Indulgent dark chocolate with a refreshing peppermint cream filling. These yummy no-bake After Dinner Mints will satisfy your sweet tooth
Natural mint lovers since childhood
After-Dinner Mints bring back amusing memories from my childhood. My parents bought packets of after-dinner mints every time they did their groceries and stored them in the pantry.
One weekend, we heard mum and dad bickering ‘You ATE all the chocolate mints!’ Mum yelped at dad ‘And you didn’t even bother to throw the empty box out!’ Our poor dad looked confused, but somehow he also looked guilty, and this was pretty hilarious because he wasn’t the culprit.
‘I’ve only had a few, and I wouldn’t have left the box in there. You know I’m pedantic with cleanliness!’ Dad replied calmly. ‘Maybe it was the kids’.
Mum refused to accept this. ‘They hate the taste of mint, which is why they hate brushing their teeth! And they don’t even like dark chocolate!’
My sister and I looked at each other sheepishly because we were the ones to blame. We kept our secret safe because we were frightened of getting in trouble, so we kindly let dad take one for the team.
It was the elegant packaging of the mints that attracted them to us at first as kids. They individually enveloped their thin square chocolate-coated mints in beautiful black and gold paper. The smell of the mint and chocolate was also intoxicating.
So here we are, hooked on chocolate and mint as young children, and things haven’t changed. If mint chocolate is available in ice cream, cake or candy, then I’ll most probably order it.
These easy no-bake homemade After-Dinner Mints have a dark chocolate base and top with rich and refreshing peppermint cream filling. My ratio to chocolate and filling is way more generous than the store-bought thin ones, but they’re just as good. Just a tiny piece will keep your sweet tooth satisfied.
What’s the difference between peppermint and mint?
Herbs that contain menthol are part of the mint family, these include spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, and Vietnamese mint. Menthol gives these herbs their cooling and refreshing flavour.
I feel a little ignorant because I thought mint was its own herb, just like dill or coriander/cilantro. So if the internet is accurate, the mint we buy in the supermarket is spearmints.
That leaves us with the real question. What’s the difference between spearmint and peppermint? Peppermint has the most amount of menthol and has the strongest mint flavour of the mint family. Spearmint has a milder mint flavour, but we commonly use it for culinary purposes.
We are now mint experts…or maybe not, but this information is helpful because we want our After-Dinner mints to have that POW in-your-face minty flavour. Peppermint extract is our choice! However, if you have mint extract this will work too, but you may need more of it.
I love a strong minty flavour, but I know it’s not for everyone. There’s a tsp of peppermint extract in my batch of chocolate mints, but I suggested starting with 1/2 tsp first, then adding a few more drops to adjust to your liking.
Got a sweet tooth? You’re in luck because we do too! Check out these recipes:
Chocolate Cherry Slice
Orange & Poppy Seed Friands
Easy Passionfruit Slice
Rum Raisin Brownies
Ingredients for After Dinner Mints
Dark chocolate – I used good quality cooking/backing chocolate as they have a higher percentage of cocoa butter, which makes it easier to melt and work with. However, any regular dark or milk ‘eating’ chocolate would also work. If using dark chocolate, don’t go for 70% cocoa because it’s quite bitter, unless that’s what you prefer.
Icing sugar (powdered sugar, confectionary sugar) – Icing sugar usually comes in two forms: icing sugar mixture and pure icing sugar. Icing sugar mixture is softer than pure icing sugar because there’s starch or flour added to it. For this recipe, you could use either.
Peppermint extract – Supermarkets stock peppermint extract in the baking section, near where they sell vanilla extract. You could also use mint extract, but you may need to use more because it’s milder in taste than peppermint.
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How to make After Dinner Mints
Step-by-step guide with photos
Grease and line a square 20cm (8in) tin with nonstick baking/parchment paper, leaving one side to overhang.
For the chocolate base – Place the chocolate and the oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate by doing 40-second bursts in the microwave on high. Stir the chocolate after each burst and repeat until the chocolate has completely melted.
Pour the chocolate into the tin, then tilt the tin at all angles so the chocolate covers the base of the tin evenly. Place the tin in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
For the peppermint cream filling – In a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then add the melted butter, peppermint extract and a tsp of milk at a time. Stir the mixture until you reach the desired consistency (mine was spreadable, but not runny). You may not need to use all the milk. Have a taste, and add a few more drops of peppermint if required. Adjust the mint flavour to your taste.
Transfer the filling over the top of the chocolate base. Use an offset spatula to spread the peppermint filling, then smooth it out evenly.
For the chocolate topping – Repeat the same steps to melt the chocolate as above. Then pour the chocolate over the peppermint layer. Tilt the tin at all angles so the chocolate coating is even.
Chill the tin in the fridge for 2 hours or until completely set. Lift the baking paper to remove the After Mint Chocolate from its tin. For clean slices, run a sharp knife in hot water, then dry the knife and slice into desired pieces whilst cold. Chocolate mints taste best when left at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
Leftovers – Transfer into a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to a week.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Watch my Chocolate Peppermint Cookies video
After Dinner Mints
Ingredients
Chocolate base
- 130 gm dark baking/cooking chocolate (NOTE 1)
- 3 tsp vegetable oil (or any neutral tasting oil)
Peppermint cream filling
- 1½ cup icing sugar (powdered sugar) (NOTE 2)
- 15 gm melted butter
- ½ tsp peppermint extract (more or less to taste) (NOTE 3)
- 6 tsp full cream milk (whole milk)
Chocolate topping
- 130 gm dark baking/cooking chocolate
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Grease and line a square 20cm (8in) tin with nonstick baking/parchment paper, leaving one side to overhang.For the chocolate base – Place the chocolate and the oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate by doing 40-second bursts in the microwave on high. Stir the chocolate after each burst and repeat until the chocolate has completely melted.
- Pour the chocolate into the tin, then tilt the tin at all angles so the chocolate covers the base of the tin evenly. Place the tin in the fridge for 30 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
- For the peppermint cream filling – In a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar, then add the melted butter, peppermint extract and a tsp of milk at a time. Stir the mixture until you reach the desired consistency (mine was spreadable, but not runny). You may not need to use all the milk. Have a taste, and add a few more drops of peppermint if required. Adjust the mint flavour to your taste.
- Transfer the filling over the top of the chocolate base. Use an offset spatula to spread the peppermint filling, then smooth it out evenly.
- For the chocolate topping – Repeat the same steps to melt the chocolate as above. Then pour the chocolate over the peppermint layer. Tilt the tin at all angles so the chocolate coating is even. Chill the tin in the fridge for 2 hours or until completely set. Lift the baking paper to remove the After Mint Chocolate from its tin. For clean slices, run a sharp knife in hot water, then dry the knife and slice into desired pieces whilst cold. Chocolate mints taste best when left at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
