Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème

If you're looking for a dessert that will WOW everyone but takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time, this Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème recipe is it!

If you love slaving over dessert and enjoy spending hours on end in the kitchen, you might want to click over to a different site. BUT, if you're in the mood for a super-easy, super-elegant, crazy-delicious dessert that barely takes any time, this Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème will ring all your bells!

It's definitely ringing ours this holiday season and I know it will be showing up frequently over the next few weeks. This recipe is a take-off on an old favorite dessert recipe, our Blender Chocolate Pots de Crème. It's a little gem I've been making for many years. The first time I made it Scott said, "I think this is the best dessert you've ever made!" I knew that moment, it was a keeper!

But since I'm always on to something new, I'd kind of forgotten about it until recently, when I received several fun emails from readers:

Made these (Pots de Crème) tonight for my son who just got an expander put in his mouth and wanted something soft and comforting. It was sooo easy and we LOVED every last drop of jt. Bookmarking this for sure. Thank you so much!

I use Lindt Salted Dark Chocolate when I make this (Chocolate Pots de Crème) recipe and vary it, sometimes adding a teaspoon of espresso powder or a tablespoon of orange marmalade. It is always a home run, right out of the park. I serve it in tiny dishes, with espresso spoons, and sit back and enjoy the total silence as everyone digs in, and no one come up for air or words until every morsel has been scraped from each bowl. Unbelievable!

One reader said that she looked across the table and one of her guests, "a young professional (by day) had taken his finger and was using it to scrape and lick every. last. drop. out of the little serving cup." She called the recipe, "a delightful success!!!"

Old Recipe + New Clothes = Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème!

I thought a holiday version of this old faithful, rave-worthy dessert would be appropriate and appreciated since this is the season of the year that all of us seem especially pinched for time. So that's the back story behind this Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème recipe. Now for the details.

Ridiculously Easy?

The recipe truly is ridiculously easy and that's more than a silly description here at The Café. Ridiculously Easy recipes actually have a special category and have certain criteria they have to meet. You can read more about our Ridiculously Easy recipes in this post but my "nutshell" definition of a Ridiculously Easy Café recipe is one that, "makes you look like a kitchen rockstar with minimal effort on your part". Who doesn't love that?

Why do I say this recipe is so easy? Well, literally it takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time. Besides being easy, I'm pretty sure there's a little magic involved too.

Magic? Yes! You simply combine chocolate chips, a bit of sugar, an egg and splashes of vanilla and peppermint extract in a blender container. If you're feeling especially festive, you can add a few tablespoons of peppermint schnapps. Then measure out a cup of heavy cream and microwave it until hot and bubbling.

Turn on the blender, add the hot cream and the magic begins; the egg is quickly cooked, the chocolate is melted and it's all married together into a fabulous, decadent, chocolatey mixture. It's then finished off with a scoop of crushed peppermint candy before it's portioned into small, pretty serving dishes and given a stint in the refrigerator to firm up. That's it! See what I mean? Ridiculously Easy and quite magical!

And, if you're still a little doubtful, here's a video to show that I'm not exaggerating:

See? Easy. Ridiculously Easy!

A pretty garnish

I like to garnish these Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème with a dollop of whip cream, a mini candy cane and an additional sprinkle of crushed peppermint for a super easy, super elegant dessert!

Merry Christmas!

Consider this Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème recipe a gift from The Café! I know we're all busy right now so I'll sign off and just add few Café Tips below. Happy magic-making!

Café Tips for making these Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème

• Use good quality chocolate chips for this recipe. I like to use a chip with a cacao percentage between 50 and 60%. If you love dark chocolate go with a higher percentage. I usually use Ghiradelli 60% or Guittard which is 63%.
• This recipe calls for crushed peppermint. You can purchase it already crushed. For me, I usually just place some peppermint candies or candy canes in a ziplock bag. I use the back of a soup spoon to whack them until they're nicely crushed.
• Pots de Crème is a rich, decadent dessert so it should be served in small portions. There are lots of fun serving dishes available made specifically for Pots de Crème, but any small ramekin or serving dish will work. I often serve Pots de Crème in my Weck Mini Jars which makes a really pretty presentation.
• Every microwave is a little different so the timing that it takes for the cream to begin to boil will vary. My old microwave took 1 minute and thirty seconds. My new microwave doesn't have a turntable and takes a little longer, 1 minute and 45 seconds. Watch the cream carefully, as you want it to begin to boil, but be sure it doesn't boil over.
• Once the cream starts boiling, add it immediately to the chocolate mixture in the microwave. The heat will cook the egg and melt the chocolate so you don't want to use lukewarm cream.
• Peppermint schnapps is a fun, festive addition to this dessert, but it's totally optional. If you choose to omit it, you don't need to alter the recipe in any way. I've done it both ways with great success.
• I love that this dessert can be whipped up so quickly, but it can also be made way in advance. It needs a good hour to chill, but it can be made up to 2 days in advance.
• One little trick I like to use when making these Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème: the hot cream is poured into the blender through the opening on the lid with the blender running. You can have some splashing when you do this so I like to place a small funnel into the blender cap opening. I pour the cream through the funnel and it eliminates any potential mess. I keep my hand on the funnel while the blender is running.

Thought for the day:

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night.
 An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David,
a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Luke 2:8-11

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Born is the King

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Ridiculously Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots De Crème

Chris Scheuer

If you're looking for a dessert that will WOW everyone but take less than 10 minutes of hands-on time, this Easy Chocolate Peppermint Pots de Crème recipe is it!

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 8 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 8

Calories 239

PRINT PIN COMMENTS

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

• 6 ounces good quality semi‐sweet chocolate chips, (or 1 cup if you're measuring with a cup measure)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons peppermint schnapps, optional
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup crushed candy canes or crushed red and white peppermint candies for garnish
• whipped cream, mini candy canes and crushed peppermint and mint sprigs, for garnish, if desired

Instructions

 

1. Get 6-8 small bowls, pots or ramekins out and ready.
2. Place chocolate chips, sugar, egg, peppermint schnapps, vanilla, mint extract and salt in a blender container. Pulse a few times to mix the ingredients.
3. Remove the center cap from the blender cover. Place a small funnel into the opening (see the picture in the post above). You don’t have to do this but it will prevent splattering.
4. Pour cream into a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Make sure it's a large enough bowl/cup as the mixture will bubble up when heated. Heat on high power for 1½-2 minutes, or until cream starts to vigorously bubble (boil).
5. Turn the blender on and blend for a few seconds to combine the chocolate chip mixture. Add the hot cream through the funnel (if using) or blender top opening. Place your hand over the funnel or replace the blender top and blend for 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
6. Add the crushed peppermint, stir to combine and pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared bowls.
7. Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 2 days. Cover with plastic wrap if storing for more than an hour.
8. For serving, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream, a mini candy cane, crushed peppermint and a mint sprig, if desired.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 78mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 467IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 1mg

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, French, French-American