If you are South African, you know and love the combination of caramel and peppermint crisp chocolate. If you're not South African, keep reading because this Peppermint Crisp Tart is about to change your life.
I have had countless variations of this creamy dessert, one better than the next! This version is made in a pie dish and is actually frozen making it the perfect summertime dessert. I have topped it with fresh bananas, whipped cream, and extra chocolate, of course!
If you are looking to tick off other South African dessert recipes, try this recipe for Malva Pudding, this one for Milk Tart, or this recipe for a Caramel and Peppermint Crisp Trifle.
Ingredients
You will need the basic ingredients listed below to make this Peppermint Tart. Remember always to use fresh quality ingredients.
- Tennis biscuits
- Unsalted butter
- Whipping cream
- Nestlé caramel treat
- Peppermint Crisp
- Bananas
- Cherries
Tennis biscuits - These coconut biscuits are a South African staple. A simple thin tea biscuit flavored with coconut, syrup, and butter. If you can't get hold of these biscuits choose to use plain digestive biscuits or graham crackers mixed with some desiccated coconut.
Whipping cream - make sure when choosing your cream that you are buying a cream that can be whipped. It needs to have a high enough fat content for whipping, about 33%. In other countries, this cream would be called double cream or heavy cream.
Nestle caramel treat - this is a tinned dulce de leche if you are unable to find it on shelves. Then make your own by boiling tins of condensed milk, as it is basically caramelised condensed milk.
Peppermint crisp bars- there is no alternative really for this chocolate bar! But if you can't find it then look for milk chocolate with a peppermint flavored center, like a mint Aero or Cadbury mint crisp. Don't choose peppermint chocolate with a running center though.
Bananas and cherries - these are entirely optional and not traditional to a peppermint crisp tart, I just love the combination of bananas and caramel!
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the simple instructions below to make this South African classic dessert.
STEP 1: Make the crust. In a food processor blend the biscuits until they are fine crumbs. Melt the butter in the microwave and combine the two. Press the biscuit mixture into a loose bottom tart tin.
STEP 2: Whip cream. Add the cream to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at medium speed until soft peaks form.
STEP 3: Add the caramel. Loosen the caramel treat with a fork in a small mixing bowl and then add it to the fresh cream, reserving ¼ cup for decorating. Beat again until well combined and whipped to stiff peaks.
STEP 3: Fold through chocolate and biscuits. Using a rubber spatula, fold through the crushed biscuits and chopped chocolate into the whipped caramel cream mixture. Pour the mixture over the biscuit shell. Dot the remainder of the caramel mixture on top of the tart and swirl it through with a skewer.
STEP 4: Freeze. Cover the tart with tin foil and place the dessert into the freezer, and allow the tart to set for about 4 hours or overnight.
STEP 5: Decorate. Once the tart has frozen, decorate it with extra fresh whipped cream, chopped peppermint crisp chocolate pieces, sliced bananas, and cherries. Slice and serve immediately.
Hint: Cold cream is easier to whip than room temperature cream, so leave the cream in the fridge until you are ready.
Variations
The flavor of this dessert depends on the biscuits, caramel, and chocolate. Together their combination makes this a classic South African dessert. If you can't find these exact ingredients you can still make this dessert, have a look at the ingredient notes above for how to substitute each.
Equipment
You don't need any fancy equipment to make this dessert, I have chosen to use an electric stand-mixer to whip the cream but you can use a hand-held mixer or a hand whisk to do the same job!
If you don't have a loose bottom tart tin, you can make this dessert in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and slice it to serve.
Storage
Store any leftover tart in the freezer. Make sure to cover the tart in plastic wrap or in an airtight freezer-friendly container. The tart will keep in the freezer for about 2 months.
Top tips
- Use fresh ingredients
- Do not overwhip the cream, you want the cream to be smooth and silky not clumpy.
- Make sure you freeze the tart for long enough before serving
- Do not leave the tart out for long in the sun as it will melt.
This recipe combines the best of ice cream and the best of fridge tarts. I love how every bite surprises you with peppermint crisp chunks, swirls of caramel, and pieces of crunchy biscuits.
I hope you give this traditional South African Peppermint Crisp Tart recipe a try - it really is a favorite in so many South African households! It is really easy to make and tastes incredible.
if you give this recipe a try please let me know what you think of it by leaving a star rating and comment below!
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Peppermint Crisp Tart
Equipment
- 1x loose-bottom tin 24cm (9-inch) diameter
Ingredients
Peppermint Crisp Tart
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 1 tin Nestle caramel treat
- 400 grams tennis biscuits
- 150 grams unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 peppermint crisp bar
Toppings
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 250 ml whipping cream
- 2 peppermint crisp bars
Instructions
- In a food processor blend 300grams of tennis biscuits until they are fine crumbs. Melt the butter in the microwave and combine the two. Press the biscuit mixture into a loose bottom tart tin.
- Add the cream to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Loosen the caramel treat with a fork in a small mixing bowl and then add it to the fresh cream, reserving ¼ cup for decorating. Beat again until well combined and whipped to stiff peaks.
- Roughly chop the rest of the biscuits and cop the balance of the chocolate.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold through the rest of the biscuits and chopped chocolate into the whipped caramel cream mixture. Pour the mixture over the biscuit shell. Dot the remainder of the caramel mixture on top of the tart and swirl it through with a skewer.
- Cover the tart with tin foil and place the dessert into the freezer, and allow the tart to set for about 4 hours or overnight.
- Once the tart has frozen, decorate it with extra fresh whipped cream, chopped peppermint crisp chocolate pieces, and sliced bananas. Slice and serve immediately.
Nutrition
FAQ
To make your own caramel to use in this recipe, boil a tin of condensed milk for two hours in a large pan. Always make sure the tin is covered with water otherwise it may explode. Allow the tin to cool completely before opening.
For this recipe, you can make a marie biscuit or graham cracker crust but add desiccated coconut to the crushed biscuits. For this recipe add ¼ cup of desiccated coconut.
Juliet says
Came out great. Only thing I changed was chilling it overnight in the freezer instead of the fridge
withlovekitty2020 says
Hi Juliet! I'm go glad you loved this recipe, definitely one of my favourites 🙂