Elevate your Christmas dessert game with these Dairy Free Holiday Chocolate Mendiants! These beautiful homemade chocolate treats are so fun and easy to make using dairy-free chocolate chips and a mix of festive toppings. Easy to customize, gluten-free, and free of added sugars and artificial food dyes, these no-bake holiday treats are perfect for gifting or enjoying with loved ones.
Table of contents
Dairy Free Holiday Chocolate Mendiants Recipe
Mendiants are a classic French holiday confection, traditionally made with tempered chocolate shaped into discs and topped with an assortment of seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. Inspired by this elegant treat, my recipe is dairy-free, using vegan chocolate chips paired with a variety of seasonal garnishes.
Although they look so luxurious and impressive, mendiants are really simple to make — no fancy skills or tempering required! It’s such a fun and easy activity that the whole family can enjoy making these chocolate creations together. You hardly even need a recipe. Just melt the chocolate, pipe it, and decorate!
These dairy-free chocolate mendiants are highly customizable and super versatile. You can get creative with your favorite toppings to craft unique designs and flavor combinations. While I’ll share what I used below, there’s no right or wrong way to make these festive treats. They’re easy to tailor to allergies or dietary needs, making them perfect for everyone to indulge. Feel free to experiment and create your own special chocolate candies with the toppings you love most!
Looking for more gluten and dairy-free chocolate treats for the holidays? Try my Crinkle Cookies, Gluten Free Yule Log, Vegan Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs, or the best ever Gluten Free Chocolate Cake!
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for recommended ingredient quantities.
- dairy free chocolate chips – I used the Pascha brand vegan chocolate chips. Use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips, whether it’s dark, semi-sweet, or bitter-sweet.
- dairy free white chocolate chips – I used the Pascha brand vegan white chocolate chips.
- sesame seeds – I used both white and black sesame seeds.
- slivered almonds
- sprinkles – I used these Into the Woods sprinkles from Supernatural. They’re gluten-free, vegan, soy-free, and dye-free.
- freeze-dried raspberries
- pumpkin seeds
- Maldon salt – or any brand of sea salt flakes or fleur de sel.
- dried cranberries
- candied ginger – or use crystallized ginger.
- pecans
Ingredient Substitutions
- See the Tips & Tricks for more topping suggestions.
- AIP Modifications: You can make these mendiants Modified AIP-compliant using compliant dairy-free chocolate chips like this Hu Kitchen Gems chocolate made with only cacao, coconut sugar, and cocoa butter. Avoid nuts and toppings with added refined sugar like candied fruits, but seeds, dried fruits, and freeze-dried fruits are all ok.
How to Make Dairy Free Holiday Chocolate Mendiants
Step 1. Prepare the Toppings
Chop up larger ingredients like nuts, candied ginger, etc. as needed.
Step 2. Melt the Chocolate Chips
In separate bowls, melt the dairy-free chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, mixing in between.
Step 3. Transfer Chocolate to Piping Bags
Place piping bags in a glass with the ends folded over the top of the glass. Pour in the melted chocolate and secure with a rubber band.
Step 4. Form the Chocolate Discs
Pipe the chocolate circles about 1 inch wide onto a parchment-lined baking tray. Tap the tray against the counter top to flatten the discs. Work a few at a time so the chocolate doesn’t begin to set.
Step 5. Add Toppings
Decorate as desired with assorted toppings while chocolate is still warm.
Step 6. Set the Chocolates
Allow the mendiants to cool and set at room temperature or in the fridge or freezer.
Step 7. Serve
Once mendiants are set, remove from the parchment paper. Serve and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Prepping Toppings
Chop larger toppings like nuts or dried fruits into smaller pieces for better proportion, depending on the size of your mendiants. You can also toast nuts first for a few minutes for a warmer flavor.
Have all toppings measured and ready before shaping the rounds since the chocolate sets quickly.
Melted Chocolate Consistency
You don’t need to temper the chocolate using a double boiler method or check the temperature with a candy thermometer. Instead, melt the chocolate slowly and reduce the melting time to 10-15 seconds per interval as needed to ensure you don’t overheat it.
If the melted chocolate is too runny, cool it in the fridge so it thickens a bit or add more chocolate chips and whisk with a fork until combined.
If the chocolate hardens, warm the piping bag under hot water. Ensure no water gets in the bag, and squeeze the chocolate along inside the bag until it becomes a smoother, pourable consistency. Alternatively, remelt the chocolate in shorter intervals in the microwave.
Shaping the Mendiants
The elegant yet rustic beauty of mendiants means you don’t need to make perfect circles. If you want to make them uniform, use a macaron mat or trace circles on the underside of the parchment paper, or use round cookie cutters as a guide.
Alternatively, instead of piping, spoon melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread it into a smooth, flat circle with the back of the spoon.
Customize Toppings
Mix and match toppings for endless combinations of colors, textures, and flavors — salty, sweet, warm, nutty, citrusy, fruity, floral! Get creative and experiment to suit your preferred aesthetic or dietary requirements. Some additional ideas for toppings include:
- Dried fruits: figs, raisins, apricots
- Nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts
- Seeds: hemp, sunflower, poppy, and chia seeds
- Freeze-dried fruits: blueberries, strawberries, passionfruit
- Coconut: shredded coconut or coconut flakes (toasted)
- Citrus: candied orange peels or lime, lemon, or orange zest
- Warm Ground Spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, mace
- Extras: cacao nibs, edible flowers, crushed herbs
However, I don’t recommend using fresh fruit as it introduces moisture and can affect the chocolate’s texture.
Seasonal Variations
Although this is a traditional French Christmas dessert, you can make these mendiants for any special occasion (or at anytime) using seasonal ingredients. For a no-bake summer treat, use ingredients like dried mango, banana, papaya, or cherries. For Valentine’s Day, top with vibrant red toppings or dye white chocolate red. Or, change the shape and make hearts, or use stars and other shapes for other occasions.
Dye the Chocolate
Customize the colors and add flavor by dyeing melted white chocolate. Make natural dyes with finely crushed freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries (red), beet juice or beet powder (deep reddish-purple), matcha powder (green), finely crushed freeze-dried passionfruit (yellow) or finely crushed freeze-dried blueberries (blue). For more homemade natural food dyes, check out my Grain Free Mini Donuts recipe.
To make 6 colored mendiants, melt 1/2 cup white chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix about 1-2 TBSP of melted white chocolate with about 1/4 tsp of the food colorant. Add more natural food dye as necessary to achieve the desired color, mixing until the color is even and there are no clumps. Then, mix the small-batch into the rest of the melted white chocolate.
Work in Batches
Work quickly as the chocolate can start to cool and set quickly. Make about 2-4 circles or even do one at a time and add toppings before the chocolate sets.
Gifting
Their stunning appearance and easy customization make these mendiants a thoughtful and delicious gift. To package these edible gifts, wrap them in cellophane and tie with ribbon, stack them in mason jars topped with a decorative bow, or arrange in small decorative gift boxes or cookie tins. Add a personalized note and list the toppings.
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend making these mendiants with melted carob chips to make them comply with Core AIP. If you’re looking for some Core AIP chocolate treats, try these Peppermint Patty Cupcakes, Paleo Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Paleo Crinkle Cookies, or Baked Chocolate Donuts.
Of course! You can customize your toppings as needed. Simply omit nuts or any other topping and use whatever ingredients you like. See the Tips & Tricks for some ideas.
Storage Information
- Room Temperature: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.
- Fridge: Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing these dairy free holiday chocolate mendiants.
As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free desserts that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. I think you’ll love my Dairy Free Holiday Chocolate Mendiants! They’re just as delightful as classic French mendiants, using dairy free chocolate and traditional toppings like nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.
Print
Dairy Free Holiday Chocolate Mendiants Recipe
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 mendiants 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Dairy-Free Holiday Chocolate Mendiants are so easy and fun to make! They feature rich, vegan chocolate topped with festive combinations of nuts, dried fruits, and seeds. These easy no-bake treats are gluten-free and free of added sugars and artificial dyes. They’re customizable and perfect for holiday dessert spreads or gifting!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dairy-free brown chocolate chips
- 1 cup dairy-free white chocolate chips
- 3 TBSP sesame seeds
- 3 TBSP slivered almonds
- 3 TBSP gluten free sprinkles
- 3 TBSP freeze-dried raspberries
- 3 TBSP pumpkin seeds
- 2 TBSP Maldon salt
- 3 TBSP dried cranberries
- 3 TBSP candied ginger
- 3 TBSP pecans
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Chop larger toppings into smaller pieces as needed. Ensure all toppings are prepped and ready for use.
- Melt white and brown chocolate chips separately in microwave-safe bowls in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each interval.*
- Transfer melted chocolate into separate piping bags or resealable plastic bags (Ziploc bags) with the corner snipped off. Twist to tighten the bags and secure with a rubber band if preferred.
- Pipe chocolate rounds about 1 inch wide onto the parchment paper, spacing them a few inches apart.** Tap the tray on the counter to flatten the discs.
Work in batches of about 2-4 rounds at a time, or make as few or many as you can before the chocolate begins to set. - Sprinkle or place desired toppings on top the chocolate while it is still warm. Gently press toppings so they set in the chocolate without sinking in.
- Allow mendiants to cool and set at room temperature or place in the fridge or freezer for 5-15 minutes or until set.***
Notes
2 cups of chocolate chips make about 24 mendiants. Make more or less mendiants as desired, using the ratio as a guide. Depending on the number of toppings you use, set aside about 2-4 TBSP of each.
*See the Tips & Tricks for instructions on optionally coloring the chocolate with natural food dyes.
**Alternatively, scoop out melted chocolate onto the parchment paper with a spoon then swirl into a flat circle with the back of the spoon.
***I didn’t need to chill the mendiants to set as they cooled and set quickly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Leave a Reply