Coffee-mate® natural bliss® Five-Ingredient Peppermint Mocha Mousse #peppermint #mocha #mousse #holidaydessert #coffeematerecipe

The last-minute rush to Christmas is officially on -- only a few days left to finish all of your holiday prep! The recipe I'm sharing today is perfect if you need to make a quick, no-bake holiday dessert that can be prepared a day -- or even two -- ahead of time. It's true! My Five-Ingredient Peppermint Mocha Mousse features a secret ingredient...and it's so creamy and decadent that no one will know how incredibly easy it is to make. My secret ingredient? Versatile Coffee-mate® seasonal Dark Chocolate Peppermint natural bliss® coffee creamer! It lends its peppermint mocha flavors and creaminess to this light-as-air mousse. I love using the natural bliss® line of creamers in my coffee and desserts -- they're made with real milk and cream sourced from cows that aren't treated with added growth hormones. Their all-natural, non-GMO Dark Chocolate Peppermint creamer is flavored with cocoa and peppermint extract...and zero hard-to-pronounce additives!

All it takes is five simple ingredients and about 10 minutes to whip up this streamlined mousse. Then, it chills in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. Just before serving, each serving is topped with fluffy whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed peppermint for a fun, festive holiday presentation! This mousse is the perfect dessert for your upcoming Christmas Eve or Christmas Day family meal. The versatile mousse can also be served in small shot glasses for a fun addition to the dessert table at more informal holiday parties. Either way, the mousse is creamy and  delicious...featuring a harmonic blend of chocolate, peppermint, and coffee flavors!

Five-Ingredient Peppermint Mocha Mousse

adapted from Coffee-mate®

Ingredients (four dessert servings or approx. 15 shot glass-sized servings):

• 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup Coffee-mate® natural bliss® Dark Chocolate Peppermint creamer
• 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1 tsp. instant espresso crystals dissolved in 2 tbs. hot water
• 8 ounce tub extra creamy frozen whipped topping, thawed [NOTE: can substitute 1 cup heavy cream whipped with 1/4 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks]
• For garnish: whipped cream and crushed peppermint candy

Directions:

Step 1: Add the chocolate chips and natural bliss® Dark Chocolate Peppermint creamer to a microwave-safe measuring cup or small bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then whisk to incorporate the ingredients into a thin ganache -- microwave for an additional 30 seconds if the chips aren't completely melted after 1 minute. Add the peppermint extract and espresso, then whisk again to combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the chocolate ganache to cool off and thicken a bit.

Step 2: Add the thawed whipped topping to a large mixing bowl OR make the whipped cream. Add the cooled chocolate ganache and fold into the whipped topping/whipped cream. Fold until there are no white streaks in the mousse. Step 3: For dessert-size servings, spoon the mousse into four clear serving cups. For smaller shot glass servings, spoon the mousse into a pastry bag or large ziptop plastic bag with the corner snipped. Pipe the mousse into each shot glass. Cover the mousse with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of chopped peppermint candy.

See? Totally easy! If peppermint mocha is your go-to holiday coffee beverage, you'll go crazy for this fluffy mousse. The coffee flavor is definitely present and perfectly complements the chocolate, but it doesn't overwhelm the peppermint flavor. Not a coffee fan? Simply leave out the espresso and let the chocolate and peppermint take center stage. 

I'm thinking the versatile mousse would also make a fabulous pie filling added to a crust of peppermint-flavored chocolate sandwich cookies. No matter how you serve it...I hope you'll give this simple, flavorful mousse a try and let me know what you think. It's one of my favorite recipes I've shared this entire year!

Disclosure: Coffee mate® provided me with a selection of their creamers, including natural bliss®, to facilitate holiday recipe development. All opinions expressed are solely my own.