Chocolate mint liqueur made with After Eight chocolate thins is full of nostalgic charm and heaps of flavour. It’s a quick, simple and extremely delicious peppermint cream liqueur that is perfect for the festive season.
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This chocolate mint liqueur makes splendid use of After Eight mints to create an enchanting and indulgent homemade peppermint cream liqueur. Serve this libation at festive parties or make a batch and gift it to loved ones.
This recipe for After Eight liqueur is easy and fun – rather like the other recipes in my mini-series of chocolate bar-themed liqueurs. Have you discovered my chocolate orange liqueur, Milkybar liqueur and Mars bar liqueur yet?
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick & easy – this mint cream liqueur is ready in around 15 minutes.
- Taste: the flavours of peppermint and chocolate both shine through.
- Fun: After Eight mints and alcohol – that sounds like grown-up fun to me.
- Unique: this homemade chocolate mint drink is not available in the supermarket and as it’s made with After Eight mints nostalgic charm is in abundance.
Looking for non-alcoholic chocolate mint drinks to delight anybody not partaking in alcohol? I’ve got a white peppermint mocha and a candy cane hot chocolate.
What are After Eights?
- After Eight Mint Chocolate Thins comprise a thin layer of white coloured peppermint fondant enrobed in dark chocolate. The fondant is flavoured with peppermint oil.
- Each chocolate comes in an iconic black envelope with the After Eight logo, an antique baroque clock, printed on it.
- They are a popular chocolate throughout the UK and they can be found in most supermarkets.
- They were first manufactured in 1962 by the Rowntree Company Ltd in their York factory. However, the brand has been owned by Nestlé since 1988 and the chocolates are produced in their West Yorkshire factory in Halifax.
- The After Eight logo was originally based on an antique baroque, silver clock which appeared in the early after eight television adverts.
Ingredients notes
Chocolate: After Eight mints are my favourite chocolate to use when creating this chocolate mint liqueur. The peppermint is punchy and stands up well against the additional dark chocolate (use 70% cocoa solids) used in this recipe. When coupled with the other ingredients both of these flavours still manage to hold their own to deliver that unmistakable After Eight taste sensation.
Outside of the UK look for similar mint thins. Ensure that the peppermint is fresh and minty rather than bittermint.
Cream & milk: single cream, with a fat content of 18%, is the way to go. It delivers the right level of creamy indulgence without being over the top. A dash of whole (full fat) milk helps keep your peppermint cream liqueur at a perfect consistency for pouring.
Alcohol: you’ll need vodka such as (paid link) Absolut.
Step by step instructions
Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Heat ⅔ of the cream to hot but do not let it boil. Chip the chocolate and slide it into the pan along with the After Eight mints.
- After 1 minute stir the contents of the pan until the chocolate has fully melted.
- Pour in the rest of the cream, the milk and the condensed milk. Then stir in the vodka.
- Strain your chocolate mint drink through a sieve then decant it into a bottle and store it in the fridge.
Top Tip: if the chocolate does not fully melt (step 2) return the pan to a very low heat and stir the contents continuously until everything has melted.
Expert tips
- The cream will split if it comes into contact with anything acidic such as citrus juice or vinegar. For this reason, make sure that all of your equipment and the bottle that the liqueur will be stored in are scrupulously clean.
- Strain your liqueur through a nut bag or a fine-meshed sieve to catch any stray chunks of confectionary that refuse to melt completely.
- You’ll need to give your chocolate mint drink a robust shake before serving. Some of the chocolate will settle as the bottle is stored in the fridge, so agitate it for 30-45 seconds to reblend it all.
Frequently asked questions
The only reason your chocolate peppermint liqueur will split is if it comes into contact with something acidic. To avoid this pitfall, ensure that your equipment and storage bottle(s) have no traces of acidic ingredients such as vinegar or citrus juice.
As this mint cream liqueur contains fresh cream it is essential to keep it stored in the fridge.
Technically, you can use any spirit that you prefer when making this chocolate mint drink. However, be mindful that using strongly flavoured spirits, such as bourbon or brandy, would play with the final flavour. If you cannot tolerate vodka I would suggest trying other clear spirits such as tequila or white rum.
My chocolate cherry liqueur is made using brandy and my caramel cream liqueur uses bourbon. These are good alternatives if you do prefer darker spirits as the recipes have been developed with these spirits in mind.
After Eight mints are easy to get hold of in the UK. However, you may need to use an alternative mint thin product if you live elsewhere. I cannot specify the exact quantities required of the substitute mint thin product as it will depend what you use. However, I suggest starting with around 70g of your chosen alternative.
Serving suggestions
As it contains fresh cream your chocolate mint liqueur must be stored in the fridge. This means it is already nicely chilled should you decide to serve it neat. However, it can also be served in a large glass over ice (on the rocks).
Here are a few garnish ideas:
- After Eights – carefully slide a mint thin onto a cocktail pick. The best way to do this is to warm the pick in hot water, dry it and then poke it diagonally through the chocolate (lay the mint flat on a worktop as you do this).
- Fresh mint – a sprig tucked or clipped to the side of the glass is quick and effective.
- Whipped cream – go all out indulgence and swirl some cream over the top of your peppermint cream liqueur then wedge an After Eight mint into the cream.
More homemade liqueurs to try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Have you made this recipe for chocolate mint liqueur? Please give the recipe a rating or leave a comment – I love to hear how you get along with my creations.
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Mint Liqueur
Ingredients
- 150 ml Single cream
- 8 After Eight mints or 70g of similar mint thin chocolate
- 30 g Dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
- 45 ml Condensed milk sweetened
- 45 ml Whole Milk full fat
- 100 ml Vodka
Instructions
- Heat ⅔ of the cream to hot but do not let it boil. Chop the chocolate and slide it into the pan along with the After Eight mints.
- After 1 minute stir the contents of the pan until the chocolate has fully melted.
- Pour in the rest of the cream, the milk and the condensed milk. Then stir in the vodka.
- Strain your chocolate mint drink through a sieve then decant it into a bottle and store it in the fridge.
Notes
- The cream will split if it comes into contact with anything acidic such as citrus juice or vinegar. For this reason, make sure that all of your equipment and the bottle that the liqueur will be stored in are scrupulously clean.
- Strain your liqueur through a nut bag or a fine-meshed sieve to catch any stray chunks of confectionary that refuse to melt completely.
- You’ll need to give your peppermint cream liqueur a robust shake before serving. Some of the chocolate will settle as the bottle is stored in the fridge, so agitate it for 30-45 seconds to reblend it all.
Jane Coupland
Such a fun recipe for me to create – anybody who enjoys After Eights as much as me should love this recipe too.
Lynn Clark
This sounds like the perfect Christmas Eve liqueur … and any other cozy evening drink. We are definitely going to make it this month. A friend asked if rum could replace the vodka occasionally. Thank you for your delightful blog & recipes.
Jane Coupland
You are spot on – it screams of Christmas Eve!
I haven’t tried it with rum. I chose vodka deliberately as it’s relatively neutral tasting compared to other spirits, such as rum, brandy or bourbon, which I normally lean towards. However, there is nothing to stop you trying it – I’d expect the After Eight flavour to be more subtle with rum. You could always make a batch up and just before adding the alcohol pour a quarter of the chocolate mint cream mixture into a jug and add in 25ml rum to try it out. If you like it then go ahead and add 75ml to the remaining mixture… and if not add 75ml vodka instead 🙂
Hope my suggestion helps – let me knowif you try it with rum, vodka or a mini batch of both 😉