Recently at a family gathering we were discussing how simple weddings were years ago when you would have finger sandwiches, punch, peanuts and mints. When I was younger butter mints made an appearance at every party, wedding or baby shower. After talking about butter mints, I immediately began craving those creamy, melt in your mouth mints.
These mints were always my family’s favorite holiday candy recipe. This could be because of the melt in your mouth creaminess or perhaps the sweet peppermint taste. One of the reasons these mints are my favorites is the fact that this is the easiest candy recipe to make ever. Also If stored in airtight container, they can be frozen for a several months.
These little homemade cream cheese mints always make me feel just a small bit nostalgic for the 70’s. Growing up, I remember going to baby and wedding showers and I would head straight to the food table to sneak away handfuls of these sweet little bites of goodness. I would then hide in the corner so the adults in the room could not see me with no self-control.
These mints are creamy and sweet. They can be flavored with peppermint, spearmint, vanilla, almond, butter flavoring – really any food flavoring will do. Also you can make them into any color using the gel food coloring of your choice. .
This is such a straightforward recipe. You only need 5 ingredients:
- Cream cheese. I prefer to use Philadelphia cream cheese as it yields a super creamy mint. It is very important that you bring the cream cheese to room temperature I like to set mine out an hour before I begin making the mints. Make sure to use a brick-style cream cheese and not a spreadable type of cream cheese (that comes in a tub).
- Butter. I prefer Land O Lakes Butter because it has always been my favorite to bake with. I have learned that the generic butter contains a higher water content. It adds a nice creaminess to the texture.
- Powdered Sugar. This is what will make your mints hold their shape. You will be using a lot of powdered sugar. The “dough” will need to be very stiff.
- Mint Extract. I much prefer to use “peppermint” extract, but you can also use spearmint extract. I recommend that you start with just a ½ teaspoon of extract at a time and then increase if desired/as needed. If you are not a a fan of mint, you can play around with other flavors and extracts, too!
- Vanilla Extract. I find that this helps enhance the mint flavor and adds an incredibly tasty but subtle depth of flavor.
- One last ingredient you might like to use is food coloring. I recommend using a gel food coloring as it yields vibrant colors. Whichever you prefer is fine (and of course you can leave out the color entirely).
These old fashioned Cream Cheese Mints are the best you will ever try! Also this incredibly easy recipe yields the most delicious, luscious, melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese mints around. This recipe is super simple as they can be made in a matter of minutes.
Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Butter Mints
Course: Candy, DessertsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy50
servings15
minutes2
hours2
hoursThese mints are totally irresistible. They’re sweet, creamy, and will absolutely melt in your mouth. I guarantee they won’t last long in your house!
Ingredients
8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
2-pound bag of powdered/confectioners sugar
4 tablespoon salted butter, softened
2 teaspoon peppermint extract – you may use more or less to your taste
Food coloring gels in assorted colors
Directions
- Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Start adding powdered sugar a cup at a time until you reach the consistency of play dough. This can be slightly less than a 2-pound bag of powdered sugar. The dough should become very stiff. Pause periodically to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is very well-combined. If the dough is sticky at all, keep adding powdered sugar.
- Add two teaspoons of mint extract and a teaspoon of vanilla and mix to incorporate. I recommend that you add a 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Taste the dough to see if you have the minty taste that you prefer. Add more flavoring if desired.
- If using food coloring: If using just one color you can use your electric mixer to beat the color into the dough. If you would like to do several colors, place equal portions of the dough into separate bowls. Add desired food coloring and mix until well incorporated.
- Roll mixture into small balls, and place on parchment paper. Flatten with a fork dipped in confectioners’ sugar and let sit at room temperature to firm up for several hours, then transfer cream cheese mints to the refrigerator until ready to serve!
How to Store Cream Cheese Mints:
Once your mints are prepped and firm, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks or in the freezer (in an airtight container) for several months.
