Chocolate Mousse Tart

8 servings
1 hr 10 min

Easy and elegant, this Chocolate Mousse Tart is as delicious, as it is pretty, all decked out in green. You may know this as a Grasshopper pie, but it is so much more with a rich chocolate crust, creamy chocolate mousse, topped with peppermint flavored whipped cream. It is so, so good.

Chocolate MousseTart

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All I can say is chocolate and peppermint are meant to be served together. This dessert is delicious anytime, but for us Irish folks this is our dream come true dessert to serve for St Patrick's Day with a perfect mint flavor!

But don't limit yourself to a special day, this tart is delicious anytime.

If you have been looking for a chocolate tart recipe this is one tasty bite of goodness. It is simply light and deliciously rich and starts with an easy-to-make chocolate tart crust. This recipe Chocolate Raspberry Tart uses the same crust with a vanilla pastry cream filling.


Try these other mint desserts


This Mint Fudge has two layers of chocolate and lots of crunchy peppermint candies. Or bake a batch of these Chocolate Peppermint Scones that are perfect for brunch or dessert. Both are perfect for Christmas.


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☘️Why you will love this tart


  • This tart is perfect for an everyday dessert, kids love the peppermint whipped cream, but this tart makes a stunning dessert for a party or family gathering.
  • This is a great make-ahead dessert, it can be stored in the fridge for a day or two before serving.
  • Decorate with shamrocks to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
  • Just add different garnishes on top to serve for other holiday desserts like Easter, Mother's Day, and Christmas.


More St. Patrick's Day recipes


I know you are going to want some more amazing St. Patrick's Day recipes.


  • We start our day off with these Irish Apple Cream Scones that take just 30 minutes to bake with a pat in the pan dough.
  • My girls loved making these Mint Sprinkle Cookies and would leave them out for the leprechauns. Everyone loves the surprise filling inside.
  • Now for the adult desserts, this Chocolate Stout Beer Cake feeds a crowd and has a creamy ganache drizzle.


📋Ingredients
Chocolate mint tart ingredients
Let's make a tart


The chocolate shortbread

Step 1. Prepare the chocolate tart crust in time to let it cool completely. You can even make this a day before you need to serve this tart.


Steps for making the chocolate filling

Step 2. Make the gelatin first. Add cold water to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top and stir to combine. Let sit for five minutes, then add boiling water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved. Set this aside.

Dissolve the gelatin

Step 3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl (or use a stand-mixer) Add the sugar and cocoa powder then mix this together. Then pour in the cold heavy cream and mix on medium speed until thick.

Step 4. Pour the dissolved gelatin into the chocolate mixture and mix on medium speed until incorporated. This is the chocolate mousse.

Add the cream
Add the gelatin

Step 5. Pour the mousse into the prepared chocolate tart shell.

Step 6. With a small spatula spread the mouse completely over the crust up to the sides.

Add the mousse to the tart shell
Spread the mousse

Making the Peppermint Whipped Cream

Step 7. Whip the cream by adding cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, peppermint oil, and green food coloring to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until thick and creamy.

Making the mint whipped cream
Fluffy mint whipped cream

Step 8. Pour the flavored whipped cream on top of the chocolate layer and spread with a spatula. To make decorating the tart easier, I like to score the top with a long knife so it is divided into serving slices.

Score the top of the tart
Score the top of the tart

Making whipped cream dollops

Step 9. In a large mixing bowl add cold heavy cream and mix on medium-high speed until thickened. Spoon large dollops of the whipped cream on top of the tart.

For those of you that have a piping bag, pipe the whipped cream on top and make some pretty rosettes!

Step 10. You can decorate the top in lots of ways, but I like to add Andes Mint Candies on top. And if I am feeling extra fancy I might add some sprigs of fresh mint leaves.

Decorate with Andes mints

Step 11. Refrigerate the tart for one hour before serving.

Since this tart is perfect for a grand St. Patrick's Day celebration, adding some fun green shamrock candies makes this tart extra colorful and festive.

A luscious peppermint tart

The combination of chocolate and mint is one of the most popular flavors in the world, they just complement each other. The mint flavor is refreshing when eaten with rich chocolate for a delightful taste sensation.


🎞️Here's a fun view
Mint Tart
Delicious variations


  • The white whipped cream on top can also be piped on with a pastry bag and a large piping tip to make pretty rosettes. For those who don't have that equipment, I like to show the dollops.
  • Garnish with York Peppermint Patties instead of the Andes Candies.
  • For Christmas, top it with crushed green candy canes, it's really pretty!
  • Change out the shamrock candies for colorful sprinkles.


Tart FAQ's


Do I need to use gelatin in the mousse?

If you are going to eat this tart immediately, you can skip the gelatin. Traditionally, gelatin is added to the mousse for stability and allows it to be firmer, and keeps the crust from getting soggy.

Do I need to take a tart out of the tart pan to serve?

No, that is not necessary as you can cut the tart in the pan, similar to a pie. However, using a removable bottom tart pan makes it easy to remove the rim of the tart pan, and then you get a prettier presentation.

Removing the tart pan rim.
Can I leave out the green food coloring in the topping?

Yes, the food coloring is optional. If you leave it out the tart will taste the same.


More tarts to bake and eat!

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Chocolate Tart Crust

Chocolate Ganache Tart

Pie Crust Cookies {With Jam}


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Recipe


First published: April 11, 2020, Last updated: February 24, 2023 for better readability.

Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say Hello or just let me know what you are baking these days, I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? My contact information is on my about page, and I’ll be happy to help.


About Jere'


From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.

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Recipe details
  • 8  servings
  • Prep time: 40 Minutes Cook time: 30 Minutes Total time: 1 hr 10 min
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Ingredients
Chocolate Tart Crust
  • 1 9-inch Chocolate Shortbread Crust
Chocolate Mousse and Peppermint Whipped Cream
  • 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 cups heavy cream divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon peppermint oil optionally, use 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1-2 drops Green food color Optional
  • Andes Mints optional garnish
  • Shamrock sprinkles optional garnish
Instructions

Prepare the chocolate tart shell and let it cool in the tart pan.
Chocolate Mousse
Add the cold water to a small bowl then sprinkle with the gelatin, stir well, then let sit for two minutes to soften.
Add the hot water over the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is dissolved and smooth. Set aside to let cool.
In a medium-sized bowl add the sugar and cocoa powder and stir until combined.
Add 1 cup of the cold whipping cream and vanilla to the bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes thick and creamy. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
Add the gelatin to the chocolate and mix on medium speed until the gelatin is mixed in. Pour the mousse into the prepared tart shell and spread it to the edges with a spatula.
Peppermint Whipped Cream
Pour 1 cup of cold whipping cream and the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Start mixing on low speed, then as the cream starts thickening turn the mixer up to medium then to medium-high speed, and beat until the cream has thickenedNote: If your mixer has whisk attachments then use those. You can also make the whipped cream in a stand mixer with the whisk.
Spread the whipped cream over the chocolate mousse.
Optional garnishes with unflavored whipped cream and candies
Make an unflavored white whipped cream by mixing 1 cup of chilled heavy cream in a medium-sized mixing bowl with an electric mixer.Score the top of the tart with a long knife into 8 wedges. With a spoon drop dollops of whipped on top of each wedge.
You can top the whipped cream with pieces of Andes Mint Candies or sprigs of mint. For a St. Patrick's Day dessert, sprinkle shamrock candy sprinkles on top of the mint dollops.
Storage
Cover the tart and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Tips
  • *You can make and bake the chocolate tart shell for up to two days before you fill it. Once it is baked and cooled, wrap the tart in foil.
  • *The completed tart can be made ahead of serving time and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to two days. Add any garnishes at serving time.
  • * Peppermint extract can be substituted for peppermint oil.
  • *This tart can also be made like a pie, using a plain crust pie dough, or a premade pie shell.
  • Try these Bailey's Chocolate Truffles for a delicious Irish Cream, St. Patrick's Day confection.
Jere Cassidy
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Comments
  • Brenda Brenda on Mar 10, 2023

    I have never seen shortbread crusts let alone chocolate ones. Any suggestions as to substitution or where to find?

    • See 3 previous
    • Cjk49506494 Cjk49506494 on Mar 12, 2023

      Readymade made chocolate graham cracker like crusts are at the Jewel stores her in the Midwest. That should work.

  • Judy Judy on Mar 10, 2023

    Sounds delicious. Will definitely do this for St. Patrick's Day. Thank you. One question...any real grasshoppers in this? Just checking. 😄

    • Jere Cassidy Jere Cassidy on Mar 10, 2023

      Oh, what a good idea for fun. Put a plastic grasshopper in this.


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