Matcha Mint No Bake Cups (vegan andes mints, eight o’clock thins)

Whether you are fan of andes mints or eight o’clock thins, or creme de menthe drinks, you’ll love these creamy healthy copy-cat treats that are full of nutritious whole foods including fresh mint leaves and matcha and are no-bake so quite easy to mix up!

PIN IT FOR LATER

Matcha Mint No Bake Cups (vegan andes mints, eight o’clock thins)
Remember those green minty squares that are often given out at hotels and restaurants? I remember as a child, we gave them out at halloween. Little silver wrapped treats, that I’d pocket in high numbers slyly and eat later in secret, haha.

Well, as a young adult, my minty yearnings then turned toward Crème de menthe mixed drinks briefly. Alas, I no longer like mixed drinks, too caloric and sugary. I actually prefer red wine.

But I digress.

These treats do not have sugar. They don’t have wine either, haha. But these treats DO contain wholesome ingredients. Vegan. Dairy-free. And yes, refined-sugar-free.

The mint comes from a bit of organic mint extract. Or you can use peppermint tea if you want.
Anyway, it is a fresh minty treat, chocolate on the bottom, and creamy on the top with mint everywhere.

How Healthy is Mint?

I chop up some mint leaves and add them as a pulp to the chocolate base. Mint adds nutrients to these bites. It is known for soothing digestion issues as well as antioxidants.

What makes this treat super easy to make? I simple put it in this  15 round cylinder silicon mold and popped it in the freezer.

But you are not bound to using this mold. This recipe is multi-tasking – use the top or bottom layers for recipes on their own in parfaits, smoothie bowls, as well as in this frozen treat.

One note regarding the cacao butter in the matcha mint layer, you can substitute instead coconut butter. I love the creamy vanilla cacao butter texture and flavor but it is expensive and if you don’t use it regularly, you might not want to buy it for one recipe.

You might want to look into it though if you make keto treats – it’s one of the best and healthiest ingredients for keto fat bombs!

Both should be melted in a pot that is sitting in boiling water or, in the case of coconut butter, I just put the whole jar in the water until enough melts for me to measure out with a tablespoon.

Interested in sharing on pinterest? Use this image…

I invite you to keep up with me on: Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Food Gawker | Twitter

Don’t miss a thing, subscribe here to get recipes delivered to your inbox!

Matcha Mint No Bake Cups (vegan andes mints, eight o'clock thins)

Whether you are fan of Andes Mints or Creme de Menthe drinks, you'll love these healthy copy-cat treats that are full of nutritious whole foods including fresh mint leaves and matcha and are no-bake so quite easy to mix up!

5 from 2 votes

Print Rate

Course: Snack

Cuisine: vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free

Keyword: andes candies, creme de menthe, dairyfree, mint chocolate, vegan

Prep Time: 1 day 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 day 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 8 treats

Author: Dee Dine

Ingredients

Bottom Crust

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp coconut oil melted
• 2 medjool dates (soaked overnight and pitted)
• 1 tsp fresh mint leaf pulp (chop 2 leaves up finely, and use a mortar and pestle to ground to a pulp, adding 1/2 tsp or more of water to create a pulpy texture.)

Mint Matcha Layer

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight and rinsed to improve creamy texture and digestibility)
• 2 tsp matcha powder (ceremonial grade, not culinary which has less flavor)
• 4 tbsp cacao butter (or melted coconut butter - see notes!)
• 1/2 cup plant milk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp organic peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze

• 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Useful Equipment

• Small Circle Round Silicon Mold
• Mortar and pestle (not necessary, you can use a spoon to ground the mint leaves, but I do love this old fashioned tool - useful to grind lemon zest, garlic, all sorts!)

Instructions

Prep

• Soak the cashews and dates overnight in separate containers of water. Rinse the next day, and pit the dates.

Make the chocolate base:

• Blend all ingredients in a food processor or a blender until crumbly to sticky. Press into mold. I don't grease this mold, but you might want to with a bit of coconut oil. Or use paper cupcake cups in a tin; not sure how many, maybe 4-6?
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  

Make the Match Mint Layer

• Blend up ingredients, including rinsed and soaked cashews in a food processor or blender.
• Spoon onto of the chocolate base circles, and freeze at least an hour. Remove from molds when they seem solid. Store each circle in an airtight container in the freezer.

  Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.
• Just before serving, stir up ingredients for chocolate glaze in a bowl with a spoon and dot a bit on top. Or make the glaze ahead of time and have it stored in the refrigerator ready to go. You might have to stir it up and add a drop or two of maple syrup if it seems too stiff.

Notes

Warning: Be careful to store essential oils away from children as they can be poisonous if accidentally taken in large quantities. You can use peppermint extract instead for this recipe, however beware that extracts have alcohol-content which can cause beading in recipes with healthy fats.

Dee Dine

Dee Dine is founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a plant based recipe blog, and author of the recent cookbook, Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients . On this blog you’ll find incredibly easy recipes with hidden veggies for anyone wanting to eat healthier, regardless of diet. Dee has graduate degrees in sciences and  journalism. More about Dee Dine here.