This No-Bake Dessert Gives An Old-School Treat A Holiday Twist

No-bake desserts are an absolute savior when you need a quick afternoon activity to keep youngsters entertained. With no need to turn on the oven, everyone can safely get involved in rustling up classics like icebox cakes or no-churn ice cream. Many of these favorites can be given a holiday twist with the addition of peppermint. However, few desserts can beat one that is studded with festive candy canes and chewy with marshmallow. That's because chocolate peppermint bars are a scrumptious spin on old-school Rice Krispies treats, and they can be assembled in minutes.

Rice Krispies treats are made by stirring puffed rice into a mixture of melted marshmallows and butter. To lend them a holiday feel, simply sub the plain rice for Cocoa Krispies and add a dash of peppermint extract to your melted marshmallow mixture. Next, stir through some crushed candy canes or sprinkle them over the top as they set to give the bars an interesting texture and maximize their cooling character. The awesome thing about this technique is that there's plenty of room for experimentation. For instance, if you don't have any Cocoa Krispies on hand, the best cereal substitutes for regular Rice Krispies treats include Chex and cornflakes. A spoonful of hot chocolate powder will jazz up your plain Rice Krispies treats and imbue them with a rich chocolatey personality too (use mint-flavored hot chocolate if you don't have mint extract available). Additionally, feel free to drizzle over melted chocolate for a delectable finish.

Peppermint and chocolate make a classic pairing because of their contrasting nature. While the latter is smooth, complex, and warming, the former is cooling and fresh, which provides the perfect counterbalance. This combination is best exemplified in treats like peppermint barks, mochas, and fudge, but is also found in layered no-bake bars that are similar in appearance and texture to the Canadian Nanaimo bar. An incredible way to riff off this recipe, which features a chocolatey biscuit base, a set custard middle, and a layer of melted chocolate, is to add peppermint extract to either the custard or the final topping. 

As the custard is made by beating together sugar, cream, and butter, there's no baking involved whatsoever (but you will need your stovetop); it's just a case of preparing each layer and assembling them in a tin. You could easily nix the custard powder if preferred, sub the biscuits for your favorite variety, or use a shortbread base if you're up for a little light baking. Adding a drop of food coloring to the filling is a quick way to provide some distinctive visual appeal while signaling the flavor of the bars to any hungry folks craving a sweet holiday pick-me-up. For a final, fancy flourish, you could even scatter some mint sugar over the bars before the chocolate sets (simply bash some fresh mint leaves and sugar in a pestle and mortar until the sugar turns a festive green).