Individual, flavorful chocolate desserts that are perfect for your holiday table! Peppermint Mocha Mini Pies -- without any gluten/grains, dairy, eggs or refined sugar, and made healthier with a secret ingredient! (Paleo & Vegan)
Peppermint is possibly my newest obsession. I just made Peppermint Grinch Pops and Peppermint Mocha COOKIES, and I just can't get enough of this delicious combo!
Dark chocolate, hints of espresso and fresh & bright mint combine together for an incredible medley of FESTIVE flavor! So perfect for the holidays!
Party Time!
I'm such a homebody these days (usually because I'm constantly in the kitchen working on something!). But I do love getting together with a group of friends for a fun PARTY!
And I'm so glad we got to have a little Christmas party last week. It was a total last-minute-thrown-together thing, so there was very little time to prepare, but I just knew I had to bring dessert (Because that's what I DO! haha)
I whipped up these little pies in just minutes, and they were a hit. I'm so glad I have an arsenal of QUICK and easy recipes up my sleeve 😉
Plus I always keep a few key ingredients STOCKED in my pantry at all times: almonds & dates (from Aldi), instant espresso and cacao from Amazon.
I absolutely adore no-bake - blend & chill- EASY recipes! Thankfully these pies only had to set up in the freezer for a couple of hours. Ready just in time for the party. Phew!
The answer is always CHOCOLATE
When I'm not sure what to make, I almost always end up making something with chocolate. You can never wrong there!
This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite chocolate pies-- this Mint Chocolate Pie. It's an older recipe of mine, but I still love to make it when I'm in the mood for chocolate.
I switched it up by making them MINI, using peppermint instead of mint, adding rich ESPRESSO, and making the crust CHOCOLATE.
SO. MUCH. YUM.
AVOCADO Dessert Love
Pie made with AVOCADO! Yessss! It's so DREAMY and creamy! You would NEVER know by tasting it.
Even people who don't like avocado love avo pies. They're seriously delish. (Check out my avocado dessert collection here)
And not only GOOD, they're good FOR you! Win-WIN. With all the fiber and healthy fats, they help stabilize your blood sugar, so there's no spike and no sugar crash.
Plus did you know avocados are rich in nutrients, like Vitamins B6, K, C, & folate with more potassium than bananas? Super YAY!
Want to make it LOW CARB?
You totally can! You don't have to miss out on chocolate pie if you're low carb.
It's an easy swap: in the filling, replace the maple syrup with monkfruit maple or vanilla syrup or an equal amount of coconut milk + pure stevia extract to taste.
And in the crust, replace the dates with ¼ cup almonds, 2 Tbs coconut, 2 Tbs coconut oil + a pinch of pure stevia or monkfruit. Sugar-free yum!
Don't forget to TASTE as you go (that's half the fun of making them, ha.)
{ps. my free e-book has lots of easy low-carb recipes. Grab your copy here)
These mini pies are fancy enough for a formal dinner, but work just as well for a casual potluck! At any type of gathering, these chocolaty, minty pies are sure to be a hit.
Plus, they're incredibly quick and EASY, and healthy and delicious! What more could you ask for? 😉
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If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Facebook or Insta! Hashtag #prettypies 🙂 I love seeing your pretty creations!!
Peppermint Mocha Mini Pies {Vegan, Paleo, No-Bake}
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup almonds
- ¾ cup medjool dates - pitted
- 2 Tbs raw cacao powder
- pinch of pink salt
- Splash of vanilla
Peppermint Mocha Cream Filling
- 3 medium ripe avocados
- ⅓ cup raw cacao powder - 4-6 Tbs, to taste
- ¼ cup coconut oil - melted
- ⅓ cup maple syrup - to taste
- 1 - 1 ½ Tbs instant espresso powder - to taste
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract
- ½ to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract - to taste
- pinch of pink salt
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor until sticky crumbles form a loose ball of dough. (add a splash of water as it's blending if it needs help coming together.)
- Press about 1 Tbs crust into each silicone cupcake mold, or muffin tin lined with parchment wrappers. Set aside and rinse food processor.
To make the filling:
- Add avocados to a food processor and blend smooth. Scrape down the sides.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Taste and adjust to preferred flavor.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill each silicone mold.
- Sprinkle with chocolate shavings and/or crushed peppermints, if desired.
- Freeze for 2 hours or until set. Enjoy!
Linda
These are delicious! Thanks for a great treat for Christmas!
Emily
Yay! Thanks! I made some for Christmas too I love all things peppermint at Christmastime
Kim
What would you recommend in place of coconut oil? Can’t do coconut anymore 🙁
Emily
Palm oil should work 🙂 Something that solidifies when chilled.
Shelby
I made these and put them in a container in the fridge but they get super soft and if I put them in the freezer, they are too hard. Why do you think mine are too soft? Should I keep them some other way?
Emily
Hmm that's strange! Did you make any changes to the recipe? Like the oil? The coconut oil is what holds these together since it hardens when chilled.
If not, I'm guessing it's due to variation in avocado size. Maybe your avocados were larger so there's more softness added to the cream. I will update the recipe to say medium size avocados.
But what I do sometimes is keep desserts frozen and set them on the counter until they're softened enough. It doesn't take that long. Hope you still enjoy! 🙂