Chocolate and mint are the perfect pair for holiday desserts. Combine them in a mousse pie and everyone will be thrilled! Smooth and insanely creamy, this mousse tart has a chocolate cookie crust which makes it easy to put together. And it can be frozen.
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Originally published in 2012, the text and images in this post have been updated to serve you better. The recipe remains the same.
This vintage recipe I'm sharing today surprised me.
Not in the beginning, because I love the combination of flavors (mint double chocolate brownies, anyone?), and the recipe seemed pretty straightforward.
But the first step results in a very dubious-looking mess, like jello that has an enormous amount of gelatin and not enough liquid, and you don't quite know what to do with it.
After the cream is added and everything is whipped, a satiny, smooth, perfectly colored mixture emerges, wiping all doubts that it will be a great dessert.
I sometimes wonder how anybody got to the end of the recipe with such a bad start.
Why this recipe works
- Easy to make: besides the refrigeration times needed, this is such an easy dessert to put together! It can be made the same day you plan to eat it.
- Flavor: the mint can be adjusted to your taste, and chocolate is always a favorite so this pie is a perfect dessert for this season.
- Make ahead: it can be frozen for several weeks or kept in the refrigerator for a few days.
Ingredient list
- Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
- Cream: whipping or double cream is the best for achieving the texture and thickness we want. Single cream won’t give you the same results.
- Whole milk.
- White granulated sugar.
- Cornstarch: it's used to thicken and create structure.
- Cookie crumbs: use plain chocolate cookies not stuffed or filled. You can also use a store-bought one.
- Unsalted butter.
- Mint extract: you can use pure peppermint extract (I like Nielsen Massey's) or McCormick's pure peppermint extract which is cheaper, or a mint emulsion (LorAnn).
How to make this pie
The cookie crust: these types of crust are very easy to put together and can even be a no-bake if you mix the ingredients and pop the pan in the refrigerator to firm up completely. I like to bake it for 10 minutes to make it sturdier since I remove it from the pan before serving it.
The filling: there are two parts; one is like a stovetop pudding that has to be cold before whipping it with cream and making the most luscious mousse. Refrigeration time aside, it comes together very quickly and is easy to make.
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Frequently asked questions
Cornstarch and gelatin are ingredients used for firming up a mousse. We use the former for this pie today, and it works well.
Mint is the general name for any extract, of which peppermint is just one. Spearmint is another popular type.
Most bottles of extract will have this info, but my experience is that you can keep it for one year without a problem. After that, it might sometimes have a funny or rancid smell due to the oils used.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Measuring: have all ingredients ready and measured, especially when mixing the first part of the mousse in a saucepan so that you can work quickly.
- Topping: I like the mousse to shine, so I sprinkle crushed candy canes or shaved chocolate. But you can certainly serve this pie with whipped cream.
Related recipes you might like:
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Chocolate Mint Mousse Pie
Chocolate and mint are the perfect pair for holiday desserts. Combine them in a mousse pie and everyone will be thrilled! Smooth and insanely creamy, this mousse tart has a chocolate cookie crust which makes it easy to put together. And it can be frozen.
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For crust:
- 2 cups chocolate wafer (or plain cookies) crumbs
- 8 tablespoons of butter, melted
For filling:
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
- 5.5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (if you use chips make sure they're real chocolate)
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Crushed candy canes or chocolate shavings, for decoration
Instructions
For crust:
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Mix crumbs with butter until it looks like wet sand.
- Place mixture in a 9-inch pie pan with removable bottom. Carefully press evenly against bottom and sides of the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack completely.
For filling:
- Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan.
- Add milk, mix well until cornstarch is dissolved and cook on medium heat until the mixture reaches the boiling point. Stir frequently to avoid lumps.
- Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. It will thicken.
- Remove from heat and immediately add chocolate and mint extract. Combine well. The mixture will look like jello gone bad, don't worry.
- Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and let cool to room temperature. You can speed this process by refrigerating it.
- Beat chocolate mixture a bit with an electric mixer until it starts to soften.
- Add cream and slowly beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Pour the filling into the prepared crust and spread evenly.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 2 hours.
- Sprinkle with crushed mint candies or chocolate shavings right before serving.
Notes
Chocolate: use the best quality of semi-sweet chocolate you can afford. It makes a difference. I love Ghirardelli Premium Baking Chocolate 60% and Callebaut Semisweet Chocolate Block 54%. If using chips use a good brand like Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Baking Chips 60%.
Mint: they're usually extracts and I use Simply Organic Peppermint Extract or Frontier's Peppermint Organic Extract.
Cream: whipping or double cream is the best for achieving the texture and thickness we want. Single cream won’t give you the same results.
Read the recipe: this is good advice whenever you’re baking, but in this case, since there are refrigeration times needed for the filling to set, take the time to plan for those, especially if you’re making this mousse pie the day you plan to serve it.
Measuring: have all ingredients ready and measured, especially when mixing the first part of the mousse in a saucepan, so you can work quickly.
Topping: I like the chocolate mint mousse to shine on its own so I simply sprinkle some crushed candy canes or shaved chocolate. But you can certainly serve this pie with some whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 120
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Pies & Tarts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 416
- Sugar: 29.9 g
- Sodium: 181.2 mg
- Fat: 26.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.4 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
- Cholesterol: 48.7 mg
Keywords: chocolate mint pie
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
lol thank God you had the surgical steel pans! If that happened to me with my ordinary flimsy steel, my place would've caught on fire! I am ALWAYS forgetting something in the kitchen. If I don't put my timer on, I totally walk away, start doing something else, then run panicked to my oven when I realized I left a sheet of cookies or a pan of cake, praying it's not burnt. This pie looks so luscious and dreamy. And congrats on the recognition - you deserve it!
Laura says
Yum. I want this now.
Lisa Crunkhorn says
This is making me crazy, Paula. A chocolate mint mousse pie? Can I come over for a giant slice? I'm seriously salivating here! Pinned.
And a HUGE congrats on the features too. You deserve them, well done! 🙂 And the pan, yikes!
-Lisa.
Sweet 2 Eat Baking
e / dig in says
i live in fear of burning my house down, ever since i walked away from some stewing fruit and came back to a smouldering tar-y mess. i was going to throw the pot away (it wasn't an expensive one) and my parents, who hate waste, took it from me - i think dad sanded away the yuck with a power tool!!! so i am extra paranoid now.
i've never made a chocolate mousse pie; that looks so decadent but the recipe instructions seem so easy!
Renee Dobbs says
So lucky you only had to deal with a smoke filled house and the pan. When I was a kid, my dad went outside and forgot to turn off a pan with grease on the stove and caught the kitchen on fire.
Beautiful tart and sounds so nice and creamy. A treat for chocolate and mint lovers.
Lizzy Do says
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has those kitchen moments! Just glad there wasn't any worse damage. Your pie is stunning...and it would certainly be popular with my kids. Pinning to save!
Caroline - All That I'm Eating says
This looks so good, I could just do with a slice!
yummychunklet says
Ooh, this chocolate mint pie sounds delicious. Almost like a grasshopper pie!
cakewhiz says
omg! chocolate overload....my favorite type of overload 😀
this looks divine Paula!
Medeja says
oh this pie looks chocolate and good!
surgical steel pans? how much does it cost..I have a feeling that they wouldnt be easy and cheap to get 😀