Paleo Peppermint Patties

Growing up, my favorite candies were York Peppermint Patties and Junior Mints. With all my food allergies, finding safe treats is almost impossible!  I especially miss peppermint during the holidays. Finding replacement ingredients that are free of corn, gluten, and dairy has been challenging, but I finally found all of them to make what I believe is a pretty close replica of the real thing. 

These have a slight coconut flavor, so if you dislike coconut, you might not enjoy them. However, the peppermint quickly replaces the initial coconut taste. You can always experiment by adding more peppermint for a stronger zing. Still, I recommend being cautious, as I once made some two years ago with way too much peppermint after following an online recipe! Add gradually and adjust as needed. 

What makes these ingredients special, you ask? 

Let’s Do Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk is a great find because it contains no artificial flavors, thickeners, or stabilizers. It’s simply coconut and organic cane sugar.

Nielsen-Massey is the only commercial extract company I have found that makes safe, gluten-free, corn-free, soy-free, and generally allergen-free extracts. They use real extracts suspended in sugar cane alcohol. Most extracts are in grain-based alcohols, which I avoid due to my gluten and corn allergies. They also make an excellent almond extract! 

Powdered sugar can be tricky. You might think it’s just sugar, but it’s not. Besides Trader Joe’s and Wholesome Sweeteners, which use tapioca starch, all commercial powdered sugars have corn starch as an anti-caking agent. 

If you want carob chips that melt like chocolate, are smooth, and taste the closest to real chocolate you've ever had, you have to try Missy J’s. Yes, they cost more, but they’re worth it! 

Ingredients 

• 9 ounces (about 1.25 cans) of Let’s Do Organic Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk 
• 4 tsp Nielsen-Massey Pure Peppermint Extract 
• 6 cups Trader Joe’s or Wholesome Sweeteners Powdered Sugar (you might need to add another 1/4 cup to get the dough to the perfect consistency) 
• 8-10 ounces Missy J’s Sweetened Carob Chips 
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed coconut milk, peppermint extract, and powdered sugar until a thick dough forms. It’s easiest to knead by hand to achieve a smooth, consistent dough. You may need to add an extra teaspoon or two of sweetened condensed milk or a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar to reach the right texture: the dough should be smooth and not crumble, but not sticky.
2. Use a 1- or 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough, then roll it into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.  I used a 1.5 tablespoon scoop and made 31 patties.  
3. Using a flat-bottomed cup or glass with a bit of powdered sugar on the bottom, press the circles into flat disks. You will need to add a little extra powdered sugar to the bottom of the cup after every 3 patties.
4. Place the peppermint patties in the freezer to cool for about 20 minutes. 
5. Place the carob in a heat-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Heat the carob in the microwave in 15-second increments until fully melted. Stir until smooth. 
6. Use a fork to dip the peppermint patties into the melted carob and place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet. You will probably need to reheat the carob after every 10 patties because it cools down and becomes too thick. You might also need to add another teaspoon of coconut oil after about 20 patties have been dipped. 
7. Once all patties are coated, put the trays in the fridge and let the carob set for another 30 minutes.
8. Store the peppermint patties in a sealed container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve!  Enjoy!