I’m sharing a beloved recipe from my childhood today, No Bake Peppermint Slice Bars.  My Mum would make a huge tray of these delicious bars each year at Christmas time – it’s a delicious no bake treat with three lovely layers.  A chocolaty graham cracker and coconut base, a creamy, buttery, peppermint frosting layer and then a coating of chocolate ganache over the top.

Here’s the thing – you don’t need to wait for Christmas to make these – they are scrumptious ANY time of the year and they are honestly perfect for the summer because they are no bake which means NO OVEN!  I actually have some in my freezer right now!  (I like to keep them nice and cold in there.)  If you are a mint and chocolate fan like I am, you are going to love these!

A couple of tips for this recipe:

• I like to pulse the coconut lightly with the graham crackers and other base ingredients so its chopped finer.  I’ve had this with bigger pieces of coconut, and it’s still yummy so you can do either.  However, my preference is finely chopped.
• If coconut is an absolute no-no for you, you can leave it out or substitute some chopped walnuts or pecans.
• Make sure you use PEPPERMINT extract for this recipe, not regular mint extract.  Peppermint has a sweeter flavor while regular mint has both peppermint AND spearmint, which makes it more toothpastey tasting.  Trust me on this, I tried both ways.  The peppermint is absolutely the ONLY way to go.
• These bars are best cold.  They are the perfect consistency when kept in the refrigerator, or if you like frozen candy bars like me, the freezer works beautifully too!

Ingredients:

Base:

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 18 sheets)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup melted butter

Peppermint Frosting:

• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 3 Tbsp milk
• green food coloring (optional)

Chocolate Glaze:

• 2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Spray a 9×13 pan with non stick spray and then line with parchment paper.  (I make the parchment paper long on each of the longer sides so it can help me lift the bars out when they are ready.)
2. For the base:  In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until fine – add the coconut, sugar, cocoa powder and salt and pulse a few times till well combined.
3. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until it becomes like wet sand.  (Stir with a fork if it’s having a hard time combining.)
4. Press the mixture in to the bottom of your prepared pan and use a measuring cup to press all the way to the edges and even it out.
5. Freeze for 20 minutes.
6. For the frosting:  In your mixer bowl, add the powdered sugar, softened butter, peppermint extract, vanilla extract, salt, food coloring, (optional), and milk.  Start the mixer slowly or you will be covered in powdered sugar, but once everything starts coming together, increase the speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes until nice and smooth, scraping down as needed.
7. Spread the frosting mixture over the base with an offset spatula in a thin layer all the way to the edges.
8. Freeze an additional 20 minutes.
9. For the glaze:  In a microwaveable safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil.
10. Microwave for 1 minute, stir with fork, then microwave in increments of 30 seconds and stir until smooth.  (Mine took 1 minute 30 seconds total.)
11. Spread the chocolate over the top of the frosting and use a clean offset spatula to smooth it over.
12. Refrigerate for at least one hour before slicing, (I’ve been known to put it back in the freezer so it sets faster.)
13. Before slicing, lift the two sides of the parchment paper to get the bars out of the pan and place the bars on the parchment paper on a cutting board.
14. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping it carefully with a napkin between slices to get the cleanest cuts.