Celebrate South Africa's beloved Peppermint Crisp pudding as we uncover the delectable verdict in our Taste Test comparing the homemade goodness with store-bought convenience.
When it comes to South Africa’s most beloved desserts, Peppermint Crisp pudding undoubtedly takes the top spot.
The uniquely South African pudding can be described as a bite of nostalgia. Whether it’s the OG version with its delightful combination of creamy caramel mousse layers, crunchy coconut biscuits, and the iconic Peppermint Crisp chocolate bar you lust after, or a caramel Peppermint Crisp-inspired twist, this dessert is iconic and a true indulgence.
READ: The surprising history of Peppermint Crisp tart and tips to make a great one
What wins this pudding even more favour is that it is seriously easy to make – you only really need four ingredients. The hardest thing about making a Peppermint Crisp pudding is probably having the patience to let it set. But having said that, store-bought Peppermint Crisp pudding is far better than having no Peppermint Crisp pudding at all.
So, we decided to embark on a delicious journey to compare our favourite homemade version of this delectable treat with two popular store-bought alternatives to see if homemade trumps convenience when it comes to Peppermint Crisp pudding.
ALSO READ: How to make deconstructed Peppermint Crisp pudding
For this Taste Test, we looked to only compare store-bought Peppermint Crisp puddings that offered a standardised formula throughout South Africa, so no in-house retail bakery offerings were compared, as they might vary from store to store.
Results
In the battle of the Peppermint Crisp puddings, it came as no shock that the homemade version stood tall, winning both in taste and authenticity. While store-bought options may offer convenience, there is something truly special about creating this iconic dessert in your own kitchen.
So, whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice cook, it’s time to whip up some homemade Peppermint Crisp pudding and savour the magic of a South African classic this Heritage Day!
1. Homemade Peppermint Crisp pudding
For the Taste Test, we used a classic Peppermint Crisp pudding recipe and a disposable container to conceal its humble homemade origins.
Tasters all found that the caramel mousse layers were perfectly sweet but had a good depth of flavour to them, but the winning factor was really the Peppermint Crisp flavour that the sample delivered.
Tasters also noted that the sample had a generous amount of Peppermint Crisp chunks dispersed throughout the layers – creating a truly authentic Peppermint Crisp experience!
Comments tasters left: “Peppermint taste came through, the mousse was not too sweet and it was light,” and “Nice amount of peppermint chocolate in it, and the caramel is perfect,” and “Delicious! Nice chunks of Peppermint Crisp chocolate in it and good flavour depth to the caramel mousse layer. Overall, it is just heavenly – I think this has to be homemade!”
2. Peppermint Caramel Dessert from Woolworths
“South African dessert with coconut biscuit, caramel mousse and peppermint-flavoured crackle chocolate.”
Coming in second spot was the Peppermint Caramel Dessert from Woolworths. While the caramel mousse was creamy and the coconut biscuit base was buttery, tasters found that it did not offer that iconic Peppermint Crisp flavour.
Comments tasters left: “It’s delicious but not very peppermint-y,” and “Really good flavour to the airy caramel mousse layer but lacks that Peppermint Crisp flavour. Coconut biscuit base has a good buttery flavour but is quite crumbly… It’s a delicious caramel dessert but I wouldn’t say it’s Peppermint Crisp pudding.”
Cost: R109.99 for 420g (serves 4–6)
3. The Menu Peppermint Crunch from Checkers
“Layers of caramel mousse, Nestle Peppermint Crisp and crushed cocoa biscuits.”
As with the store-bought option from Woolworths, tasters were left longing for that Peppermint Crisp flavour after tasting this sample.
Tasters also weren’t sold on the chocolate biscuit layers: some found them to be soggy, which affected the texture of the pudding, while others found the chocolate flavour overpowered the other flavours.
Comments tasters left: “Very subtle hint of Peppermint Crisp but the chocolate biscuit base overpowers everything. Tastes more like a caramel pudding with Romany Cream biscuits; a nice caramel layer but just missing that Peppermint Crisp flavour burst,” and “This one is average; the base tastes stale and very sweet and has no peppermint flavour,” and “Leans more towards a different dessert.”
Cost: R99.99 for 450g (serves 4–6)
Prices correct at time of publishing
Peppermint Crisp-inspired recipes to try:
1. Peppermint Crisp thumbprint cookies
2. Peppermint Crisp French toast bites
3. Caramel Peppermint Crisp cake
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The rules of Food24 Taste Tests:
– All tasters tasted and scored all samples. Each individual taster’s preference impacts the score they give.
– The samples were tested without packaging and were not easily identifiable.
– The samples were not labelled and were tasted in random order.
– This article is not sponsored in any way, and Food24 was not paid to come to any particular result.
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