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?)
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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.
PEPPERMINT CHOCOLATE This is pure delight for your taste buds.
great flavour
Hello, I am absolutely thrilled to try these out for the holidays. I do a lot of baking before hand. What do you supposed would be the shelf life of these delicious treats?
Brooke:)
I think I stored mine in the fridge – we ate them quick but I would guess they would keep for at least a few weeks. You can also freeze them too!
I found these got better with age! I stored mine in the freezer in an airtight container and they tasted even better by the end of the month than they did fresh!
Agreed! The peppermint flavor seems to meld with the rest of the filling and chocolate over time. Wonderful recipe! Just like the recipe states, to make sure the filling is smooth, be sure to soak cashews overnight or longer. Even with my best blender/food processor, the batch with the longest soaked cashews made the smoothest, creamiest filling.
I bet these would also be amazing with shredded coconut added into the center filling…!
These are amazing. I’ve been making them the last few years for holiday gatherings and they’re a major hit. Good because they’re parve too (if you’re going to guests who keep kosher this is a big plus) no added sugar and vegan to boot they’re great.
I sub cashew meal from trader Joes (same amount) for the soaking cashews and it comes out good.
one of my all time favorites!
What dark chocolate did you use? I’m having a hard time finding good vegan dark chocolate!
I’m in the same boat! Looking for what dark chocolate to use!
Thanks for the recipe! I tried these out, but unfortunately I found the coconut oil so overpowering that I couldn’t even finish the recipe. I don’t want to rate it, as its failure may have just been a personal dislike of coconut oil – I have only used it once before, and I didn’t like the end product then either. It has a very strong smell/taste!
Oh my these were so good. I made them for a cookie exchange instead of cookies and everyone is looking for more 2 days later.
Hi! These look scrumptious! I was wondering if I could use Maple syrup instead of Agave (used my last drop of it in another recipe)? Thanks for an amazing blog! :)
Just finished making my first batch of these and they are amazing! I’ve had this recipe bookmarked since it was first posted but just got around to borrowing my parents’ VitaMix now since my blender is on its last legs. Thanks for such a great recipe, for vegans and non-vegans!
Is there a dark chocolate chip brand that doesn’t have sugar or dairy in it?
First of all, I just wanted to say that I LOVE your recipes. Most them are so easy and quick which is perfect for me. And everything I have made from your website and your book has been delicious.
I made these patties the other day with my mom and even though it was messy (we used the cupcake liners), they taste AMAZING. They taste way better than store-bought peppermint patties. The inside is so creamy and tasty and the chocolate is crunchy. I found it best to to place my food processor directly in the freezer after blending everything so that the mixture could harden up a bit. Then I scooped it into the cupcake liners. The small batch I made without hardening the mixture resulted in some very flat patties, which is fine and still tasty, but I like the look of yours! Thank you for this amazing vegan treat!
Great recipe that works! What is the freezer shelf life of the peppermint patties if you use the almond milk in the recipe?
these are just perfect . so good , creamy and the taste is amazing! easy to do too.
Hey, they relly look delicious! I dont have any almond milk or agave necter, could I replace them with regular milk and syrup?
i just made these and i think i’m in love! big sexy factor in these little babies. i used soaked almonds and powdered sugar instead of maple syrup and upped the peppermint. york peppermint patties are my favorite candy so i’m SO happy to have this vegan counterpart :)
These are SO good! Don’t be impatient like me though. I’ve seen lots of other recipes where you can speed up the cashew soak by putting them in hot water. I put them in hot water for about an hour and they didn’t mix all the way even with a blendtec on high for several minutes. Had a few lumps but were still insanely good. Def waiting overnight next time and I look forward to trying them with sun flower seeds!
How long do you soak the nuts for and can I substitute almond for the cashews? Going to try this later, thanks.
Your recipe was an inspiration for my own. I decided to use cashew butter and they came out AMAZING! Thank you! I also used honey. I made mine in more of a layer style. I melted soy free choco chips and coconut oil into silicone heart molds, allowed it to cool in the fridge, then I poured on the cashew/peppermint mixture (which was really runny) and put them back in the fridge. They need to stay in the fridge until eaten but they are perfect!