melts in your mouth…
Yeah. Like that.
As it turned out, a totally different recipe inspired this patty filling. As soon as I tasted the squares I knew it would be the perfect filling for my beloved peppermint patties.
The secret?
I used a small amount of blended soaked cashews and almond milk to mimic that amazing creamy consistency and flavour. Coconut oil firms it all up when chilled (but doesn’t give that over-powering coconut flavour like the coconut butter did), while allowing for that melt-in-your-mouth experience upon first bite.
At first, I wasn’t sure how to translate this liquid peppermint filling into solid patty form. One of the challenging parts about recipe creation is figuring out the most efficient process for the steps involved. Making it taste good is the easy part! Often I have to just make it and get my hands dirty before I can figure out which method will work best. I’m such a visual person. For the first trial, I decided to spread out the entire peppermint mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet (see this photo) and then I froze it for over an hour. Once it firmed up, I scraped it off the sheet with a spoon and formed it into patties. The process was quite fussy and super messy, but it worked. Still, I knew there had to be a better way…
For my second trial, I poured the filling into mini candy liners (see above, right). I think I got these from Bulk Barn a couple years ago. Half a tablespoon of filling went into each liner and then I froze them for 20 minutes, popped them out of the liner, and froze for another 10 minutes before coating in melted chocolate. This worked much better and it took half the time. Score! I know that not everyone has these candy liners hanging around, so I tested it with paper cupcake liners too. The filling stuck to the paper liners more and was harder to pop out, but they should work OK in a pinch if it’s all you have. I’m sure you’ll find a way to make it work!
A photo from trial #1 after shaping the patties by hand:
Trial 2 photo below – using the mini candy liner method. Oh, and you can make these into “Junior Mints” too (see the small one beside the spoon? could it be any more adorable?)
Creamy Dreamy Peppermint Patties
Yield
22-25 mini patties
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
1 hour
Total time
Luxurious, invigorating, melt-in-your-mouth peppermint patties made from scratch! Even better than store-bought versions. I suggest keeping these in the fridge or freezer for the best texture. The chocolate coating gets all snappy which is a wonderful contrast to the creamy middle.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked (see note)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3-4 tablespoons agave nectar, to taste (I used 4 tbsp)
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
Directions
- Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight, or for at least 2-3 hours. If your blender isn't great at blending things smooth, I suggest soaking overnight for the best results.
- Drain and rinse the cashews after soaking.
- Add the cashews, melted coconut oil, agave, milk, and peppermint extract into a high-speed blender. Blend on the highest speed until completely smooth. This can take a couple minutes.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grab mini cupcake/candy liners. Add a half tablespoon of filling into each liner. Place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you don't have any filling left (you should get about 22-25). Freeze, uncovered, for 20-35 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
- After freezing, quickly pop the patties out of the cupcake liners and set each on top of their respective liner. Return to the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up even more.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a small pot over the lowest heat. When half of the chips have melted, remove it from the heat and stir until all the chips are melted. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly for a few minutes before dunking the patties.
- Remove the patties from the freezer and dunk them into the melted chocolate with a fork. Tap the side to shake off excess chocolate and place on parchment paper. Do this step as quickly as possible so the patties don't melt. Update: Some of you are having trouble with the chocolate thickening up as you do this step. If this happens, I suggest heating the chocolate again over low heat to thin it back out. The cold peppermint patties are probably causing it to thicken with time. Another option is to just drizzle the chocolate on top of the patties.
- Return the patties to the freezer until set, for about 10 minutes, until the chocolate coating is firm. Store leftover patties in the freezer/fridge until ready to enjoy!
Tip:
1) you can sub in your favourite liquid sweetener for agave, if desired. Just know that the flavour will change depending on the sweetener you use. 2) See the bottom of this post for a nut-free version and more tips on making this recipe. 3) If you have melted chocolate leftover, spread it into a parchment paper lined plate and freeze it. This way nothing goes to waste!
For an extra festive, crunchy patty, try sprinkling on crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate! I didn’t get that far though. =)
Nut-free version?
Yes, I did test a nut-free version for you guys!! I used 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds instead of 1/2 cup cashews. I soaked them overnight and followed the recipe as written, only using 2.5 tablespoons milk (use nut-free) since the filling was thicker. For some reason, I had trouble with the peppermint filling setting as well as the cashew version did, even after freezing the patties for double the time. I’m not sure why this happened. The taste, however, was fantastic!!! My advice if you want a nut-free version, is to not bother with popping the patties out of the liners. I would suggest using silicone liners and simply leaving the peppermint patty in the liner. Then add the melted chocolate on top and freeze as usual. Then you can eat it straight out of the liner without having to fuss! Or try serving it in a mini jar like my Peanut Butter Cups In A Jar. Just an idea…if you try anything let us know in the comments.
Nut-free Update: Ok, so the nut-free patties eventually set, but it took a good 2-3 hours! Keep this in mind if making the nut-free version.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t dreaming up a totally amazing Peppermint Patty pie for the holidays. Am I nuts or would this be the best pie ever?
Clearly I could talk all day long about peppermint patties, but I’m going to stop now.
A big congrats to Kay for winning the $500 Tata Harper gift card!! Thanks to everyone who entered. Don’t worry there are sooo many more amazing prizes up for grabs this month in my 12 Days of Giveaways! You don’t want to miss out.
You are my hero. I have been wanting to make peppermint patties! But, I didn’t want a sugar filled unhealthy recipe. So, thank you! I can’t wait to try these.
These look incredible! The photos are jumping off the page :) I, too love the chocolate/peppermint combo. As a kid, we always had a box of both After Eights & Ovations on the go at Christmastime. Memories …
Could you substitute the dark chocolate with cacao powder, adjusting the amount of coconut oil accordingly?
Hi Ellie, You can probably make your own chocolate for these but I haven’t tried it myself. A mix of coconut oil or cocoa butter, cocoa/cacao powder, and liquid sweetener usually works. Just make sure the mixture isn’t too hot or it will melt the peppermint filling. Good luck!
Thank you so much! I’m really looking forward to trying these, they look incredible!
Enjoy!!
Oh my – the peppermint filling looks to die for :D I can’t wait to make these – these are definitively going on my Christmas list for things I need to bake this season! I love the cute little junior mint!
Oh my these look delicious! Big fan of peppermint patties right here! I want to try and make mini versions of these so they are like Junior Mints!!! :)
Wow! These look amazing and are perfect for the holidays :) Thanks for the simple recipe.
OH. MY. GOODNESS!
I think I’m in love! You’re the best, doing all that experimenting so we don’t have to. :-) And yes, t’would be the best pie ever!
Oh my! Girl after my own heart! I’m making these all year round now! Thanks for the great recipe Angela! One recommendation is to use silicone candy or icecube trays for the filling. I have some and they are square, but work great! Also, in terms of a mint pie, look up a grasshopper pie recipe! Yuuummm!
Hey Angela!
I love you watching your creations come to life with your pictures and your story telling. I am in the middle of also coming up with my own mint treat, like an After Eight. I was thinking about cashew butter as the filling with mint extract and honey. I hope it works! Except the organic vegan dark chocolate chips I buy from our local health foods store never melt to a soft enough consistancy….still trying to figure that out why that is. My best bet was melting a vegan chocolate bar.
Your pie idea sounds amazing! Please post it if you do! Have you ever made the mint green naturally? I read just a hint of chlorella would work.
Thanks for posting this!!
That sounds fabulous too! I was wondering about using the cashew butter in my cupboard. You’ll have to let me know how that one goes.
I haven’t made mint extract before, but I have made mint sugar….oh it’s so good. There’s a recipe in my book for it actually.
Thanks for including a nut-free version, Angela! I love peppermint patties so it’ll be great to be able to make my own. And the way you describe the crisp chocolate shell contrasted with the creamy interior… Gah! Going on the Christmas to-make list for sure.
Hi, I’ve been dying to find a perfect peppermint patty recipe and so glad I stumbled upon yours! Just a quick question- can I replace almond milk with soy milk? I happen to not like the taste of almond milk. Thanks!
Yes I think soy should work! :)
Nice! I like all your variations, Angela. I recently made a version with coconut flour and it was incredible (and not all too coconutty). Mine looks like it has a bit more texture (which I liked) while yours looks more smooth. I will definitely try yours next. :)
i recommend using silicon mini muffins cups and a mini muffins pan. the silicon muffins cups are reusable and (at least for making coconut cream pucks), the peppermint mixture shshould just pop out. the mini muffin pan will help keep the peppermint shape. if you already have these items in your kitchen, great. otherwise, angela’s method is great and inexpensive! :-)
Oh man! These look absolutely perfect!
These look AMAZING – and so easy to make too!
I love peppermint patties! And I love crap-free peppermint patties even more! Thank you so much for taking the time to test out and suggest nut-free alternatives to your recipes lately – it’s much appreciated. :)
Oh wow Ange, I know I’ve said it before, but you are a genius! I would have never thought to use cashews as the filling, but these look beautiful! That’s really interesting about the sunflower seeds taking longer to harden. I wonder if it has something to do with the different types of fat in the seeds vs cashews. I bet these were loads of fun to taste test!
Yes that could be it! I also thought maybe they just had more water content since I soaked them longer than I did the cashew batches. Oh the science of baking is always fun to figure out. :)
Yumm! These look so good. I make a plate of Christmas goodies for neighbors and co-workers every year and these might just have to make it on the plate this year! Thanks for sharing.
I share your love of peppermint and chocolate, and love the combination particularly because so many people do adore it (except my brother, but he can be discounted for the sake of my point ;) ). At this time of year, it’s such a fail safe Christmas themed gift or dessert and these look incredible. Thanks for doing all the hard work for us!
These look perfect. Enough said :)