I inherited a major sweet tooth—for chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate that falls between milk chocolate and bitter-dark. Even better when it’s crossed with peanut butter, caramel or mint. Toffee, coconut or honey bits make me weak in the knees. Go ahead, stir in some puffed quinoa or chili powder or chai tea.
Have you ever tasted olive oil with dark chocolate? I’m into it. For all of my enthusiasm for chocolate in its many forms, it’s kind of funny that I haven’t tried making more chocolate treats.
That’s why I got excited when I found this recipe for honey-sweetened chocolate peppermint cups in Jessica Murnane’s new cookbook, One Part Plant. They require only four ingredients (three, if you drop the flaky sea salt), about ten minutes of prep, and thirty minutes in the freezer.
I dog-eared quite a few recipes in Jessica’s new cookbook to make, like the za’atar swirl bread and easy spicy miso soup. Most of them, like the baklava-ish toast, are super simple and seem perfect for busy weekdays.
If you don’t know Jessica yet, she runs a blog that promotes plant-based eating, and a podcast in which she interviews super interesting people.
Jessica discovered plant-based diets when she was struggling with Stage 4 endometriosis. Her symptoms decreased to manageable levels when she transitioned to a diet of whole foods. Isn’t that miraculous? I love stories like hers.
I would never suggest that diet can cure all maladies, but I love to hear about people who have found their cures in foods rather than prescriptions. Like my friend Tessa, whose awful migraines disappeared when she stopped eating gluten.
Jessica shares her story and 100 non-inflammatory recipes in her new book. They’re all dairy-free and gluten-free. I think I picked one of the only non-vegan recipes in the book to share. The peppermint filling contains raw honey, which is key because it’s thicker than regular honey or maple syrup.
If you share my sweet tooth, I hope you’ll give these a shot. They’re a fun alternative to those expensive gourmet varieties that I mentioned above, and just one can satisfy my chocolate cravings for the day. Although, sometimes I go back for another, and then maybe another. They’re that good.
Chocolate Peppermint Cups
Delicious honey-sweetened chocolate peppermint cups! These dark chocolate treats are fun and easy to make. Recipe yields 12 to 15 mini peppermint cups; multiply if necessary (you’ll need that many mini cupcake liners—look for them in the baking aisle).
- In a small bowl, stir together the honey and peppermint extract until combined. Arrange mini cupcake liners on plate(s) or fill a mini cupcake pan with the liners, if you have one.
- Melt the chocolate (I did this in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one, or you can use a double boiler on the stove). Fill the bottom of each cup with 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate. Add a small dollop of the honey mixture in the center, then top it with another teaspoon of the chocolate.
- Sprinkle a little sea salt over the cups (note: if you want the salt to stay visible on top like mine, wait until the cups have chilled for about 5 minutes to sprinkle with salt). Freeze the candies until firm, about 30 minutes, then they will be ready to eat! For maximum longevity, store them in the refrigerator in a sealed bag.
Notes
Recipe adapted just a teeny bit from ONE PART PLANT. Copyright © 2017 by Jessica Murnane.
Change it up: To make other flavors of chocolate cups, Jessica notes that you can use any oil or extract that would pair well with chocolate, in place of the peppermint. She offered rose, almond, or anise as examples.
Make it dairy free: Use dairy-free chocolate. See below for recommended brands.
Make it soy free: Make sure your chocolate is free of soy derivatives like soy lecithin. Check out Enjoy Life and Pascha brands.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
