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!
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
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.
OMG, those look so good. I love peppermint patties. Making my own has never crossed my mind… until now! I am totally making that next weekend.
You are my hero.
I’m with you, not much better than the chocolate/peppermint combo!! You are a patty genius, these look absolutely divine!
Hello! I just finished making these and…Success! They were easy to make and taste great! Thanks for the awesome recipe!! I got twenty out of the recipe and used the candy wrappers as you suggested, which worked well. I did use crushed candy canes for a little extra oomph! and on some of these, I sprinkled the candy cane pieces on top of the peppermint mixture as soon as I spooned it into the cups, for the others, I sprinkled it on top of the chocolate. Just thought I’d try it both ways. Thanks again!
Hi Angela!
I’ve been reading your blog for months now and I’ve made probably about 50+ of your amazing recipes, enjoying each and every one, I even pre-ordered your book (hurry up March 4th!!) but I’ve never left you a comment. I love what you do and I love your pictures, stories, point of view, and I 100% trust your taste in food!!
I made these tonight and OHMYGOSH these put store bought peppermint patties to shame! I almost didn’t make them, because I didn’t have cashews, but then I remembered I bought cashew flour the other day at Trader Joe’s. So I subbed 1/2 cup of that for the cashews.. I mean it’s just ground up raw cashews anyways. Didn’t have to soak cashews – BONUS! I then used honey instead of agave, because that’s what I had. I didn’t have cupcake liners so I just used my mini muffin pan and sprayed it with coconut oil to set the middles.. worked perfect.
These were SO GOOD!! and I write “were”, past tense…. well because.. they were THAT good :)
Thank you Angela for another fav!
Hey Crystal! Thanks so much for your lovely comment :) So glad they turned out for you!
So excited! I too am obsessed with peppermint and chocolate. I think I’m going to try the pie idea for my Christmas dinner. How soft is the peppermint middle when frozen? I’m thinking I may add vegan chocolate chips to it, make a chocolate cookie type crust and then top with the melted chocolate. Almost like a peppermint patty twix bar pie!
I’d say it’s semi-firm when frozen…but it never actually “solidifies” hope this helps!
That’s probably best. I’ll make it as a “freezer” pie. I’ll let you know how it works!
Ummm hello…. Mind reader? Wow, I was just thinking about these and how much I loved them and then I popped over to your site to see what’s new and here they were!! Thank you! I know what dessert I’m making this weekend. (Just finished a batch of your rolos so need something else to replace them with.)
The sunflower seed version sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it- I’ve been looking for gift ideas. Thanks!
I definitely want to try this using sunflower seeds! Sounds great!
OMG! This is the answer to my prayers!! Mint and chocolate are my favorite in the whole world… Thank you for this lovely recipe.
We are definitely going to make these!
These look incredible, Angela!! A girlfriend just pointed me in your direction and I’m obsessed with your recipes and your site! I shall be spending a lot of time scrolling through everything!
I can’t wait to prepare this recipe! love no bake recipes :0)
your site and recipes are fantastic……since I don’t use oils, could coconut butter take the place of the coconut oil?
thanks for doing what you do.
Just made these, very very good. Followed the recipe exactly. They are light and creamy tasting and NOT overly pepperminty which I prefer. If you want them as minty tasting as the store bought kind then add a couple more tsp. These are perfect! :)
If you have a mini whoopie pie mold, I think you could use that. You may need to put a layer of plastic over it to make sure they pop out. I think I’ll try that. Also was thinking if you put the mixture in the frig for a little while, not long enough for it to get it’s firmest, but just enough to be able to scoop it, I think you could use a small ice cream scoop and then flatten them. To make your own chocolate: 1/2 c. cacao butter; 1/2c. coconut oil; 1 c. raw cacao powder, sifted; 2 – 4 Tbsp. agave nectar; 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract (or leave out if you want plain choc.). Melt cacao butter and coconut oil in double boiler over low heat very carefully. You don’t want it to get too hot. Whisk in sifted cacao powder and agave Let sit until it thickens slightly.
just made ’em! DEEEELICIOUS!!! :) thanks, angela!
I have to make this right now. Oh man. Thank you for a peppermint/chocolate recipe with real ingredients!
Spinach, apple, banana and ginger
Can you tell me what kind of dark chocolate you use? Like what percentage? I have a hard time melting it when it’s lower in cocoa. Thanks! Can’t wait to try!!
These are so so SO good! The night before you posted this recipe I found myself on google trying to find a healthy peppermint patty recipe….. And then you saved the day by posting this beauty. Hits the spot and is incredibly simple to prepare. Thank you thank you a million times!!!!
These look perfect!! And so much better for you than peppermint patties – which happen to be my winter weakness! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Putting these on my Dads stocking
They need to be kept in the fridge or freezer or else they’ll melt.
Can’t wait to try these! I love peppermint candies!
The peppermint patties are really good. I followed your directions and melted the chocolate chips with the coconut oil. The first few patties dipped in chocolate came out looking good then the chocolate thickened up and wouldn’t adhere to the patties. Any suggestions?
Hey Linda, My guess is that the chocolate probably got a bit colder from the frozen patties, so I would suggest gently re-heating the chocolate until it softens back up a bit. Hope this helps!
YUM! peppermint patties are my favorite. i love your blog.
Just finished making these and they are YUMMY. One thing about coating them in chocolate…..I dipped top half first, put in freezer for a few minutes to harden chocolate, then dipped the bottom half and Voila they looked amazing!!
Hey Angela. I was thinking about making these to put in cookie tin mix and mailing them – does the chocolate coating melt too easily for that?
I made these tonight for tree decorating. They came out wonderful!
I made these for my girls trip and everyone loved them! ! I couldn’t get my coconut and coconut oil mixture to become smooth completely but the flavor was still amazing. .. i think its time for me to invest in a new food processer mine is starting to give off a burning smell :( but i will use her til she dies because she is my first processer and im sad to see her go! Happy holidays everyone!
hah cute comment : I get attached to appliances too!
So glad you all enjoyed them :)
These look out of this world! I am also a huge mint + chocolate person. Mint chip ice cream for life! These were one of my favorite candies as a kid and my mouth is just watering right now!
Both my partner and I love your blog, the recipes are lovely and really easy to follow, I’d be so unhealthy without this site!
These are absolutely delish! I just made them yesterday, you can check them out on my blog. Love that they are not too coconuty like other vegan versions. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
http://www.littleblackpearls.com/2013/12/peppermint-patties.html
Beautiful! I love that coconut nectar worked too. :) Thanks for sharing!
So good!
I didn’t have candy liners so I spread everything onto a parchment lined baking sheet, froze the mixture and used a round cookie cutter. The mixture was still a little bit soft so I used my rolling pin and saran wrap to put the leftovers back into shape. No mess and I was able to use every bit of it!
Just made these and they were delicious! Your recipes never disappoint. Even my carnivorous husband requests your recipes!
Can I replace almond milk with cashew milk?
I can’t see why not!
These were really easy to make. Much easier than I thought they would be. They were so delicious. I just put parchment paper over a baking sheet and dropped the patties on that with a spoon and it worked great (if you are okay with a flatter shape). I would love the pie if you came up with that recipe!
Oh my I love this so much. I made a candy cane joe joe recipe with a coconut oil peppermint center as well loveonasheetpan.com/2013/12/08/homemade-candy-cane-joe-joes/. Coconut oil is the best! I would use it in everything if I could. Can’t wait to make these. Beautiful pictures! P.s. thank you for the lightbox tutorial :) starting a blog and its making a huge difference. Thanks for the recipe!
Aw, man! I don’t have cashews or sunflower seeds. But I really want to make these for my mom; she loves peppermint patties. Do you think these would turn out okay if I used walnuts instead? Thanks so much for the recipe! :D
I went ahead and tried, and it worked! :3 These are awesome. My mom’s going to love them.
Oh yay!!! Thats great! Thanks for following up :)
I think walnuts would be quite bitter, but I havent tried anything other than the cashews and sunflower seeds.
Those look great and just in time for Christmas. We use peppermint extract for our products as well.
These are SO good! Better than York peppermint patties. I used coconut milk beverage instead of almond milk and (non-vegan) mint chocolate chips for the coating. Delicious. Thanks for another great recipe
Hi Angela! I made these last night and they are indeed delicious! I think I did something wrong though because the chocolate wasn’t nearly thin enough to dip and cover the patties, even using the fork shake method. Then when I tried to thin the chocolate (first with water, turned into a paste and had to start over!) then with a little more coconut oil, the chocolate would not stick to the patties. Any ideas on what went wrong? The first few were perfect, but I have no idea how I could have worked faster! Regardless, each peppermint pattie is topped with with a blob of chocolate and will be served to hungry eaters at my vegan Christmas party tonight. I love your recipes, thank you!
Hey Lauren, My guess is that the chocolate got too cold. try keeping it over low heat while doing the dipping. Hope this helps & enjoy!
Made these today and the flavor is good but my chocolate didn’t melt in a good way. It just hardened so I had to dollop it on top instead. What did I do wrong?? Still tastes great though.
I just made these tonight, HOOOOOBOY are they delicious!!! I used honey instead of agave, and I forgot to add the almond milk to the filling which didn’t seem to be a bad thing. My filling wasn’t as liquidy as yours appears to be (mine was more like a runny pudding) and I also didn’t have tiny cupcake liners, so I put the filling in a pastry bag and piped some discs onto a tray and then froze them. Worked perfectly! I love how creamy they are, and the taste is supreme. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!
Just made these yesterday — had everything on hand except the dark chocolate, so I had my husband pick some up on his way home. Thank you so much for this recipe everybody loves it so much! The center tastes exactly like a york peppermint patty – actually I’m going to say I like the center of this a lot better than a york – it’s “warmer” if that makes sense? Love it.
Oh my goodness i just made these and they were amazing! I will be making these again fast! :) Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
These look so so good! I was wondering if you or anyone else have tried these peppermint patties with maple syrup or honey instead of agave? I can’t have agave, and I’m looking for a substitute.. without altering the taste!
Hi Katie, I haven’t tried them yet with maple syrup. I assume it would taste ok (but I am a big maple fan!). I think the peppermint would be strong enough to overshadow the maple, but not sure. If you try it let us know!
I made them with maple syrup and the peppermint does over power the taste. So yes, use it! Delicious!
Hi Angela,
I made these tonight and I found that I had a problem with the chocolate sticking to the peppermint patties. I used carob chips instead of chocolate chips. Does the swap cause them not to stick? Have you ever had this problem?
Other than that problem, the peppermint patties were delicious!! Thanks for the recipe.
These were delicious. I used the silicone cups and it was a little difficult getting the patty out without ruining its shape. I am going to remake them today, however using the paper cups and trying them with carob. I do love chocolate but chocolate does not love me back.
Oh wow, I just read the post above mine. I do hope the carob stick.