Created by Laura Wright
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5 from 14 votes
No-bake chocolate mint cups are simple to prepare, made with 10 ingredients, and are super decadent. Dairy-free and gluten-free.
Next up in our holiday treat week are these no-bake peppermint chocolate mint cups! (check out the ginger molasses SOFTIES from earlier in the week if you missed them!) I love a good oat-y no bake situation with lots of chocolate, and that’s exactly what this is. A little hint of peppermint extract gives us that smooth After Eight-ish feel that’s undeniably holiday-appropriate. You could definitely use vanilla though!
These little cups are seriously rich. You could serve them as a standalone dessert with a nice dollop of coconut cream. Since I can handle my sweets (lol weird brag), they work as a snack for me, so there’s that. Also, the oats provide a nice health glow if needed. Breakfast-appropriate if you’re having *one of those days* ;)
My favourite thing about this treat, aside from the no-bake factor, is that it comes together quick and has exactly ten ingredients. Sometimes simplicity is key during these busy final days of the year. There can be SO much pressure, from feeling obligated to get the best gifts EVERRRR, to holiday hosting, the crowds that are seemingly everywhere, to a general uptick in social obligations. It’s a lot!
Vegan no-bake chocolate mint cups are here to help. If they aren’t working, I recommend checking out this episode of the Live Free Creative Podcast for working towards more intentional Winter holidays. Love you all! See ya on Saturday for our third and final holiday treat this week ;)
No-Bake Chocolate Mint Cups
No-bake chocolate mint cups are simple to prepare, made with 10 ingredients, and are super decadent. Dairy-free and gluten-free.
5 from 14 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Resting Time: 40 minutes mins
Total Time: 55 minutes mins
Servings 12 cups
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup pitted Medjool dates, packed
- ½ cup MELTED & COOLED coconut oil
CHOCOLATE MINT GANACHE FILLING
- 1 ½ cups dairy-free chocolate chips
- ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk (from a can)
Equipment
Notes
- I used the Enjoy Life brand non-dairy dark chocolate chips here.
- These are SUPER rich! You could get away with serving these as a plated dessert with a dollop of coconut whip.
Instructions
Line a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with little strips of parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, combine the oats, pecans, coconut, cacao powder, and salt. Pulse the mixture until everything is finely chopped.
Add the dates and coconut oil to the food processor. Pulse until a sticky “dough” starts to come together. Pinch it between your fingers to make sure that it will hold together. Place the dough in the fridge for about 5 minutes, just to firm up.
In the muffin tin, drop about 3 tablespoons of the dough into each cup. Lightly spread it out with your fingers. Then, with the bottom of a shot glass (or something similarly sized), press an indent into each portion of dough to form a “cup.” Place the prepared cups in the fridge while you make the ganache.
Make the ganache. Place the chocolate chips and peppermint extract in a medium bowl. Place the coconut milk in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the coconut milk starts bubbling and simmering, pour it over the chocolate chips. Let this mixture sit for a minute before stirring with a spatula until you have a smooth, fully mixed, and glossy ganache.
Retrieve the cups from the fridge. Divide the ganache evenly among the cups. Place the peppermint ganache cups in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, let the cups sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before carefully running a paring knife around the edges of each cup to release. Keep the ganache cups on a plate in the fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and shredded coconut if you like!
Author: Laura Wright
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: all seasons, cacao, coconut milk, coconut oil, fall, holiday baking, holiday entertaining, holidays, medjool dates, oats, pecans, peppermint, shredded coconut, winter
05/12/2019 (Last Updated 18/03/2024)
Posted in: autumn, coconut milk, creamy, dessert, gluten free, holidays, snack, spring, summer, sweet, vegan, winter
33 comments
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Emma 
I never make desserts and am generally intimated by it. This recipe seemed so simple I thought I could give it a try, and it came out exactly like the photos. I worried my dough was a bit crumbly at first so I added a couple extra dates to the food processor and ran it again. It firmed up nicely in the fridge and all was well. As stated in the recipe, these are ultra rich and decadent. I served them to friends after dinner and everyone loved them.Reply
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Justine These look so lovely, but I hate coconut in desserts! How could I make this without the coconut, do you think?
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Paula
These are SO good! I made these for Christmas and my family couldn’t believe they were vegan and pretty healthy compared to most holiday treats. I made mine in an 8×8″ pan and cut them into bars and they turned out great. I’m already looking forward to making another batch!Reply
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JLS
Am late to the party on these, but I’ve been making just the ‘crust’ bit, rolling them into balls to freeze and eating them as a snack OR melting one into my morning oatmeal. Is AMAZING!! Thanks for this super-adaptable recipe!!Reply
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Anita
Excellent! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I love that I can enjoy this treat without too much guilt.Reply
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Chelsea These are amazing!!! My husbands FAVORITE dessert. Thank you!
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Chelsea Crissup
These Mint Cups are amazing! So easy and so delicious!
My husband loves mint and chocolate and stated this was his favorite dessert, ever.
Can’t wait to make again. Next time I plan to serve with coconut whipped cream and fresh strawberries.Reply
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Kari
I made these this morning, (happy Winter in the midst of the pandemic) and they are so good. I didn’t have coconut flakes so I used peanuts. I rolled the 3 Tbls of the dough in my hands and then pushed a shot glass down the middle of the ball to create the well. I also put all the ingredients into the food processor together and pulsed.Reply
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Sam
These are AMAZING! I have been eyeing them for awhile and so glad that I finally got the chance to make them. Thank you!!Reply
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Rachael I accidentally got coconut cream instead of coconut milk for this recipe. Could I use the coconut cream instead, maybe if I dilute it with some water?
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Laura Hi Rachael!
Coconut cream would be fine if you dilute it a bit, as you said. Just let it come fully to room temperature first so that it’s easily scoop-able/spoonable and then dilute it in a separate measuring cup/bowl with some water.
-LReply
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Madison
My “dough” turned out really wet – I went back and checked and I followed the recipe exactly. Any idea what went wrong?Reply
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Laura Hi Madison,
Did you have really fresh, super soft and sticky dates? Or did you have to soak them in water a bit to soften them up? If they were indeed very fresh dates, I wonder if you may have overpacked the cup when you were measuring them? If you had to soak the dates, it’s possible that you may not have drained them enough. Outside of these two options, I honestly can’t think of what went wrong here. The crust mixture should be a little bit sticky, but definitely not wet. If this happens to you again, you can always throw in another handful of oats and a sprinkle of cocoa powder to dry the mixture up a bit!
-LReply
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Rachael If we don’t have a food processor, would a blender work, or a handheld mixer (like the ones used for soups)?
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Laura Hi Rachael,
I think that the blender might be the best option of the 2. I would grind the oats, pecans, coconut, and salt separately until fine and then dump them into a bowl. Then, I would blend the dates and coconut oil until they’re nice and puréed. Then, I’d add that mixture to the ground up nuts, coconut etc. From there, you can stir it up until it sticks together nicely.
-LReply
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Lisa
What can u use in place of pecans if allergic to nuts?Reply
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Laura I would use raw sunflower seeds instead! You can substitute the same amount, but you may have to run the food processor for a bit longer to get them nice and finely chopped.
-LReply
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Veronica These look so good! I have everything except the pecans. Would walnuts or almonds work in the crust?
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Laura Hi Veronica! Walnuts would be a perfect substitute :)
-LReply
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Amanda These are delicious! I’ve made them twice and each time split the ganache in order to make some mint cups and some plain chocolate. I like the slight coconutty flavor of the plain and my partner loves the mint. I’ll be making them again today as we shelter in place; I practically always have all of these ingredients in the pantry.
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Faye I am making these a 2nd time. They were a hit at my friend’s baby blessing gathering Dec 15 :) Curious if they will freeze well…I’m guessing yes.
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Laura I think they would freeze fine if they were wrapped placed in an airtight container!
-LReply
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Lisa I made these for our Christmas dessert and they were amazing! I also received your cookbook for Christmas from a friend – looking forward to diving into it! Thanks so much for all you share with us!
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LOTUSWEI OMG, Laura, these look SO divine! YUM! I could also imagine making the ganache in a weak moment and then, well, eating the ganache, hahahaha. xoxo
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Joshua Howard We made these earlier this week and they are delicious! All of us really enjoy mint and chocolate together, so they were a hit with all of us. Thank you for this incredible recipe!
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Jen These sound and look amazing. I’m going to try them as written but pressed into an 8×8 dish and cut into squares. Yum!
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Laura I love that idea, Jen! Please let us know how it works out.
-LReply
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EMILY Wow, these sound amazing! I can’t wait to try them out!
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Lise This looks really delicious! I’m going to try making them into a bar and cut into small pieces for Christmas.
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supal I’m going to be that annoying person and ask if you have rolled oats alternatives? Would a mixture of seeds work instead?
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Laura You could probably just use more nuts and coconut (an extra 1/2 cup of each), but I have to tell you that I haven’t tried this myself so can’t guarantee anything. Maybe throw in a tablespoon of ground flax for some extra binding power if necessary? Let me know how they turn out if you try them without oats.
-LReply
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Bronwyn Underhill These look amazing!
Have you had success making them in mini muffin tins?
Also, do you think they would freeze okay?
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Laura Hi Bronwyn,
I have not made them in mini muffin tins, but I think it would be fine. You would just need something quite small to make the indentations for the filling. I think these would freeze fine if they were in a sealed container!
-LReply
