This After Eight Mint Chocolate Tart is an elegant dessert for a family gathering, a dinner party or a festive party! It's an easy no bake sweet treat with a chocolate biscuit base, hidden mint icing filling and a dark chocolate ganache. I've decorated it with whipped cream, After Eight chocolates, a dusting of cocoa powder and some mint leaves. The tart is inspired by After Eight chocolate - thin square chocolate with a mint fondant filling. They are known as being a luxurious grown up treat that are the perfect way to finish a meal - just like this tart!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- If you can't get hold of After Eights, you can decorate the tart with any other mint chocolate, or mint leaves.
- I recommend using a good quality dark chocolate for the ganache filling for the best flavour and most accurate results. Avoid using cooking or baking chocolate.
- You can use either butter or a baking spread for the biscuit base.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make After Eight Mint Chocolate Tart
To make the biscuit base, use a food processor to blitz the biscuits into crumbs, then mix in the cocoa powder and melted butter. Press the mixture into a tart tin around the sides and base, until compact and even.
Mix the icing sugar, peppermint extract and water together then spread the mint icing into the base of the tart. To make the ganache, heat the double cream and add in the chocolate, stir together until they are melted, then mix in a pinch of salt. Pour the ganache over the mint icing and smooth it out. Put in the fridge to chill for 4 hours or overnight. Once it is set, decorate with whipped cream, After Eights, cocoa powder and mint leaves.
How long does the tart last for and can it be frozen?
The tart should be stored in the fridge and will last for 3 days. Unfortunately this recipe is not suitable for freezing.
Can you make this recipe with a pastry base?
Yes, you can follow the shortcrust pastry recipe used in my Bakewell Tart recipe. Or if you'd like a chocolate pastry base, you can use the recipe from my Vegan Chocolate Tart.
Can this recipe be made gluten or dairy free?
You can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free biscuits for the base. Most shops, especially larger stores, will stock gluten free biscuits. To make this tart dairy free, replace the double cream with coconut milk and make sure the dark chocolate you use is dairy free. You will also have to replace the whipped cream with a whipped soy or coconut cream and use dairy free spread for the biscuit base. Check my Vegan Chocolate Tart recipe for more details on how to make a dairy free chocolate ganache filling.
More tips for making the After Eight Mint Chocolate Tart:
- The whipped cream decoration is optional. You could just decorate with a dusting of cocoa powder instead.
- A US cup measure or a shot glass make handy tools for pressing the biscuit base into the tin and up the sides evenly.
- If the ganache splits, add a splash of milk and whisk it vigurously to bring it back.
- To remove the tart from the tin, place it onto a can (of beans, soup etc), then gently pull the sides of the tin downwards. Take the tart (still attached to the base of the tin) off the can. Use a palatte knife to gently loosen the base, then slide it onto a serving plate.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- 9" tart tin
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen scales
- Measuring spoons
- Piping bags
- Dark chocolate
- Peppermint extract
- Sieve
- After Eights
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More mint chocolate recipes...
After Eight Mint Chocolate Tart
Ingredients
For the biscuit base
- 275 g Digestive biscuits
- 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 135 g Butter or baking spread melted
For the mint icing
- 225 g Icing sugar
- 1 ½ tsp Peppermint extract
- 2-3 tbsp Water
For the chocolate ganache
- 275 ml Double cream
- 275 g Dark chocolate
- A pinch of Salt
For decoration
- 100 ml Double cream
- ¼ tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Icing sugar
- 1 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 8 After Eights cut in half
- A few Mint leaves
Instructions
- Blitz the biscuits into crumbs using a food processor, or you can put them in a bowl or freezer bag and bash them up with the end of a rolling pin
- Place the biscuit crumbs into a bowl. Add the cocoa powder and mix it in. Then add the melted butter and mix it in
- Press the biscuit mixture into the base and sides of a 9" loose bottomed tart tin. An American cup measure, or a shot glass can help you to evenly press it around the sides and base
- Put the biscuit base in the fridge while you make the filling
- To make the mint icing, mix the water and peppermint extract into the icing sugar. You may not need all of the water, so add it slowly bit by bit until a thick paste forms
- Pour the mint icing into the biscuit base and spread it out to cover the base
- To make the chocolate ganache, warm the double cream up in a pan on a low heat, give it a stir reguarly
- Take the cream off the heat. Add the chocolate to the cream and leave it for a couple of minutes, then stir until it all melts together. Then stir in the pinch of salt
- Pour the ganache into the biscuit base over the mint icing. Gently spread it out and smooth the top using a small palatte knife. You can also tap the tin gently on the work surface to even out the ganache and remove any air bubbles
- Leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, to set
- For decoration, whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract
- Remove the tart from the tin and pipe the whipped cream around the edges, add the After Eights all around the edge and dot some mint leaves around in the cream too. Then use a sieve to dust the tart with cocoa powder
- Store the tart in the fridge and eat within 3 days
Notes
- If you can't get hold of After Eights, you can decorate the tart with any other mint chocolate, or mint leaves.
- I recommend using a good quality dark chocolate for the ganache filling for the best flavour and most accurate results. Avoid using cooking or baking chocolate.
- You can use either butter or a baking spread for the biscuit base.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
- If the ganache splits, add a splash of milk and whisk it vigurously.
- To remove the tart from the tin, place it onto a can (of beans, soup etc), then gently pull the sides of the tin downwards. Take the tart (still attached to the base of the tin) off the can. Use a palatte knife to gently loosen the base, then slide it onto a serving plate.
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