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These mint chocolate gelatin hearts set in the refrigerator while you get on with the rest of the day. Each one is a cool, softly springy bite with fresh mint and little pieces of homemade chocolate. The recipe uses 3 tablespoons of plain gelatin, homemade full-fat coconut milk, raw honey, and prepared chocolate chunks. It makes about 20 pieces, depending on the mold.

This is an occasional Later Full GAPS dessert, not an Introduction Diet recipe. The chocolate matters here: use pure organic cocoa in a separate homemade chocolate component, and save the finished hearts for after digestive symptoms have gone, as GAPS recommends for cocoa.

What These Hearts Are Like

The gelatin mixture is smooth and lightly sweet, with mint steeped into the warm coconut milk. The chocolate gives each piece a firmer bite and a more pronounced cocoa flavor. Because the chocolate is chopped before it goes in, you will see small dark pieces through the pale coconut mixture rather than a uniform chocolate color.

They are not hard candies, and they do not have the dense chew of concentrated gelatin gummies. Expect a tender set that holds its shape when cold. If you prefer squares to hearts, pour the mixture into a shallow glass dish and cut it after chilling.

A Small-Batch Dessert That Fits Real Kitchen Time

With six children, homeschooling before work, and a second-shift job, I plan food around the parts of the day I can actually use. A chilled dessert is handy because the refrigerator does the waiting. The hands-on steps are brief, and then the mixture can set while the kitchen moves on to dinner, homework, and the next round of dishes.

I also keep the GAPS stage in view before I make a treat. A recipe can use homemade ingredients and still belong much later in the program. These hearts contain cocoa, so they stay in the occasional Later Full GAPS category. They are not an early-stage snack or a substitute for the foods used during the Introduction Diet.

Ingredients And Helpful Notes

Homemade full-fat coconut milk: Use a prepared batch of hot-water homemade coconut milk. The richness can vary a little from batch to batch, so measure 13 to 15 fluid ounces after blending and straining.

Plain grass-fed beef gelatin: Choose unflavored gelatin that sets. Collagen peptides are a different product and will not set the mixture in the same way. Blooming the gelatin in cool water first helps it dissolve evenly instead of leaving dry pockets.

Fresh mint: A handful is enough to flavor the warm coconut milk. Use whole leaves so you can strain them cleanly, leaving no green flecks in the finished hearts.

Raw honey: For this GAPS version, use 2 tablespoons raw honey. Stir until no honey streaks remain before you strain the mint.

Prepared chocolate: Chop 3/4 cup of the separate honey-sweetened cocoa-butter chocolate chunks. The linked component makes chocolate separately, so you can measure the exact 3/4 cup this recipe needs. Do not swap in commercial chocolate chips, which may include ingredients outside this recipe’s list.

How To Make Mint Chocolate Gelatin Hearts

Bloom the gelatin. Put 1/4 cup cool filtered water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface and stir. In a few minutes it should thicken into a soft, spongy mass with no loose dry powder. If you see dry patches, stir them into the water before moving on.
Warm the coconut milk. Pour 13 to 15 fluid ounces of homemade full-fat coconut milk into a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat until steaming lightly and warm to the touch. Keep the milk warm rather than bubbling. It only needs enough heat to dissolve the gelatin.
Dissolve the gelatin, honey, and mint. Lower the heat. Add the bloomed gelatin, 2 tablespoons raw honey, and a handful of fresh mint leaves. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes. The liquid should look smooth, with no gelatin grains or honey threads on the spoon. Keep it warm without letting it bubble.
Chop the chocolate. While the mint steeps, chop 3/4 cup of the prepared chocolate chunks into small pieces. Aim for small pieces that will distribute through the hearts. Very fine crumbs can melt into the warm liquid and blur the dark chocolate flecks. Set them in a heat-safe bowl.
Strain the warm mixture. Set a fine-mesh strainer over the chocolate bowl. Pour the coconut mixture through it, catching the mint leaves. Press the leaves lightly with the back of a spoon to release the liquid clinging to them, then discard them.
Fill the molds. Stir the chocolate through the warm liquid once or twice, just enough to distribute the pieces. Spoon or pour into a clean silicone heart mold. If using a glass dish instead, spread the mixture evenly and plan to cut it after chilling. Let the mold cool briefly on the counter before moving it so it is easier to carry without spilling.
Chill until set. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. The center should feel set rather than liquid when you gently press it. If a larger mold still flexes or looks wet in the middle, give it more time.
Unmold and serve cold. Gently press each heart from the bottom of the silicone mold. If one sticks or bends, return the tray to the refrigerator for another 15 to 20 minutes. For the glass-dish version, loosen the edges with a thin spatula and cut into squares with a clean knife.

How This Recipe Fits Full GAPS

GAPS permits pure organic cocoa occasionally on Full GAPS once digestive symptoms are gone. That placement is why these are a later treat. The cocoa does not make the recipe appropriate for the Introduction Diet or for someone who has not reached that point in the GAPS program.

Use the homemade full-fat coconut milk and the honey-sweetened chocolate component linked above. Those links keep the ingredient choices clear and make it easier to prepare each part from its own recipe. The gelatin and mint mixture itself is simple, but the cocoa-containing chocolate is what determines the stage placement.

If someone at your table is not ready for cocoa, make a different snack that fits their current stage. Leaving out the chocolate would change the flavor and the formula. These hearts can wait for later.

Storage And Serving

Keep the hearts covered in the refrigerator and return them to cold storage after serving. They are easiest to handle while chilled. Set out only the amount you plan to serve, especially in a warm kitchen, because the soft gelatin texture becomes more delicate as it warms.

For a small gathering, the silicone mold makes individual pieces that are easy to portion. For an everyday snack, squares from a glass dish are faster to cut and do not require a special mold. Either way, wait until the center is fully set before lifting the pieces.

Deeper mold cavities can take longer than two hours. The chill time is a useful starting point, but check the middle before unmolding. A set center should hold together when pressed gently, instead of shifting like liquid under the surface.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned coconut milk?
No. Use homemade full-fat coconut milk for this GAPS version. The linked hot-water method gives you a separate recipe and a measured ingredient to use here.

Can I replace the chocolate chunks with chocolate chips?
Use the linked homemade honey-sweetened chocolate component. Commercial chips can contain ingredients that are not part of this formula.

Can I use stevia instead of honey?
Use the 2 tablespoons of raw honey listed above. Stevia is not part of this version.

Why did my hearts not set?
Check that you used plain gelatin that sets, measured the full 3 tablespoons, and allowed enough refrigerator time. The mixture should be smooth before it goes into the mold. If the center is still loose after 2 hours, keep chilling it.

Can I pour the mixture into a dish instead?
Yes. A shallow glass dish works if you want squares instead of hearts. Chill until firm, loosen the edges, and cut with a clean knife.

How many pieces does the recipe make?
About 20, though the count depends on the size and depth of your mold. A glass dish will also give a different number depending on how you cut it.

How far ahead can I make them?
Make them at least 2 hours before serving, then keep the covered tray in the refrigerator. Unmold just before serving.

When can I serve a cocoa dessert on GAPS?
GAPS places pure organic cocoa occasionally on Full GAPS once digestive symptoms are gone. Keep this recipe for that point in the program.

Equipment That Makes The Steps Easier

A small saucepan gives you room to stir the coconut milk without splashing. I use Le Creuset in Artichaut where a saucepan fits the job. A glass bowl holds the chopped chocolate, a fine-mesh strainer removes the mint, and a silicone heart mold makes the individual pieces. A shallow glass dish and thin spatula are simple alternatives if you prefer squares.

More Gelatin Treats For The Recipe Box

If your family likes having a few chilled snacks ready, the upcoming Gummies & Fruit Snacks Cookbook is planned to gather gelatin gummies and fruit snacks in one place. It will be listed in the WFLI Shop when it is ready. For another coconut-and-gelatin option, see Full GAPS Blueberry Lemon Gelatin Cups. That recipe uses cooked blueberries and lemon instead of mint and chocolate.