This rich and decadent Peppermint Crisp Caramel Mousse dessert is my adaptation of the classic quick and easy South African dessert, the Peppermint Crisp Tart.
It is an easy dessert recipe made with layers of tennis biscuits (coconut flavored shortbread cookies) or romany creams (chocolate flavored coconut cookies), caramel treat (caramelised condensed milk), double thick whipped cream, sliced banana and peppermint crisp chocolate bars.
I don’t remember when I first tasted a version of this dulce de leche dessert usually referred to as a Peppermint Tart or Peppermint Crisp tart, except that I found it too sickly sweet. The combination of the caramelised condensed milk and the peppermint chocolate candy bars was too much sweetness in one mouthful.
Peppermint crisp chocolate bars are actually thin cylinders of mint flavoured candy enclosed in sweet milk chocolate. It is not widely available outside of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. I never loved the flavor of the Nestle peppermint crisp chocolate, and have often used Cadbury Mint flavoured milk chocolate or Lindt Mint Intense Dark Chocolate for a more adult indulgence.
How to make the best Peppermint Crisp Caramel Mousse
- I have used Tennis biscuits (coconut shortbread style cookies) as well as Romany creams (chocolate coconut cookies) in this recipe and both options work well with the caramel filling.
- In the days before ready made caramel condensed milk was commercially available, we boiled cans of condensed milk for about 3 to 3.5 hours to get it to a rich and unctuous blend of caramelized full cream milk and sugar, that could be used in desserts or cakes as fillings or toppings.
- The Nestle Caramel Treat or Carnation Caramel can usually be found with the other baking essentials or near the condensed milk at your supermarket. I always use the Nestle brand of Caramel Treat as it is readily available, has a consistently delicious flavour and saves hours of boiling.
- For my version of Peppermint Crisp Caramel mousse, I have always added a few squeezes of lemon juice to the caramel to (slightly reduce the sweetness of the dulce de leche mousse) and to the banana slices to prevent browning.
- Originally this dessert was made with Orly whip, a South African non-dairy alternative to whipping cream that tripled in volume once beaten. I never much cared for non-dairy alternatives and have always used double thick or whipping cream in my version of this mint dessert..
- The caramel dessert base is so versatile that it can be used as an easy pudding or fridge tart recipe or an ice cream cake. For pudding it should be refrigerated for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. For a peppermint ice cream cake prepare the recipe as indicated, but layer the dessert in a freezer proof container and freeze overnight, or for a minimum of 5 hours before serving.
If you don’t love simple condensed milk recipes you may want to try another from the selection below:
- Cape Malay Pancakes (pannekoek recipe)
- Macerated Strawberries and Mascarpone Cream with Balsamic vinegar
- Whipped Yogurt Mousse
- Cape Malay Potato Pudding (Aartappel porring)
Peppermint Crisp Caramel Mousse
Ingredients
Dessert
- 200 grams chocolate coconut cookies
- 375 grams Caramel Treat or Dulce de Leche equivalent to 1 can of Nestle Caramel Treat
- 250 ml double thick cream
- 5 ml lemon juice
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced splashed with 2.5 ml of the lemon juice
Decoration
- 250 ml whipping cream
- 50 grams Cadbury mint chocolate grated or one 35 gram Peppermint crisp bars broken into small pieces
- 10 Pecan halves
Instructions
- Crush the chocolate coconut cookies and add one third to the bottom of the dessert bowl.
- Slice the bananas and splash with 2.5 ml of the lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, beat the caramel and 2.5 ml of the lemon juice until smooth and then add to the double thick whipped cream.
- Whip again to combine and ensure that it is not runny.
- Pour half the caramel cream mixture over the cookie crumbs and add a layer of banana slices.
- Add another layer of cookie crumbs, caramel cream and banana slices.
- Top with the rest of the cookie crumbs and decorate with whipped cream, grated chocolate or chocolate pieces and pecan halves.
- Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours before serving.
Notes
- For the no churn ice cream prepare the recipe as indicated but layer the dessert in a freezer proof container and freeze overnight or for a minimum of 5 hours.
- If you cannot find ready made caramel treat or dulce de leche you can also use 1 can of full cream condensed milk boiled for approximately 3 to 3.5 hours to caramelise the sugars.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
This recipe was first published on March 25, 2015 and has since been updated.
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That’s so beautiful I would have resisted disturbing it with a spoon…. almost!
Haha Sally! As much as I wanted a photo with a big serving of pudding, I could not bring myself to ruin it before it was served to guests 🙂
thank you for sharing such a lovely recipe. I really need to try this at home
Caramel and mint – my favourite things in the world. I grew up with having fresh mint in my garden so everything mint related reminds me of home. The recipe looks so scrumptious and it will be perfect for summertime.
I have to say that the dessert looks amazing. Very delicious. I am just curious as to how the flavor combinations would blend here. Caramel and peppermint sound like a unique blending of flavors I haven’t tried before and would not have thought of myself.
South Africans tend to have a thing for weird and wonderful combinations and this one is a keeper for all time 🙂 I must confess that I quite like the crunch of the crushed hard candy peppermint chocolate bars but when those are not available, a milk chocolate one with peppermint bits is good too.
This looks great. I’ve never considered pairing caramel and peppermint! Love the new photos!!
Thank you! The original photos were hastily taken on a mobile phone before the pudding was devoured at a work party! The peppermint flavor comes from the chocolate and is not very overpowering but does seem to complement the caramel taste well.
This ice cream looks soo good!! I wish i had someone right here, right now. But since i have the recipe right now, I’m gonna try it myself.
The picture is of the dessert option and it is easily transformed into ice cream by freezing for a few hours. I really want to see if I can transform this into a salted caramel ice cream without destroying what I love about the original.
Caramel and peppermint are a great combination, this looks so tasty with so many layers x
Haha my niece and I were fighting over the bowl when I made it at Eid 🙂
omg you had me at caramel but now adding the peppermint- ill be making this asap for sure ha!
It is a winning combination and one that is much loved 🙂
Such a lovely recipe, Razena! Pinning this for later 🙂
It’s so easy to make, and I think ice cream is perfect for balmy summer nights 🙂