Peppermint Patties
Ok, when the idea of Peppermint Patties first crossed my mind I was not enticed. "Chocolate and mint?" I said, "That sounds like toothpaste, not food."
Well, a few weeks later, the idea lingered, gnawingly and I decided I just had to make those Peppermint Patties. So I did. And they are good. Even to someone who does not care for the idea of chocolate and mint. Someone who is Jewish and does not celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Likes them. And ate too many.
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon peppermint oil (I used organic)
½ to 1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao
, melted
- In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and peppermint oil, mixing with a spoon
- Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth
- Freeze mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer
- Use a 1.5 teaspoon ice cream scoop
to measure out little balls onto a parchment
lined plate
- Place plate in freezer to firm up mint balls; when firm, remove from freezer
- Squish balls down into flat little patties on parchment paper
- Dip patties into melted chocolate (use spoon to drop patty into melted chocolate, dip and remove)
- Place patties on parchment paper
to harden (takes 10 minutes though on a summer day you may need to refreeze)
My husband doesn't like mint and chocolate either. And he ate plenty of my little Peppermint Patties, scarfing them down after work the other day. What we like about these gluten free candies is that they melt in your mouth. The children liked them too, eating their share.
I'm excited to announce that The Saturday Evening Post recently selected my Gluten Free Brownie recipe as the winner of their New Year’s Recipe Challenge. Thanks!
Happy Saint Patty's Day to all in every way!
Posted on March 12, 2010 in the desserts category by Elana
related recipes: Mounds Candy Bars
or Chocolate Prune Truffles
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These look fantastic--just like "regular" ones! I'm a little leery of eating anything that's just basically coconut oil and a flavoring, though (there seem to be many similar recipes on raw foods sites)--I just have an aversion to the texture of the oil on its own (I never used to put butter on my bread either for that reason!). Or is the texture more like the peppermint patties I'm used to seeing in stores?
PS A great and easy way to ensure "no lumps" in the oil is to mix the filling ingredients in a food processor (regular or mini).
Congrats on making the Saturday Evening Post! :)
The chocolate would not stick to my patties either. Has anyone found a solution?
Oh, you have made my day!! Thanks!
These look really good..I love mint and chocolate combined. What is the temperature/consistency of the coconut oil when you're starting?
I thought I'd let you know that I used my oil at room temp and it worked great. I store my oil in the cupboard. It's a solid at room temp anyway.
Yum! Can't wait to try these, and my allergic to eggs and milk son can actually have some too!
Mm! These look great. I might try making them with coconut butter instead :)
Oh, I was thinking too, I wonder if I can use coconut butter instead of oil!! Let us know if you do it and how it works :)
I just used your recipe as inspiration! I used raw honey in place of agave and added some organic shredded coconut to it for a crunch! I also left out the chocolate as I didn't have any on hand and added some cocoa powder for the chocolate flavor after my bf told me it was a bit sweet for his taste. I loved it as it was without the chocolate. The raw honey took away the oily texture and made it a bit more grainy. Adding the shredded coconut brought out the mint. After adding the cocoa powder, the minty-ness decreased, but it is still good.
This would make a great mint frosting on a chocolate, or vanilla, cake. I think I will try that later! Thanks for the recipe Elana. :-)
wow Elana! I just bought a york peppermint patty today, wish I had seen these before I got it! I'm trying to get back to nature, as I fell of the wagon for a bit and need to break my sweet tooth again. I'm gonna make these just for that reason! Thank you!
fabulous!! I've been thinking about these. I love peppermint patties!
How can you NOT love peppermint/coconut and chocolate. Not like any of my toothpastes!!
Many thanks.
Aloha,
Ellie
Those look delish! I don't use agave, though. I wonder what would be a good replacement. Honey would probably alter the taste. Hmmmm....
I used raw honey and it tasted great. The mint extract covered the honey taste just fine.
Your creativity never cease to amaze me. I bought your cookbook and am enjoying all of your recipes. I am eating so much more healthier following your style of baking and cooking. Thank you so much :)
These are awesome! I gotta try out this recipe.
Oh my! I have been craving these! so bad! I even tried a convention, store-bought one the other day and regretted it....yuck! :) I can't wait to try these!
These patties look absolutely fantastic!
Lots of your recipes are so good and these sounded tempting. However, as I have never used coconut oil and knew nothing about it, I checked it out on http://www.nutritiondata.com. The calorie count is humungous and it is considered a very inflammatory food! Sadly I won't even be trying this one.
Christiana,
I would recommend researching a bit more about coconut oil before making your final judgement...
Here's a great article to start with: http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
My coconut oil has 120 cal per Tbsp which would be about one patty. I guess you have to think of some things as a "once in awhile" treat. You wouldn't eat these every day. It is also less calories than a Hershey bar.
Also also found health benefits to coconut oil. I read the site Murdy posted but also wanted to offer up this one: http://www.coconut-connections.com/research.htm
Well I have the patties in the freezer...my first attempt to dip them in chocolate the chocolate did not stick...it rolled right off as the coconut/peppermint mix started to melt. Possibly the chocolate was too hot and patties not firm enough. I did use dairy free chocolate chips since we have a dairy allergy at my house.
I just tried my final product and these are AMAZING!!! Oh how I used to love york peppermint patties and now I can just whip up a batch in a few minutes. Mine aren't as pretty as Elana's but they sure are yummy! My daughter who doesn't like peppermint thinks they are wonderful!!!
Yumm. These look way too good.
I made these - they are wonderful ! I had some issues with warm chocolate melting the coconut oil and the chocolate not wanting to 'stick'. I ended up putting a shmere of chocolate on the parchment paper, the pattie on top and pour/swirl chocolate on top. Absolutely no complaints though - mine aren't necessarily pretty - but are delicious and almost gone. Thank you for another excellent recipe.
I have to agree with Ricki on the texture thing of the coconut oil. I feel like maybe mixing in some shredded coconut and a little arrowroot starch might help that out for me.
Chocolate and mint bring the flavor of toothpaste to mind? What kind of toothpaste are you using??!!! ;-P
Is there a reason you use agave (fructose) rather than stevia or raw honey? Everything I am reading about agave says it's really unhealthy. Here is one source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/02/Agave-A-Triumph-of-Marketing-over-Truth.aspx. Here is another: http://planetthrive.com/2009/12/agave-vs-stevia/. If one was to substitute stevia for the agave in this recipe, how much would you suggest? Thanks!!
Don't believe everything you read... or at least do a little more research before you make any judgments.
Here's a great counterpoint and it's from the President of one of the top agave manufacturers in the US, Madhava:
http://stanford.wellsphere.com/healthy-eating-article/madhava-s-craig-gerbore-responds-to-agave-nectar-controversy-here/584480
I used raw honey and kept the amount the same, possibly used slightly less. I hope this helps you. My choice to use honey is based purely on cost and that it is a local product I can buy in my town which helps the local businesses and is more "green" than ordering from online. Sometimes I use maple syrup depending on the recipe--not for these, maple and mint just don't mix for me. :-)
I've also found that if the sweetener is a main source of liquid then I should keep the amount. If not, I often use less to cut down on the sweetness.
Thanks for the article link Emily, it was very informative!
[...] Peppermint Patties (suitable only for those far enough into healing to be able to do cocoa) made with 100% fair trade [...]
can i ask for storage instructions when listing these recipes? and how long they would last?
other than that, i love peppermint & chocolate!
I have been making so many of your recipes today! This was the only one that didn't really work out. I couldn't get the chocolate to stick. The balls were very firm, and the chocolate hot. Maybe too hot? I was also using vegan chocolate chips. But they did stick to the frozen bananas... so I'm not sure. We shall see how they taste when they are finished hardening. :)
Peppermint patties are to die for!
i am so thrilled with your cookbook. The recipes are simple and very tasty. My kids love everything and i don't have the guilt of giving them seconds on the desserts. i am still working on my husband and his texture issues. Thank you so much
I recently found this info on the web.
Agave contains saponins and fructans. Inulin is a type of fructan that has many health benefits. Saponins are found in many plant roots, the most famous being ginseng.
The process in which the agave starch is converted into refined fructose and then sold as the sweetener agave nectar is through an enzymatic and chemical conversion that refines, clarifies, heats, chemically alters, centrifuges, and filters the non- sweet starch into a highly refined sweetener, fructose.
In my testing of various brands of agave, I have found that NONE of them are suitable for a healthy diet and would recommend that everyone switch to stevia for now. With agave having so much fructose, it is impossible that agave could be low glycemic and I cannot find independent studies to rate the glycemic index of agave.
Diane,
Where are your sources and what qualifications do you have to make this decision for everyone? Also, are you saying that all people process food the same way?
I'd research a bit more before making any harsh judgments.
I also recommend reading Elana's agave debate post: http://www.elanaspantry.com/the-great-agave-syrup-debate/
Not all agave nectar is created equal!
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Thank you so much for this recipes Elana, My mom has been looking for a healthy peppermint patty recipe for a long time and here they are. My mom always lets me bake and cook by myself if I want to and I love it. These are going to be so much fun for me to make. Thank you so much.