My favorite part of eating at a particular Italian restaurant chain involves the bill and several Andes Mints. Since being dairy-free I have desperately longed for vegan Andes Mints so I set out to create my very own version…just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
As quietly as I could on hardwood floor, I tip-toed my way {at one point, crawling on all fours} to leave an envelope filled with a note written by a leprechaun and 5 gold coins by the door without having my favorite little man hear me in the adjoining room. The entire time I was giggling to myself. It took everything in me not to bust up laughing and burst “It was MEEEE!! I wrote the note!!!” while he read with sheer delight. Okay, I read it to him–he cannot read.
The excitement and surprise overwhelmed *me* with happiness. He counted all his money and screamed with joy that a leprechaun came to visit and left him FIVE gold coins. This is what I love about kids. Their bright, wide eyes towards the world; their “oooohs” and “aaaaahhs” over the thought of a tiny man in green leaving them treats just because–man, makes me wish I lived in the days of innocence and belief. Oh, to be a kid again!
At least when I eat these homemade Andes Mints, they instantly take me back to those days. Remember when most restaurants would leave a few of these minty chocolates with your check? Nowadays, you can only really count on Olive Garden to do so. And since that is not my first {or any} choice when eating out, nor can I even eat these tasty chocolate mints, why not make them at home?
Print
Vegan Andes Mints
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. nondairy chocolate chips
- 1/2 c. nondairy white chocolate chips or from a bar
- 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
- few drops of all-natural green food coloring
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Cut it so it perfectly fits on the bottom and dab the corners with melted chocolate so it stays in place. Allow to set {just a few minutes.
- Melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Melt in 30 increments, stirring at each stop, repeat until smooth. Drop 1/4 tsp peppermint extract in and stir. Adjust to taste–add the remainder 1/4 tsp if it is not strong enough.
- Slowly pour HALF {or less} as the bottom layer into the pan. You want a thin layer so go slowly. Using the back of a spoon or the shake method, make sure it is evenly spread. Freeze for 2 minutes. Make sure it does not freeze completely!!! You don’t want 3 separate layers that fall apart but you also don’t want the chocolate layers to blend into it each other. Watch for the color of the top–when it is no longer shiny is a good indicator you’re ready for the next layer.
- While you are flash freezing the first layer, melt the white chocolate chips in the same way in the microwave. Drop food coloring in, stir until smooth.
- Pour green chocolate for the thin 2nd layer. Shake until evenly spread. Freeze for 2 minutes or until no longer shiny.
- Repeat with 3rd chocolate layer. If you need to reheat your chocolate because it is hardening a little, place back in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Freeze 2-5 minutes.
- Before it sets completely, using a knife, slice the shapes of your mints. I went for the classic rectangular shape. Allow to set until dry, either on the counter or in the freezer {if you are less patient like myself}.
Notes
These measurements depend on the size of your pan. You will need to have more on hand if you are using a pan bigger than 8″ x 8″
Need help choosing the right kind of dairy free white chocolate? Check out this post. It will be very helpful for you!
Want more copy cat vegan candy recipes? Bam!:
This sounds amazing! So I know people mentioned Amazon for white chocolate chips (the only ones I’ve tried at the local stores are so disappointing and taste like wax).
What brand to you buy? Thank you!!
The chocolate looks absolutely stunning but even more I love the story of the little one finding the letter and the gold coins. I can imagine his eyes and exitement!
This is splendid! So good!
If you just select the print for the recipe and then print selection from your print options you can print just the recipe with no problem. Works great!
Arlene, you are awesome–hooray!
I can’t wait to make the recipe. But I had to type it . I wish you had a print-friendly option. Thank you for the recipe.
Yeah, me too Barbara! I would love to offer that to my readers, unfortunately I have to pay for that option (I actually would have to switch to a .com site which I am financially unable to do so at the moment). Sorry about that 🙁
Barbara, You can highlight just the part of page you want printed. Right click and choose copy. Then go to Wordpad and click on edit and from the dropdown list choose print. If you want the pictures too, they have to be clicked on one at a time. Also there is a free program called Snippy that allows you to outline just what you want to print out. Hope this helps.
I have always been a HUGE fan of Andes mints but they are so much more expensive than I thought it was worth. So I always went with the hersheys instead. Now I can make a bunch of it for a LOT less! So glad I found this on Pinterest n can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
I’m always a big fan of more for less 🙂 Happy you are here, Caity! Make yourself comfortable. xo, Cara
These look great. I make candy at Xmas and this would be an easy, tasty addition. Most of the candies I do take forever but these would be a great filler. Can,t wait to try them.
You and your little guy are so lucky to have each other! The best thing about little ones is that they still believe in magic. The best thing about you is that you can make it! 🙂 I need to hunt down some white chocolate. I used to really like Andes mints. This recipe looks very doable!
I thoroughly enjoy the little man’s company…and he, mine. We are super lucky indeed 🙂
Take Ashlae’s advice and go on Amazon for some vegan white chocolate chips. I need to order more now. Let me know how they taste just like Andes Mints if you make them!
Mmmm, those remind me of Frango mints.
I just had to google Frango mints…Holy Moses, those look good!!!
you are so impressive. (this is kimi on jeremy’s computer)
I had a feeling it was you and not Jeremy…unless he picked up a new habit of checking out food blogs 😉 hehe. Thanks Kimi! xo
Oh I can’t wait till Misty is old enough to get excited about this kind of stuff…. SO much fun! I’ve never been a fan of the mint+ chocolate combo, (reminds me of toothpaste!) but I remember my sister was CRAZY for it as a kid. She would always go for the mint-chocolate first in those chocolate selection boxes… I would head straight for the gooey caramel number.
These look, fantastic Cara 🙂
Great, now anytime I eat chocolate and mint together I am going to think of toothpaste. Thanks Lou… ha!
You are the sweetest thing ever!
…..sad to say, I was never an Andes mint fan; I always gave mine away, I was more of the White Chcolate Bark kind of girl 🙂
A little bit of yin and yang between us: I would gladly swap you white choco bark for your Andes mints 🙂
And my vocabulary grows again.. I missed the chocolate, candy, sweet train as a kid.. not that i am complaining..:) I love the stories that come with the goodies! I might just get hooked on to chocolate if i keep seeing all your pretty creations!!
I wish I missed that train…
Oh gosh! This is just too too good Cara! My youngest counts it as one her blessings that not only does she have 2 *very real* fairy friends that visit and leave her notes and money, but she also knows the Leprechaun PERSONALLY (she’s got a wicked older sister) — we’ll make these and leave them for him this weekend! Giggles of delight over here, thanks girl!!
I love that, Shira! There is nothing better than watching kids grow in their delight, even if it is make-believe. And I wanna hear how it goes over this weekend please 🙂
Just picked up my peppermint extract…..got to get the green coloring and we’ll be set!
YES!!!!
One of my first jobs was hostessing at a Greek restaurant. There was a huge jar of these things on the the counter. Strangely, they had to be refilled after each of my shifts.Odd, that. You are starting to scare me, getting into my head like this. I may have to abjure all sugar, just to be safe. You do believe me, right? RIGHT?
Willy Wonka must be some weird anagram for Cara. I love it. ‘Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew – Cover it with choc’late and a miracle or two – Cara can ’cause she mixes it with love and makes the world taste good.’ That’s you, Roald Dahl got it confused.
source: http://lyricsondemand.com/s/sammydavisjrlyrics/thecandymanlyrics.html
I’m eating my lunch right now and nearly choked when you started to sing, Laurel. Holy h, that was funny. Princess Wonka 🙂
I always did think Cara looked a little like Gene Wilder…
Great minds think alike. Only Gene could have used some better hair product. I’m half convinced it was Cara, pre-utero, with a wig and fake nose.
Well, obviously you 2 have never seen me pre-straight hair {or maybe you have and this is why you are making a correlation between myself and Gene}. I’m not gonna lie, my hair used to eerily resemble his…
No, she was actually Veruca Salt….and VERY convincingly I might add. 🙂
What can I say, I had years of practice in that role…
Veruca Salt? You’re never saying the child was spoiled rotten? Did she play chutes and ladders with rotten golden eggs? Boss people about? She couldn’t have been impatient, surely? Cara, if you don’t want people to believe your biggest fan you’d best have that tattoo removed. You know the one, “Give it to me. I want it now.”
In 5th grade, Veruca Salt was my break-out role. Now, granted my stardom lasted, oh, about 2 months but man was I sight to see on stage.
Did I happen to mention how mine & you’re dad’s jaws dropped at the first stomp of your foot screaming “I want it now!”? You were a natural – that role was YOU!
In an adorable way, of course *batting my eyelashes*
XOXOXOX
Yeah, yeah, yeah–you 2 might have mentioned it once or 83 times how much you thought I was a natural…I still have no idea what you are talking about. I just think it was all of those acting lessons 🙂
There are leprechauns, I know this to be true. I think. This is a wonderful post. And you are a kid!
I will never grow up,
signed Peter Pan the 2nd
“Oh there you are Peter.” <–Hook quote anyone?
From one big kid to another: xoxo!!
Mmmm…. Aaaaandeeeees…. Love those things! You know how most parents enjoy reliving childhood magic through the eyes of their children? Yeah, my oldest kid? He’s such a cynic! He is “Mr. Science.” If it can’t rationally be explained by things he knows to be true, it’s false and should be punished and/or eradicated. He would never buy the Leprechaun bit. He’s so over Santa. Tooth Fairy? Right out. My other one however, believes that we carried fairies with us on our last Trick-or-Treating expedition to keep us safe. Mr. Science thinks I’m a) lying to Boy 2 and b) completely bonkers. Never a dull moment in this house…
I love Mr. Science! I would pull out an entire sheet of leprechaun facts, studies and findings just to convince him. Oh who am I kidding? The kid is probably smarter than me anyway…
Unless you can produce an actual Leprechaun complete with gold buckle shoes and a four-leaf clover in his hat, I’m afraid he’ll remain unconvinced.
Another triumph! Love them, and love the story – I can totally see myself doing the same thing for my niece (she’s five).
Oh, you should do this for her! She would get such a kick out of it 🙂 I love holidays just for this reason…
what sorcery is this? did you really just veganize my husband’s fave candy? i think you did. you are, as always, amazing, outstanding, and splediferous!
I went to a vegan witch school and learned all my fancy tricks 🙂
Love this!!! You are brilliant and so fun 🙂 I can just see you now tiptoeing across the floor with a note trying not to giggle too loud hehe!!!!!!
It’s rather a ridiculous sight, isn’t it?
Were the gold coins the candy kind?!
No!! Bummer huh? Those were the coolest thing ever when I was a kid {though I don’t remember being too excited about their taste}
Um… so where do you get your vegan white chocolate chips is my question? I have such a hard time finding good ones and these look amazing!
Looks can be deceiving. It’s a battle at times but I typically find them online. The kind I use are out of stock currently and cannot find them–I used up my last bag. The search has begun again…
AMAZON!!!!!!! I have three bags, and Eden and I are MAKING THESE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU RULE. And Eden says, “Hi. I like your blog name. It’s silly.”
Hi Eden! You happen to be the cutest kid ever!!
Hope you two enjoy your candy making 🙂 And don’t let Ashlae’s big head get in the way if you guys are gonna watch cartoons…
These look great and soooo simple! I can’t believe I complain so much about food not being convenient. What’s not convenient about 10 minutes to know exactly what delicious ingredients I’m shoving into my pie-hole?!?
Now you’re talking! Take aside 10 minutes today to feed that pie hole some Andes Mints will ya? And quit yer complaining 🙂 hehe
These are prefect! I used to work at a local restaurant that is similar to olive garden and we gave out Andes. We stored them in the walk-in cooler and I would always find reasons to go in there just so I could steal and nibble on some cold Andes. They are the BEST when they are cold!
You are my kind of girl–this sounds like something I would do! 🙂 I used to do that with my dad’s Sparklette’s water bottle filled with coins. {Just to clarify, I wouldn’t eat the money, just take and spend it}
Ha I was wondering what you meant that!
The quarters were the worst on my digestive system. I learned the hard way.
Yum! These look so simple to make – who knew!?
I can totally relate to that feeling of surprising someone with something sweet like that. Put a huge smile on my face to read this – thanks for sharing!
Well, you are so very welcome Willow 🙂 And you are right–they really are simple to make…which is what I can say about most things these days–who knew?! xo
Yum! I love Andes Mints but not what’s in em. I will LOVE yours even more. Would you put five of them in an envelope and sneak-giggle them to my place? I promise to stare in wide-eyed wonder and uberexclaim my joy. (Unless you actually scare the crap out of me sneaking up on me like that….then I might faux-karate chop my sweet little friend and break all the goodness into teeny-tiny pieces…then I would feel real bad while eating said tiny pieces.) XO.
Giggling right now as I stuff 5 of them in an envelope for you Kelly 🙂 Also trying to find my scariest mask too…
oh man, i used to love andes mints! i totally forgot about them, too! these look delicious. by the way, when you come over, can you surprise me with gold coins from a leprechaun and read me the note he left me? 😉 you are adorable!
I tip toe to your house and slide the envelope under your door, absolutely 🙂 hehehe
These look great Cara – bet they taste lovely too!
http://www.fattyhunter.wordpress.com
If you like Andes Mints, they taste just like them–heavenly! Thanks, Christina 🙂
wow love the look of these! i am actually not a big fan of mint chocolate but i love all other green foods. and the colour! 🙂 i just sampled a 90% chocolate bar that looked similar to this one but had a RED Goji berry filling! so tasty!
90% chocolate? That sounds so super rich and decadent!! And goji berry filling? My bf will flip–that sounds like HIS kind of chocolate! Where did you get it, Alexia? Now I must know so I can taste it myself 🙂