These Vegan No-Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Bars are reminiscent in taste to Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, but in crispy bar form. Made with only 7 ingredients, take just 10 minutes to make and are dairy-free and gluten-free!
One of the yummiest combos ever is chocolate and mint. It is so decadent, yet refreshing at the same time. I mean, Thin Mint Cookies are life and those cookies are incredibly popular with readers, but these bars are a totally different take on that cookie.
This recipe is actually a revamp on a super old recipe here on the blog, from 6 years ago! I just slightly changed the recipe, but it is so old, most readers don’t even know about it and it also needed some major new photos and to be brought back to life. So, here we are! Plus, the last 4 posts have been savory, so I think we all needed something sweet!
These are not for those wanting one of those superfood healthy type of granola bars. NOPE. These are rich, decadent, sweet, crunchy and the kind you make for your guests or friends who think eating vegan is crazy boring or bland. Desserts should taste like dessert. In other words, these are so rich, even half a bar is satisfying.
HOW TO MAKE NO-BAKE VEGAN CHOCOLATE MINT BARS
Add the melted almond butter, agave and cocoa powder and salt to a small pot and bring to a simmer. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint and vanilla extracts. Pour this mixture over the rice cereal and chocolate chips.
Stir until it is well mixed and thick. It will start to firm up quickly, so move fast.
Add the mixture to the lined pan and spread out evenly.
Use a silicone spatula to help spread it out, as a spoon doesn’t work well. Then place a piece of parchment paper over it and press down firm and hard and smooth out the edges until the surface is flat.
Gently peel off the paper and place in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
Slice into bars.
Enjoy the delicious, crispy, minty, chocolate heaven.
I’ve served these many times to friends and at parties and they are always a hit, especially for those who love mint and chocolate together!
OTHER VEGAN CHOCOLATE DESSERTS TO TRY:
- Best Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
- No-Bake Mint Chocolate Tart for Two
- Gluten-free Double Chocolate Muffins (reader favorite!)
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Tart
- Vegan Homemade Chocolate Sauce
- Thin Mint Freezer Fudge
- Vegan Chocolate Espresso Truffle Frosting
- Vegan Thin Mints
- Best Vegan Hot Chocolate
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
No-Bake Mint Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups (90g) brown rice crisp cereal
- 1/4 cup (60g)60g dairy-free mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)60g dairy-free mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand) dairy-free mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)
- 1/4 cup (64g) roasted creamy almond butter
- 1/2 cup (160g) raw amber agave or maple syrup (I did 50/50)
- 3 tablespoons (18g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan (9X5) with parchment paper with it hanging over the sides for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, combine the rice cereal and chocolate chips.
- In a small pot, add the almond butter, agave, cocoa powder and salt and whisk very well until smooth. Turn the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Once the edges begin to simmer, whisk constantly for just about a minute until it begins to thicken some. Don't overcook it. You are just wanting to heat the cocoa and thicken it slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and mint extracts.
- Pour this mixture over the rice cereal and chocolate chips. Stir until it is well mixed and thick. It will start to firm up quickly, so move fast.
- Add the mixture to the lined pan and spread out evenly. Use a silicone spatula to help spread it out, as a spoon doesn't work well. Then place a piece of parchment paper over it and press down firm and hard and smooth out the edges until the surface is flat.
- Gently peel off the paper. If desired, sprinkle finely chopped mint leaves over the top for presentation. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
- Slice into 6 bars or more if you want them thinner. These are very rich and I find half a bar to be very satisfying for a treat. Keep them stored in the fridge to retain their shape and that cooling mint chocolate flavor is delicious. You can wrap each bar individually if preferred.
Can’t wait to try! Can I use peanut butter or stick with almond butter?🤗
Hi Sahara! Sure! I don’t know how mint and peanut butter will taste but with all the chocolate it should still taste good. Peanut butter is thicker than almond butter so it will thicken extra quick on the stove.
These sound and look amazing! Definitely trying them. Thanks Brandi!
Awesome, thank you Kristen!
When I read the title I was already like YES. And then I saw the rice crispy treat-like situation going on in these crunchy bars and I was like OH YES. And then I saw the almond butter AND melted chocolate and I’m completely in love!! Forget nutty oaty breakfast bars, this is my kinda snack bar. I love that you’ve even brought them to parties, proof that no one ever outgrows cereal bars and they are apropos for any and all occasions lol. Soooooo when can we swap mint chocolate treats? I mean I love mine and all but…cereal❤️ And I did not know that old recipe existed so yes, these definitely deserved the revamp!
Haha, thanks girl! We definitely need to swap treats, heck yes! This is from my OLD blog and totally needed a new revamp haha!
I try to cook sugar-free even in baking. Can I use a granular sugar free substitute or anything else? I was worried because the maple syrup is liquid.
Hi Sharon! I never cook sugar-free so I don’t really have much advice. You really need the sticky liquid sweetener in order for the bars to combine and firm up. You could try making a homemade simple syrup with a dry sugar substitute but of course that would be an experiment since I’ve only ever made these with agave or maple syrup.
when will your book be published. I have purchased it and am looking forward to the entire collection of recipes.
thanks
Hi Sally! Thank you so much! Not sure where you purchased it, but it has the release date on Amazon, October 16, so that is the day it will be mailed out to you and in stores 🙂 It is 90% brand new recipes and around 10 popular ones from the blog.
When I made the announcement on my blog, I shared a lot of details about the book to be helpful, which you can check out here:
https://thevegan8.com/2018/05/01/the-vegan-8-cookbook-pre-order/
Hi brandi, I like your recipe, seems easy&yummy,,:D. Can I substitute brown rice crisp cereal with oat?
Hi Sofia, I really wouldn’t, that will completely change the texture and I wouldn’t know how much to tell you to sub the cereal with. They will not be crispy and crunchy with oats and raw oats have a not so pleasant texture. You an always experiment on your own, but you will end up with a different result.
Hi Brandi, These look absolutely scrumptious! In reading the recipe, you say you can use the whole 1/2 cup of sweetener as maple syrup (or agave, or both) but since I don’t use agave, I want to make sure the maple syrup alone won’t be too liquid).
I also want to know if peppermint oil can be used instead of peppermint extract, and if so, how much?
My granddaughter and I are going to make these in just a little while! Can’t wait!!!
Thank you for another yummo recipe!!!
Hi Deborah! Yes, all maple syrup should work just fine since you are cooking it first to thicken it and then chilling it. Also, peppermint oil is fine, just add a little to the melted chocolate, taste and add more to your preference. I actually used mint extract (like spearmint, not peppermint) but peppermint would be equally delicious! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Ah, crispy rice treats. They bring back memories of my mom making batches to ease the pain of summer ending and getting ready for school. Your recipe adds a fabulous level of sophistication, and in this heat, they’re Sooo refreshing, especially when eaten cold! They’re the perfect combination of chocolate & mint, and the crisp cereal adds just the right crunch. We LOVE your vegan Thin Mint cookies but I don’t always have the time to bake them. These are quick, tasty, and truly satisfying. Thanks for a wonderful Back to School treat, Brandi! 😋
Yay! So happy you loved these Colleen! So good to hear from you and thank you so much for making them!
Made these tonight—what a tremendous hit! Also. we they went together really quickly.
I made these last night, and ate one just now. I knew they’d be good, so I doubled the batch and used an 8×8 pan. I cut them into 16 squares for “portion control”, although I could probably eat half the pan in one sitting. I loved how easy it was, and that I didn’t have to turn on the oven. I used peppermint extract, and these were perfectly minty, and I love the crunch. These would also be great as a holiday treat with some peppermint candy crushed on top. 😋
Wonderful Leah! I’m so happy to hear you loved them so much! You are so right, great holiday treat!
I’m trying to think of something healthy and vegan to take to my 50th class reunion. These cookies may be it! Or maybe your chickpea chicken salad. Recently I was traveling with a non vegan coworker and gave her a sandwich with the chickpea chicken salad. She loved it. Said she would have never known that it wasn’t chicken if I hadn’t told her. Your recipes are the best!!!
Hi Charlotte, oh I’m so happy to hear that, what wonderful feedback! Oh, for the reunion, I would probably skip these, as they are meant to stay in the fridge. They will start to soften at room temperature! I have a billion other desserts to choose from though, haha! Maybe the Iced Oatmeal Cookies? Or the Chocolate Coconut ones? The Chocolate Coconut ones are the most popular cookie recipe I have now and it’s loved by ALL, vegan or not!
https://thevegan8.com/2018/05/11/grain-free-chocolate-coconut-cookies/
I love how fun and easy these were to make – my kids liked to decorate their own little frankensteins! Such a great Halloween treat!
So glad you enjoyed them Sarah!
This is the second time I made these, except I made them into bite size balls. It’s easy and tasty.
I’m so happy you loved these!
First of all, these bars are so delicious & satisfying. I cut them into 6 bars & I think next time I’ll try 8. The cereal was a bit chewy at first, but it got crispy again after a couple of days. Not sure if it was operator error (me!) or if that’s just how it is. Also, I *know* I had mint extract, but I couldn’t find it. So I subbed almond extract & it was so good! They were so easy to make & came together quickly.