No-bake peppermint slice. A coconut chocolate graham crust is topped with a peppermint icing layer, then finished with a thin, smooth layer of chocolate. This no bake take on a New Zealand classic is perfect for the holidays or any time sweet treat snacking.
No-Bake Peppermint Slice
Happy Sunday! I’ve been busting to share this recipe with you as it’s one of my favourites I’ve ever developed - it’s a No-bake Peppermint Slice! I developed this for the Holiday Cookie issue of Bake From Scratch, along with three other recipes which you should check out in the issue, but this one was maybe the simplest but most definitely my favourite.
One thing that I miss the most about home is the mint slice biscuits. I think they are technically Australian, but they were my favourite growing up, and something that still comes out when it’s cup of tea time at home. It’s a crunchy chocolate base, then a super minty filling, and a dark chocolate coating. I can eat about 10 of them in one go, and they are always on the list of things to have brought over when people come and ask if we want anything.
There’s also a bakery peppermint slice that is a NZ sweet staple, but the biscuit is absolutely my favourite, so I wanted to get that flavour profile and turn it into a slice / bar for all the Americans here. I think I managed to get the balance just right - I used a chocolate graham cracker base, with a teeny bit of coconut for some texture, then a super minty topping which is basically just a stir together situation, and then a super smooth, super satisfying smooth chocolate topping. The whole thing is no-bake, and super fuss free, which makes it perfect for anytime, but particularly for the upcoming holiday season. It keeps forever in the fridge, however judging on how many pieces I have eaten since I re-made this this week, it doesn’t last long in my house, and it won’t last long in yours either. I hope you give this guy a try if you’re in the market for a super easy chocolate peppermint slice recipe - this one is a keeper. x
Components of No-Bake Peppermint Slice
This recipe is super easy to make, and has a few components to it. You can make it all at once or spread out your timing a little to fit your schedule. It keeps super well in the fridge in an airtight container, although I find it never lasts long around my house!
- Chocolate Graham Cracker Base - I added some coconut to the chocolate crumb crust base. If you're in NZ and you can't get graham crackers, digestives or a mixture of digestives and wine biscuits would work great. The base gets made and then hangs out in the freezer while the topping is made.
- Peppermint Icing - This is what gives peppermint slice the super minty flavour. A thin layer of peppermint icing, which is just a mix together situation and comes together really quickly! Powdered sugar, vanilla, a wee bit of salt and peppermint extract are mixed with boiling water to form a smooth filling which is poured over the base.
- Chocolate Topping - I just make this in the microwave! It's dark chocolate mixed with just a wee bit of neutral oil, which gives it some shine and also helps to prevent cracking when you cut the slice up.
A few wee tips for No-Bake Peppermint Slice:
- These don’t really need toooo many notes, but I will say - make sure that they are nice and cold before you cut them. You can wait until the chocolate is set and then throw them in the freezer for a bit if you need to, or a few hours in the fridge will do well. If you don’t wait long enough then it’s no worries at all, but they might get a little squishy as you cut them.
- Start with 3 Tbsp water in the filling. It won’t seem like much, but you don’t need too too much to melt down the powdered sugar. Add in an extra teaspoon of water at a time if it’s too thick - I usually need one or two to get it to the right consistency.
- If you wanted to make mega amounts of this (which would work great), then you could double the mixture and make it in a 9x13 pan. It keeps for yonks in the fridge so would be perfect for keeping on hand.
For more Bar and Slice recipes, check out:
- Small Batch Passionfruit and Lemon Meringue Bars
- No-Bake Nanaimo Bars
- Brown Butter Salted Caramel Slice
- Ginger Caramel Slice
- Oaty Ginger Crunch
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
No-Bake Peppermint Slice
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes plus chilling time
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: New Zealand
Description
No-bake peppermint slice. A coconut chocolate graham crust is topped with a peppermint icing layer, then finished with a thin, smooth layer of chocolate. This no bake take on a New Zealand classic is perfect for the holidays or any time sweet treat snacking.
Ingredients
Chocolate Graham Cracker Base
- 1 (14.4 ounce) box (408 grams) graham crackers, or digestive biscuits
- 50g granulated sugar
- 45g dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 100 grams unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 260g unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Peppermint Filling
- 570g confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 Tbsp boiling water, plus 1-2 teaspoons more if needed (see notes)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- pinch of salt
Chocolate Topping
- 250g 70% cacao dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) neutral oil such as vegetable or canola
Instructions
CHOCOLATE GRAHAM BASE
- Grease and line a 9” square baking pan with baking spray and two pieces of parchment paper which extend over the sides to give you a ‘sling’ (this helps with removing the slice easily once it is set). In the bowl of a food processor, place the graham crackers, sugar, cocoa, and salt, and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl, and add the coconut. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter and mix with a rubber spatula until the butter is incorporated - it should resemble wet sand.
- Transfer the crust mixture into the baking pan, and press down evenly with a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup until compacted and smooth. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.
PEPPERMINT FILLING
- Place the confectioner’s sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and vanilla bean paste in a medium sized bowl. Add the boiling water, and mix to incorporate. It should resemble a thick paste that smooths out within about 20 seconds when the bowl is left to sit.
- Add an extra teaspoon of boiling water if needed to help get to the right consistency. Remove the pan from the freezer. Top with the Peppermint Filling, and bang the pan on the counter to level it out. Chill for 30 minutes to set.
CHOCOLATE TOPPING
- In a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt together the chocolate and the oil, stirring frequently, until smooth. Alternatively, melt together in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring well after each.
- Pour over the set peppermint filling, and tilt the pan to evenly coat. Bang the pan on the counter several times to smooth out the topping and eliminate any bubbles.
- Chill in the fridge until completely set, at least an hour. Remove from the pan by using the parchment paper slings. cut into slices using a sharp knife, wiping between each. Store in an airtight container.
Comments
Juliet Sefton says
This is SO TASTY and makes heaps. I made this last holiday season to take to family Christmas. Highly recommend!! The base is super tasty and texture fabulous.
Erin says
Ooooh I think I'd be into the lime zest too! I haven't tried it with nuts on top but that sounds bloody yum to me.
Brenna says
This is absolutely amazing. All of Cloudy Kitchens recipes have turned out delightful! So grateful!
Erin says
Yayyy so glad you loved them! They are my fave! x
Emily says
I used this recipe in December of 2019 and I have never looked back since. I can’t even look at mint slice biscuits anymore without thinking of this recipe! Amazing, thank you ❤️
Elizabeth Kelley says
These are a riff on the Canadian classic Nanaimo Bar. Always delicious. You have caught my attention with your description of your childhood favourite, however. I must see if I can find a recipe for those 😉. Thanks, and happy Christmas!
Erin says
Yep, I've had nanaimo bars too! No nuts in the crust with this one though. We have a nz bakery classic called peppermint slice which is what this is a twist on. Crazy how different countries all have variations of the same thing!
Chris says
No they're not. They may be similar in concept, but the NZ mint slice is not based on or copied from Nainamo bars, which are Canadian. They are a 'thing' in their own right and have been around forever. Not everything comes out of North America.
Cat says
Hi! Do you think I could substitute ground almonds for the graham cracker crust? Would love to make these gluten-free for my family!
Erin says
Hi! I wouldn't use ground almonds as they are a totally different texture. I would use gluten free graham crackers!
Mandy says
These are so so so delicious and easy. Exactly like a mint slice biscuit. The recipe makes heaps and it keeps for ages in the fridge. I used digestive biscuits instead of grahams and the base was a tiny bit too crumbly so next time I will add a smidge more butter to get that wet sand texture. Putting these into regular rotation!
Erin says
Hi! ahhh that's good to know they need more butter, some biscuits are a bit more thirsty than others so even with different brands of graham crackers sometimes I have to tweak. So glad that you loved xx wee secret - the nanaimo bars on my site use the same base and topping if you're looking for a little variation!
Brenna says
I used pamelas gluten free graham crackers and it came out incredible
Erin says
Ahhh thank you, this is so helpful x
Krysten says
This peppermint slice is so good. Such a crowd pleaser and so so so easy to make.
So good with some cacao nibs added to the base for a little extra crunch too
Yin Ling says
Hi these sound amazing and so perfect for Christmastime! Was just wondering if they would work without the dessicated coconut in the Graham cracker base?
Erin says
Hi! Yep you can leave it out, you will need to add more graham cracker crumbs 🙂
Julia says
I’m going to be making these this weekend! If I don’t have vanilla bean paste can I use extract instead? And how much?
Erin says
Yay! yep extract works fine, same amount 🙂
Amy says
These look amazing! Are there any subs for the butter ? Coconut oil? Shortening? Thank you!
Erin says
Hi! I'm not sure sorry - I haven't tested! Let me know if you do try how you get on 🙂
Cat says
Hi Amy,
I subbed the butter with a mix of refined coconut oil and Earth Balance soy free buttery spread and they came out amazing! Definitely doable!
Erin says
Yayyyy this so helpful, thank you so much x
Cat says
Just made these this evening - I subbed almond flour for the graham crackers to make it GF, and refined coconut oil + Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread to make it dairy-free.
I needed to add a little bit more mint extract (my extract wasn’t potent enough) to taste the mint.
Amazingly delicious recipe. Can’t stop sneaking slices. Thank you!!
Erin says
Yayyyyy I am so glad you enjoyed! It's weird how different mint extracts vary. Some are so, so strong and others not at all! Thank you so much for leaving your modifications too, I am so stoked to hear that it worked and it's so helpful for others looking to make xx
K says
Here’s another swap that worked: peppermint oil instead of extract! Ten to twelve drops worked perfectly. I also filled in the missing amount (about one-fourth) of grahams with some granola (and used sweetened coconut, so I halved the sugar called for), which worked perfectly. The last flourish was a small amount of white mint “melts” to swirl into the chocolate. These bars are smashingly delicious.
Erin says
Oh yayyyyy I am so happy to hear this! So stoked you loved them x
K says
Thank you, Erin! Surely, this is the bar that creme de menthe bars dream of growing up to be.
Erin says
Yessss surely! I hope you enjoyed xx
yourfriendkrystal says
I'm always a bit hesitant on bars for some reason--not sure why. These look fancier than the effort! This was quite easy and a nice complement to using the over when making a bunch of holiday cookies. Easy one to add in without having to worry about oven timing with other baking. This was also my first attempt at this consistency of a filling for the mint layer, was pretty easy to navigate. Will definitely make these again as my husband just said "new favorite cookie" when we ate one!
Erin says
Yay yesss these look so fancy but they are so easy right! So happy that you enjoyed xx
Margot says
I don’t know what I did wrong! I can’t cut thru the cookie base without having the top break off. Any suggestions? They are delicious, tho!
Erin says
Hi, your knife needs to be really sharp. You can also warm it up under hot water and dry it off so that it's warm which will help cut through the chocolate topping. Also, star ratings really affect how my posts perform and leaving a low star rating for something small like this which hasn't been an issue for others really harms the reach of my recipe 🙁 just something to please consider next time. Thanks.
Sophie says
Best peppermint slice I've ever had! I love that it is no-bake!
stacy says
Loved these! Came together so quickly with no issues!!!
Caribou says
Best no bake slice ever!!! Can't wait to try the filling with different extracts 🙂
Castella says
My new favorite 🙂
Caiti says
Made this for Christmas and still have some left over mid-January! So so good but incredibly sweet, which means you get plenty of servings from a 9x9 pan.
Caiti | champagneandpostcards.com
Erin says
Yay! Yesss it lasts so well right!
Bella says
Super delicious! Took them to a potluck and had several people ask for the recipe!
Natalie says
Love a no bake slice, and this one is so easy and delicious! I made it to give to my colleagues for Christmas and it went down a treat.
Erin says
So happy you loved!
Kara says
These bars are very easy to make and are extremely delicious. Shared with neighbors and took some to work so I wouldn’t eat them all. I made them in an 8x8 pan and would have reduced the bottom layer by 1/3 but zero complaints here. 10/10 recommend!
Zoe says
I made this for my flat at their request despite not liking peppermint choc and the reviews were that it was AMAZING! Super easy to whip up, another amazing recipe, thanks Erin x
C says
Crumbly, didn't turn out as nice as I anticipated.
Erin Clarkson says
Sorry to hear it didn't work out. Did you make the recipe by weight? Sometimes graham crackers are more / less absorbent so could have needed a little more butter 🙂
Emma Crawley says
Made this for some Christmas baking this year and it was sooo good! Super easy too. It makes a decent amount too!
Anna says
You will NOT be disappointed with this! How much is too much in one day? The limit does not exist. The tips and tricks were excellent - I’ve never had such gorgeous glossy chocolate a top a slice before!
Megan D says
Such a great recipe! I didn't have graham crackers or digestives so used a mix of other plain biscuits I had in my pantry, Arnotts Nice biscuits and Super Wines and it worked perfectly. Lasts for ages in the fridge and stands up in the school lunchbox too. I took some to work and people were amazed at the chocolate looking so perfect. Will be adding to my 'keeper' recipe file!
Erin Clarkson says
Thank you!
Julia says
No bake peppermint slice.
I made your recipe after years wondering what to substitute Graham crackers with after a visit to USA.
It is absolutely delicious, the peppermint just right, so is the chocolate.
I always make a recipe exactly the first time but next time I make it, (I will) I wont put as much coconut into the base.
My husband likes it as well.
I am so pleased that I found your Cloudy Kitchen site.
Julia.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! So so happy you loved! 🙂
Dee says
This is such a firm fav! Made them for Christmas treat boxes for our friends and they loved it!
Laila says
I made this recipe for a work morning tea and so many people said it was the best mint slice they ever had. Such a good recipe with perfect ratios for every part of the slice!
Jennifer says
I'm a huge fan of mint but hate coconut. Would you just leave it out with no replacement or add more graham crackers? Thanks!
Erin Clarkson says
I haven't tried but I think either would work ok? You just have to make sure the consistency of the base is like wet sand 🙂
Sal says
Best peppermint slice! Made in NZ with digestive biscuits. At Christmas I crushed up candy canes and mixed them through the peppermint filling and it was next level! Side note. Love how recipes list ingredients in WEIGHT, makes for a much easier recipe and more accurate end result. 😉
I_like_food says
I would like you to make it so people who are using the recipe who need more than 24 could change it to whatever number they want. Because I need 30 of these, and it only makes 24. I hope I'm not asking too much.
I_like_food says
I also Really like the recipe and it's really yummy 🙂
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It's a bit more complicated than that sorry! You can scale the recipe as needed - I have a calculator on my site for this!
Susan says
Hi, can you freeze these? I know you said they keep for a long time in the fridge but I don't have that much room. Also, the base came out very crumbly, just barely holding together. Next time I'll add another tablespoon of butter. For this batch, is there any way to fix? Lastly, a suggestion: please include your note about warming the knife in the recipe. I used a very sharp knife to score the chocolate before cutting and it still broke in weird shapes. It's not going to stop me from eating them though -- they're delicious!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yep they should be able to! Sorry, will include that! different graham crackers can be different amounts of 'thirsty' so sometimes need a wee bit more butter! 🙂
Stephanie Peart says
Such an amazing recipe! Worth measuring in grams for sure 😉 The balance of flavours is incredible - perfect blend of chocolate and peppermint. Thanks for such a yummy recipe.
Stephanie Peart says
An incredible recipe with the perfect balance of flavours! So delicious.
Hannah says
Made these for a cold summer bar and I’ve made them around the holidays too! So delicuous especially if you love thin mints or peppermint patties
Ruth says
I made this for a supper at a meeting once. It made such an impression that a year or two later it was specifically recalled in someone’s leaving speech! I would recommend using good quality chocolate and the best peppermint extract you can find- it absolutely elevates it to legendary status!