Recipe for Cream Cheese Mints

Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are a beloved holiday treat in our family. Now you can recreate them at home with just 5 ingredients and without even using your stovetop.

If you enjoy making your own holiday treats, such as Candied Pecans and Lemon Bars, then you’ll definitely love these melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese mints. They are perfect for satisfying your cravings for homemade candy.

Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Mints

If you have fond memories of enjoying these classic, creamy mint candies and letting them slowly melt in your mouth, then get ready to recreate that nostalgic experience. Today, we’ll be making them from scratch using a stand mixer.

Cream cheese mints have a sweet peppermint flavor that immediately brings to mind holiday charcuterie boards and Christmas dessert spreads. They are also suitable for Easter, baby showers, bridal showers, and weddings.

These adorable mint candies also make wonderful homemade gifts. You can wrap them up and give them to teachers, neighbors, and friends. The best part is that this recipe is hassle-free, and even kids can join in the fun. It’s that simple!

What Are Cream Cheese Mints?

Cream cheese mints, also known as wedding mints or buttermints, are creamy, melt-in-your-mouth candies. They are often shaped like little pillows and come in pastel colors. With only 5 ingredients, they are easy to make and perfect for sharing or gifting.

Ingredients

This recipe yields approximately 90-100 mints. However, if you prefer a smaller batch, you can halve the ingredients. Here’s a summary of what you’ll need, with the full measurements provided in the recipe card below:

Cream Cheese – It’s best to use full-fat cream cheese that comes in blocks, rather than spreadable tubs.
Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter. Make sure both the butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature before starting.
Powdered Sugar – Also known as confectioner’s sugar. You’ll need about 2 pounds, plus extra for pressing out the mints.
Salt – A pinch of fine sea salt helps to balance the sweetness.
Peppermint Extract – Be sure to use food-grade “pure peppermint extract,” not essential oils.
Food Coloring – This is optional. Use gel food dye for best results, as a little goes a long way.

Pro Tip: If you prefer to measure your powdered sugar with a kitchen scale, 4 cups of powdered sugar is roughly equal to 1 pound.

How to Soften Cream Cheese Quickly?

We’ve all been in a situation where a recipe calls for room-temperature ingredients, but we forgot to take the cream cheese or butter out of the fridge ahead of time. Don’t worry, here’s a quick method to speed-soften your cream cheese and butter:

Method: Start by cutting the cold blocks of cream cheese and butter into small pieces. Then, cover them with plastic wrap and let them sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes until they become soft.

How to Make Cream Cheese Mints

Making homemade cream cheese mints is a breeze using a stand mixer. However, if you don’t have one, don’t worry. You can still make them with a hand-held mixer, although it may take a bit longer and require some extra effort when the dough becomes thick.

Here’s the process for preparing the dough mixture:

Combine – Start by beating together the cream cheese and butter in the mixer. Then, add two cups of powdered sugar and mix on medium/low speed until well combined. Finally, add the peppermint extract.
Mix – With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining powdered sugar one heaping tablespoon at a time, making sure each addition is well incorporated. If the dough seems sticky, add more powdered sugar until you achieve your desired consistency. Once the dough is ready, you can choose to color your mints or proceed with shaping them.

Pro Tip: To prevent cracks in the dough, make sure to beat the mixture adequately, allowing the powdered sugar to fully blend with the cream cheese and peppermint extract. We recommend beating for an extra 2 minutes after the dough is combined. This will result in creamier mints with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and smoother edges.

Coloring Cream Cheese Mints

If you want to add some color to your mints, separate portions of the dough into separate bowls for each color. Stir in gel food coloring to achieve your desired color intensity. Start with just one drop or even less if you prefer light pastel colors (you can add a small amount using a toothpick). Remember, you can always add more color if you want a deeper shade.

Pro Tip: Gel food coloring works best as it has a thicker consistency that won’t thin out the dough. It’s also highly concentrated. Start with one drop at a time or even less if you want light pastel colors (use a toothpick to add a small smear of color at a time). You can always add more if you prefer deeper-colored mints.

Shaping the Mints

Once your dough is prepared and colored, the next step is shaping the mints, which is incredibly easy:

Roll the Dough – Take a portion of the dough (about 1/4 of it) and roll it into small balls, approximately one teaspoon in size. A small cookie scoop comes in handy for this. Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Work in batches and keep the remaining dough covered to prevent it from drying out.
Press – Dip a fork into powdered sugar to prevent sticking, and gently press the tops of the rolled mints with the prongs of the fork. This will give them their signature shape. Repeat this process for the remaining dough.
Dry – Leave the shaped mints to dry uncovered at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Once dry, you can store them in the refrigerator or freeze them for longer storage. Detailed instructions for make-ahead and storage are provided below.