Chocolate Peppermint Cups

Make the holidays extra jolly with these no-bake Chocolate Peppermint Cups. Layers of melted milk and white chocolate are topped with crushed candy canes before being chilled and enjoyed. Give them away as edible Christmas gifts or serve as an after-dinner treat!

If you need a fun edible gift for the holidays, then you’ll love these Chocolate Peppermint Cups! They’re just like Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups but layered with two kinds of chocolate and crushed candy canes. Each bite is sweet, chocolatey, and delightfully minty.

You’ll find three layers in these peppermint desserts:

1. Melted milk chocolate
2. Melted white chocolate
3. Crushed candy canes on top

These mint chocolate cups are just as fun to eat as they are to give away as gifts. Place a few in a gift bag and give them to all of your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors this holiday season.

And if you’re craving more chocolate and peppermint desserts, be sure to try my Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies and Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Cups as well!

Why are these chocolate peppermint cups the best?

• Not one, but two kinds of chocolate: Melted milk chocolate and white chocolate are layered on top of each other. To avoid the dreaded grainy melted white chocolate, I added ½ tablespoon of coconut oil to smooth it out. All you get are luxurious bites of silky smooth chocolate. 
• An easy no-bake treat: You don’t need to turn the oven on to make these peppermint desserts. Simply melt the chocolate on the stove or microwave, place them in the fridge to harden, and enjoy! How easy is that?
• Topped with crushed candy canes: What really makes these chocolate cups the ultimate holiday treat is the crushed candy canes on top. They bring a festive flair to every bite. Plus, chocolate and peppermint are the perfect pairing!

Ingredients needed

You only need 4 ingredients to make these holiday treats:

• Chocolate – I used milk chocolate chips but a chopped chocolate bar or dark chocolate will also work.
• White chocolate – Again, you can use chips or a chopped white chocolate bar.
• Candy canes – Crush them up! The crushed candy canes are sprinkled on top of the white chocolate layer to give each bite a refreshing peppermint burst. If you don’t have candy canes, use peppermint sprinkles instead.
• Coconut oil – Melted coconut oil prevents the white chocolate from drying out and hardening immediately. Olive oil may work just as a substitute, but I haven’t tested it.

Equipment needed

• Silicone baking cups or paper muffin liners – You need at least 12 regular-sized molds. Mini-muffin molds work too!
• Saucepan – Water is brought up to a gentle simmer on the stove before a bowl filled with chocolate is placed on top. The steam from the hot water slowly melts the chocolate in the bowl.
• Heat-proof bowl – To melt the chocolate over the simmering water.

How to make chocolate peppermint cups

You need to move quickly in some parts of this recipe. Make sure your molds are ready and the candy canes are crushed before getting started.

Step 1: Fill a medium saucepan ⅓ full of water and bring it to a gentle simmer on the stove. Place the milk chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and put the bowl overtop of the saucepan (without touching the water) to create a double boiler. Keep stirring until the chocolate is melted.

Step 2: Scoop 1 tablespoon of melted milk chocolate into each silicone muffin mold. Place them in the fridge while you melt the white chocolate.

Step 3: Repeat step 1 with the white chocolate, but this time, stir in the coconut oil. Keep stirring until the chocolate is smooth and melted.

Step 4: Scoop 1 tablespoon of melted white chocolate over the hardened milk chocolate in the molds. Immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top.

Step 5: Place them back in the fridge or freezer to set. They should firm up and be ready to enjoy after about 30 minutes!

Tips and tricks

• You can melt the chocolate in the microwave but the results can be inconsistent. The double boiler method is much more effective.
• Melting white chocolate can be tricky; sometimes it turns out clumpy or grainy, it separates, or it dries or hardens quickly. Stirring coconut oil in with the melted chocolate solves all of these issues, so try not to skip it!
• I love making these in silicone molds but paper cupcake liners work just as well. The paper doesn’t stick to the melted chocolate, even without being sprayed with cooking spray.
• Feel free to add three layers of chocolate instead of two. Simply double the amount of milk chocolate and pour it over the white chocolate layer once hardened.

Variations

• Instead of candy canes, sprinkle chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, coconut flakes, or edible silver balls on top.
• Craving extra peppermint? Stir ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract in with the melted milk chocolate.
• Vegan chocolate cups – Use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and replace the white chocolate with vegan white chocolate chips.

Storing and gifting chocolate cups

Gifting these chocolates to family and friends this Christmas? Place 4 or 5 in small gift bags or wrap them in cellophane and tie the top with a decorative bow.

To store: Keep the peppermint cups in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

You can easily make these weeks in advance before giving them away as gifts. If frozen, transfer them to the fridge 1 day ahead so they’re easier to bite into. 

Looking for more edible gift ideas?

• Cranberry Orange Cookies
• Homemade Herb Salt
• Garlic Parmesan Bread Wreath
• Salted Caramel Pecan Popcorn