OK, be honest. When it comes to mint chocolate, are you a fan or a skeptic?
In all transparency, I used to be in the “keep mint out of my dessert because it tastes like toothpaste” camp. But that changed when I was forced to eat mint chocolate chip ice cream at a party when it was the only dessert option, and it was like the heavens parted and I was enlightened to the glory that is mint chocolate.
So when we realized there were no peppermint patties on the blog, we knew that had to change. Behold: These easy, plant-based peppermint patties that are not only delicious but also sneak in some health perks. Plus, just 30 minutes and 5 simple ingredients required. Let us show you how it’s done!
Vegan Peppermint Patties
The base for these peppermint patties is shredded coconut. It’s perfect because it’s rich, packed with fiber, and achieves a dough-like consistency when blended up in a food processor. Just be careful not to over-blend or you’ll have coconut butter!
To the coconut, we add maple syrup for sweetness and peppermint extract for minty flavor. Melted coconut oil and maple syrup also help with binding the patties so they’re easier to form into discs.
Then the discs go in the freezer to firm up before dipping in melted dark chocolate (swoon!). Back in the freezer just once more to set, and we’re ready for dessert!
We hope you LOVE these homemade peppermint patties! They’re:
Minty
Chocolaty
Quick & Easy
Portable
Gift-able
& Delicious!
They’re the perfect snack or healthier dessert for the holidays and beyond! We like storing them in the fridge and enjoying any time a chocolate craving strikes (though for the ultimate texture, enjoy at room temperature or slightly melty!). And with 4 grams fiber and 3 mg iron per patty, they’re basically a health food, right? (;D)
More Chocolate Treats
- 5-Ingredient Honey Mama’s Chocolate Bars
- Peanut Butter Eggs
- 10-Minute Chocolate Truffles (Date-Sweetened)
- Easy Vegan Truffles
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient Peppermint Patties
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp peppermint extract (for best quality, use food-grade peppermint oil)
- 2 tsp coconut oil, divided
- 1 cup vegan dark chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Add shredded coconut to a food processor. Blend until the sides of the food processor start getting a little coconut buttery (~45-60 seconds). Continue processing in about 10-15 second increments, scraping down the sides and checking the texture. It should start to feel like dough when squeezed between fingers but might not hold together fully (see photo). Make sure not to process too much or it will turn into coconut butter.
- Add maple syrup, peppermint extract, and 1 tsp melted coconut oil (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Mix again until incorporated. Again, look for a dough-like consistency. With these added ingredients, it should hold together better when tightly squeezed (see photo). If it doesn’t, continue blending in 10-15 second increments, scraping down sides of food processor as needed. If it's still having trouble holding together, you can add a tiny bit more maple syrup (or add non-dairy milk) to encourage blending (we didn't find this necessary).
- Scoop out an approximately 1-tablespoon amount of mixture. Then shape with hands to form a disc (see photo). Use fingers to gently pat down so patties aren’t too tall.
- Lay down on parchment-lined baking sheet or plate and continue until all coconut is used — recipe should make about 14 patties. Place in freezer to set for 10 minutes.
- Melt chocolate and remaining 1 tsp coconut oil (as recipe is written) over a double boiler or in microwave in 30 second increments until melted.
- Individually place a chilled patty on the prongs of a fork to dip into chocolate. Tap off excess and set back on parchment. Continue until all bites are coated.
- Place in refrigerator or freezer to set for 8-10 minutes or until chocolate is firm.
- Peel away from parchment and enjoy. Serve at room temperature or chilled. We prefer storing them in the fridge, but before enjoying, we let them come to room temperature (or even warm until they're a little melty) for best texture!
- Patties will keep covered at room temperature for 4-5 days, in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 1 month (sometimes longer).
Tiffany says
This recipe didnt exactly work for me, however it culd be due to the blender I was using. The mixture was dry and I found myself adding more coconut oil and maple syrup, also omitted the peppermint oil as we didnt have any, but I did have peppermint essential oil – yet didnt know if I could use that as a replacement safely. I would love to know, could I have subbed peppermint extract with peppermint oil?
My husband saw me struggling to roll the coconut mixture and asked why didnt I press it into a tray and make it a slice with chocolate on top. So I did! It turned out delicious and I was grateful he suggested it. So if anyone finds it dry, you can still press it down firmly and create a slice. Turned out very yummy, thank you for all your recipes!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Tiffany! We’re glad it turned out well with some modification! Another idea is if the coconut is older and has lost some of its natural oils, it can turn out dry. You can use food grade peppermint essential oil but at a far less quantity as it’s so potent. Another reader mentioned using 6 drops diluted in 1/2 tsp sunflower oil. Hope that helps!
Tiffany says
Thank you :) yes it could have been older as I was using this recipe to use up the coconut.
jenna says
These cookies are so good and perfect if you want a sweet treat but don’t feel like turning on your oven. Since peppermint feels more seasonal to me i’ve also made these with other extracts throughtout the year, just as delicious!
So true! Love the idea of using other extracts. Thanks so much, Jenna!
Summer says
These are awesome! Hopefully these details will help others who are using essential oils or honey. I used 1/2 tsp of sunflower oil with 6 drops of peppermint essential oil stirred into it. The brand was Revive. I also have YL peppermint oil but when I smelled the two to compare it was more medicinal/toothpaste and the Revive was sweeter. The result is a nice fresh taste. If you want them super minty I would add a couple more drops, I think next time I will try 8 drops instead of 6. My husband doesn’t like maple and loves honey so I used honey instead. They wouldn’t come together easily so I added more. The total was 4 T of honey. With that amount they formed nicely and are delicious. I’m going to have to invest in more coconut because these are fantastic! Thankyou!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Summer! Thanks so much for sharing your tips and modifications! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Summer says
I’m such an airhead! Lol. Awesome treats!! Thanks for the recipe
Thanks for adding the star rating, Summer =) xo
Sandra says
These are very tasty, but mine are just a bit dry and not as creamy as I would have liked. Since I’ve had trouble in the past with coconut in my food processor, I opted to use the Vitamix. When I make them again, I’m not sure if I need more oil/syrup or if I just need to blend longer. I’m storing them in the refrigerator – I may try letting them get to room temperature before eating the rest.
Hi Sandra, thanks for sharing! We wonder if the coconut you’re using is old or dried out? You can add more oil/syrup to help with binding. And yes, they’re best when you let them come to room temperature first =)
Eliza says
Made this with a lot of tweaks cause I didn’t have everything on hand and I am impressed with how convincing the final product is!!! It’s just like a peppermint patty- minus the heaps of powdered sugar and condensed milk that traditional recipes use. Yay! Thank you for this creative way to make these!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Eliza. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Corinna says
Tried those today with 225 g desiccated coconut, 40 g maple syrup, 1 tsp coconut oil, a pinch of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon peppermint oil. I didn’t have any chocolate on hand, so I quickly made my own with 100 g cacao butter, 50 g cocoa powder, 50 g maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (had plenty left, so half this amount will suffice).
Came out wonderful!! I actually pressed them into my tablespoon and made beautiful half-sphere shapes, froze them, dipped in chocolate and YUM!! Thank you :-)
Amazing! We’re so glad they turned out well. Thanks so much for sharing, Corinna!
Zahra says
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup?
We haven’t tried that, but our concern is it might not add enough moisture to allow for binding. You may be able to add a little dairy-free milk to remedy it though. Let us know if you try it!
Loraine says
Well, this was a first from this site in that things didn’t quite go as easily as the recipe said but we got there in the end! Our shredded coconut just did not blend into a substance that was going to hold any shape. Like others, we added extra coconut oil and some full fat coconut milk to help things along, otherwise we were just looking at dessicated coconut in the food processor that didn’t shape up. The final result was super tasty but I’d probably try to buy EXACTLY whatever coconut was used in this recipe in future for an easier time – that’s probably the key!
Sorry to hear that, Loraine! We tested with 3 types of coconut (TJs coconut flakes, desiccated coconut, and Bob’s Red Mill coconut flakes) and all worked. It does take some patience to get the coconut to bind, but it should get there eventually. How long did you process it?
Loraine says
At least 10 mins probably. And there was zero sign of what we saw in the video happening. Through the miracle of adding coconut milk, smooshing together really firmly, refrigeration and accepting some loss of crumbly mixture we made an approximation. Wonderful combination of flavors though!
Thanks for the update! The only other thing we can think of would be if it was a lower fat coconut?
Liz says
These are delicious!!!!! I preferred a little more peppermint extract. Everyone who tried them loved them!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing, Liz!
Petchie Hawkins says
Can you make these peppermint patties without the peppermint? So they are sort of like a macaroon? I just don’t like mint and chocolate together…
We think that would work!
Kahveh says
Made these twice. First time they worked out ok, but I forgot to put coconut oil I. The chocolate and had to use more chocolate since it was being layered on too thick. I would add more peppermint next time. Second time was a fail, not sure why… followed the recipe. Same ingredients. I did add maybe 2 tsp coconut oil to the chocolate before microwaving to get the chocolate thin. Consistency was fine, however, the after taste was bad. Something with the coconut oil maybe? Too much used? Appreciate any thoughts. Overall I love the simple healthier version of theses.
The aftertaste was bad, as in something was off / rancid? Or not enough peppermint / too much peppermint?
Kahveh says
Sorry should have been more specific. It was like old coconut. The coconut oil is a large container near its end but still 7 months left on expiration date. All other ingredients were new and packaged more or less. I tasted each ingredient minus the peppermint extract and they taste fine. Not sure I microwaved the coconut oil too much in thinning the chocolate.
Hi Kahveh, is it possible the coconut oil has been stored in a warm location? That could cause it to go rancid faster.
Kahveh says
The coconut oil tastes fine by itself and when using in anything else. I will give these a go once more and heat the coconut oil another way to see if the taste fixes itself. I could add more peppermint and a bit more sweetness to it as well. Thank you for your replies. Likely user error on my part.
Maria says
Made these tonight and holy crap, they’re good! My chocolate was a bit thick so they don’t look as nice as yours, but they’re so yummy i don’t think anyone will care. Thanks for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Maria!!
Jaime says
I used this recipe along with your Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies to try to replicate a cookie from a local vegan bakery, which they call Santa Babies. They turned out awesome!
I made the peppermint patty filling as per the recipe, but added in 5 tbsp of powdered sugar, a total of 2 tsp of mint extract, plus a dash of almond milk. I then rolled the filling into .5 tbsp sized balls.
In the cookie recipe, I replaced the mint extract with vanilla. As I flattened the cookies before baking, I made a dent in the middle of each. After baking, I went back over all of them and pushed down again to ensure there was a dent in each cookie. I then took each peppermint patty ball and pressed them into dented space of the cookie. I topped each cookie off with the melted chocolate and coconut oil to fully cover the peppermint centres. As a final touch, I sprinkled each with crushed candy cane. Oh baby, they are sooooo good!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Jaime!
Patty Dailey says
I’m 3 weeks post-op from having total knee replacement and today was the first day I felt more like myself, so I took full advantage and made these peppermint patties that I’ve had my eye on for a couple of weeks! I have made many of your recipes and love them all, and this one is a keeper as well! I do not have a high powered food processor but I took the advice of another commenter and added 3 T of full fat coconut milk. It brought it to just the right texture (oh, and I used 4 cups of coconut flakes as that was the total contents of the bag). I made my patties too big at first, so I decided to cut them in half and make half-moons, instead, lol!
Such helpful feedback, Patty! We’re so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Rachael says
I’m really disappointed this recipe didn’t work. I processed for almost an hour and the “dough” never got sticky enough to stick together. I added more oil to see if more fat would help, but I slowly added at least 6 times what the recipe called for and it didn’t help.
Dana, what kind of coconut did you use? I noticed that I’ve never seen coconut the texture you have in the pictures; I could only find powdery, fine coconut. I’m also confused about the discussion about “desiccated coconut.” All shredded coconut is dried/desiccated, but perhaps there is a difference is dryness. I used Edward’s and sons unsweetened shredded coconut.
Any advice on what to do with my failure? I now have over 3 cups of fluffy, oily peppermint coconut and sincerely hate to throw it out.
Hi Rachael, we’re so sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. Desiccated coconut is also referred to as finely shredded dried coconut. But we also tested this with different types of coconut (such as flakes) and didn’t have any issues. The type in the pictures is Trader Joe’s coconut flakes. Is it possible your food processor isn’t powerful or the coconut was too dry? Did you watch the video for additional guidance on texture? For the leftover, perhaps you could press it into a parchment-lined baking dish, freeze, then drizzle with melted chocolate, and freeze again. Then cut into chunks. Hope that helps!
Rachael says
My food processor is pretty powerful (Cuisinart 13 cup elemental processor), I’ve made nut butter and other things without a problem. Even with a low powered food processor, it should not have taken more than an hour of processing time.
As far as if the coconut was too dry, I’m not sure how to determine this, hence my comment about desiccated vs. dry. Perhaps the recipe should provide suggestions on how to address this too dry issue. I ended up alternating adding oat milk (all I had) and coconut oil until it somewhat came together – ~90 minutes of processing, but it was still crumbly and didn’t go well when dipped in the chocolate. 90 minutes vs. 1 minute is a pretty huge difference in prep time.
Considering I’m not the only one with this comment, I think some additional advice other than “your food processor isn’t powerful enough” or “ your dried coconut is too dry” would be appreciated.
Thanks for the feedback. We’ll take a look and see if we can make improvements.
Bethany says
We tried these today. I had the same problem. We have a Cuisinart 13 cup processor, as well. My mixture was too dry as well. It never seemed to come together. We added additional syrup as the recipe suggests, but did not have luck.
Sorry to hear that, Bethany! We’re thinking the larger food processor doesn’t allow it to mix into a fine enough consistency and requires a larger batch. We used an 8 cup.
Bethany says
Okay! I will try that out next time! Thank you for replying! I appreciate that!
Tracee says
This recipe is wonderful because:
1) theses patties are DELICIOUS
2) the clean up is minimal 😉 one bowl and the food processor base
3) they are so easy to make
I followed the recipe exactly as written. Another winner from Dana!
Whoop! So glad you enjoyed them, Tracee. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Carol Edwards says
Sadly, these turned out dry for me. I still ate them anyways because I love the taste of peppermint and chocolate together.
That’s too bad! Thanks for sharing, Carol. I’m wondering if they were dry because either a) the coconut flakes didn’t get blended long enough. Or b) you tried them from the freezer (they’re best at room temp :)
Lisa Marie Norton says
Hello!
I make a lot of your recipes, all of them have been sooooo good! I was wondering if you have ever done a coconut oil brand review? I looked around on your site but didn’t see one.
Thank you!
Hi Lisa, we haven’t! But most of them seem pretty similar to us.
R. Miller says
Minty sweet delicious treat. Easy to make, quick to devour.
Thanks for sharing!!
Laura R. says
Such a delicious and easy recipe, just like most of the recipes you post! I used sweeten shredded coconut because I needed to use it for something before it went bad. No matter how long I blended it, it was still too crumbly. My quick fix: I added 2-3 tablespoons of canned coconut milk and that fix it enough for make patties. I also found that I needed about 1.5 cups of chocolate to cover all the patties. They turned out surprisingly well even with my additional ingredient.
Thanks for the feedback, Laura! If your food processor isn’t powerful, that could be part of the issue. But it sounds like you found a great solution. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Cyndy says
This recipe sounds like the perfect holiday treat. I have a Cuisinart 4-Cup food processor. Do you think the recipe as written will process well in it or should I scale the recipe back so the processor isn’t as full. Thank you!
I would scale back slightly, yes! Let us know how it goes!
Kara Flerchinger says
So insanely good they should be illegal! Like a mix between a York Peppermint Pattie and Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. My coconut flakes were pretty dry, so I added a bit more coconut oil and maple syrup then called for, but they turned out perfect!
haha yay! Thanks for sharing, Kara!! xoxo
Milan Lawrence says
Hello!
This recipe is insanely delicious!! The patties taste a little like mint chocolate chip ice cream:) This is a very easy recipe and my family really like it! I used dessicatted coconut flakes to see a change in texture, it was a lot easier to work with. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Milan!
Leigh Lawrence says
Dana,
Milan is my daughter and she did such a fantastic job. She made this recipe twice, doubling the second batch which we gleefully consumed.
We love your website–keep posting those great recipes!!!!!
Thanks, Leigh! xo
Amazing! Thanks for the kind review!
Rebecca Hartley says
Absolutely delicious!! Super easy to make and they taste like York peppermint patties
Great – thanks, Rebecca!
Natasha says
I made this recipe super excited!! I followed the recipe however, I could not get it to a point where I could mould the coconut into patties.
I am not sure what went wrong.
Hi Natasha, how long did you blend for? It takes a little patience and a quality food processor.
Natasha says
Hi Dana,
Thanks so much for the feedback, I was really hoping to give these a try again. I have a high-powered food processor, so hopefully that isn’t the issue. Maybe I did not blend enough, I just found the consistency didn’t really change much and so I figured based on how long I blended – maybe around 8-10 minutes of actual blending – this was it. Ok, you have given me something to think about, blend more!! I will try! Thanks again!
Let us know how it goes!
Melissa says
This did not hold together for me, BUT I think it’s because my food processor isn’t high powered. Bummer
Bummer! Yes, it has a lot to do with the power of your food processor. It can also potentially be done in a blender, especially a Vitamix.
Anna says
These are awesome!!! I love these, super quick and easy to make. I would just suggest to add a little bit more peppermint extract if you really like peppermint flavor. Other than that, no complaints. I’m going to give these away for the holidays. Only thing I would be cautious about is the fact that its just chocolate and fat, as someone who is careful about my fiber intake, you probably shouldn’t eat a lot of these in one sitting(because they might give you trouble later LOL).
Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Ranvir says
Thank you for the great recipe. I tried making this however the coconut would not form patties. I did process quite a bit but it would not stick. I used desiccated coconut. I was able to form balls but took a lot of effort. Any suggestions where I may have gone wrong. The peppermint balls tasted delicious. :)
Desiccated coconut is a bit on the drier side (versus flakes or shredded coconut), so that may just mean it takes a little more churning and a bit more coconut oil and/or maple syrup! We had best success with flaked or shredded coconut.
Faith V. says
I made these today (and actually just finished eating some for an afternoon snack.) I didn’t know what to expect, but these are DELICIOUS!! I now realize I made mine thinner than the pictures, but I don’t know if I would have gotten 14 patties had I made them larger.
This recipe is not difficult AT ALL, and even my husband, who is not a big fan of mint chocolate LOVED them (probably because I didn’t put as much mint as I wanted to haha). This is the perfect dessert for Winter/Christmastime!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Faith!!
Maeby says
Loving this recipe! The texture of the coconut in the middle turned out very nice. Coconut flavor is subtle. Used about 1/2 tsp of peppermint oil…next time would definitely use 3/4 to really bring out that flavor and to mask the coconut even more.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Maeby!
Sherri Neil says
These are amazing. I made them from your cookbook twice already.
Thanks for sharing, Sherri!
candice says
Hello, my daughter loves these so much. She always goes to your cookbook where this recipe is and asks for them. I am not able to make them flat like a patty. I am only ever able to make them into peppermint balls. Which are super delicious, but do you have a suggestion as to why they don’ t hold up when I attempt to make them like patties? I tired again today. I always follow your videos and instructions and today I added a little more coconut oil and maple syrup but they fall apart.. thank you for the assistance.
Hi Candice! The main way to ensure they lay flat is to make sure the mixture is mixed well enough so they don’t crumble. Then scoop and gently work the dough in your hands to gently form into a pattie!
Victoria Hinze says
These look delicious! Can you suggest how to make without the maple syrup which I assume is where most of the carbohydrates are coming from??
Yeah, mostly that and the chocolate coating. If you want to skip maple syrup the filling won’t be as sweet and likely slightly more dry, FYI! Maple adds sweetness and moisture.
Erin says
This might be a silly question… but how many grams/ounces is one cup of chocolate?!
P.S. I have been enjoying your delicious recipes from your amazing site for years but never commented before (sorry!). THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!
So kind! 1 cup chocolate is ~180 g or 6.3 oz. We have a standard -> metric converter just above the ingredients so you can easily convert, FYI!
leelee says
I am not a fan of coconut, but love peppermint.
Will these taste like coconut?
Slightly, but overwhelmingly the flavor is mint chocolate.
lee says
Thank you!
I will take a risk and try this simple recipe!!!
Delfina says
Hello, I see that your shredded coconut are bigger shreds than what I have on hand. Do you know if finely shredded will work in this recipe? Also, what vegan chocolate do you use? Thank you.
We used Enjoy Life chocolate, but any quality, vegan-friendly chocolate should do! The chocolate shreds can be slightly larger or smaller than photographed, as we had also tested with coconut flakes. Desiccated coconut should also work, but from our experience this size worked best!
Lisa Jeannes says
This recipe looks amazing, thank you for sharing it! I have a question, do you use fresh or dried (desiccated) coconut? I may struggle to find fresh and was hoping to use desiccated. Any suggestions? Thank you. I love your blog and have enjoyed many and plan to try many more of your recipes. Thank you for your generosity 🦋
Desiccated should work, with the size photographed being ideal. I’ve also tested with large coconut flakes, and that tends to work, too. The most important factor is usually patience and a good food processor :D
Loraine says
Oh, I definitely want to make these. Have you ever made subbing real mint for mint oil? I can see me not using mint oil a lot if I buy it for this recipe whereas I have mint growing wild in my yard. These look perfect. Next week’s easy baking project.
It means the shelf life is far less time, but it would be so fun to blend some into the filling! Let us know if you try!
Ann says
These look awesome…!!! Would you please share what brand of vegan chocolate you use? I’ve yet to find one I really like. (And *thank you* for this and all your truly awesome recipes! They are consistently, reliably GREAT.)
We really like Enjoy Life. Or for bars, we like Hu Kitchen.
Katie Slater says
Yum! These look amazing. Mint chocolate anything is my fav!!! Would you recommend the 8 cup or 11 cup food processor? I am in the market for a new one. Is it harder to process smaller amounts in a larger food processor?
I personally find the 8 cup the most versatile!
Shelli Groulx says
OMG…I absolutely love your interactive recipe feature that automatically changes the measurements on the ingredients!! That’s the one part of cooking that I’ve always disliked…doubling, tripling or cutting in half the amounts on the ingredients. Now, I don’t have to! I hope you’re going to have this on all of your recipes…thank you!!!
Amazing! Glad you enjoy it, Shelli!
Pooja says
My impression is that if peppermint oil is used instead of extract you would need to use a lot less. If this is the case you may want to indicate this in the recipe! I have never used peppermint oil so I’m not speaking from experience.
Hi Pooja! I actually use oil and find I use about the same amount! But if you’d prefer start with less and work your way up!
Julia says
So you can use peppermint essential oil in this?
You can use food grade peppermint essential oil but at a far less quantity as it’s so potent. We added a link to our preferred peppermint “flavor” which is peppermint oil suspended in a carrier oil so it’s more diluted (frontier brand).
Anna says
Dana, do you know why Frontier (and possibly other brands) uses sunflower oil? I’m just curious why that choice was made. (I know there are people who try to avoid oil.) I gotta admit my short dive into this recipe makes me realize I don’t anything about extracts. I’ve always used them blindly. Thanks for your input. I always appreciate your perspective.
It must be a neutral carrier oil? Not sure why its a common choice!
Jenny says
Which food grade peppermint oil did you use? I can’t find one online.
Ours is by Frontier brand (now linked in the recipe).
Jenny says
Thank you so much!!!