The BEST cream cheese mints are creamy, perfectly minty and melt-in-your mouth. This easy recipe is the perfect old-fashioned treat, popular for holidays, wedding and baby showers.
Cream cheese mints are an easy candy recipe that’s perfect for the holidays. I love to make them red and green over Christmas, or with pastel colors for Easter. They taste minty, creamy and deliciously sweet. Almost like a peppermint-infused cream cheese frosting. Unlike so many other candy recipes, like Chocolate Fudge and Peanut Brittle, there’s no candy thermometer required. So they’re also very easy to make.
Easy, creamy and deliciously minty – these cream cheese mints are a delicious homemade candy.
What do Cream Cheese Mints Taste Like?
These mints are creamy and sweet. They can be flavored with peppermint like we did in this recipe, or you could use vanilla, orange or any extract you like to change the flavor for the season.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Mints
There are only a few ingredients required for this recipe – but each one is important. I’ve noted any substitutions, and what to watch out for when grocery shopping.
- Cream cheese –Â Make sure to use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese instead of lite, whipped or spreadable. You need to use the brick-style cream cheese in order for the mints to set properly.
- Unsalted butter – Salted works too if that’s all you have on hand.
- Powdered sugar – give or take a little. Powdered sugar often gets lumpy, so I do recommend sifting it first to avoid any lumps.
- Peppermint extract – It’s really up to you depending on how minty you like your cream cheese mints.
- A few drops of food coloring –Â I like to use gel food coloring because it packs a bigger punch with the color, but you don’t need to make a separate grocery trip for it if you don’t have any on hand.
Note: Some recipes for cream cheese mints using peppermint oil instead of peppermint extract. This recipe uses peppermint extract. If you’re using peppermint oil – only use 1-3 drops. It is very concentrated, so if you use 1/2 teaspoon the mints will be way too strong.
Making Your Mints
This recipe is very straight forward. You’ll beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth, and then slowly mix in the powdered sugar and peppermint extract until thick. If you’d like to color your mints multiple different colors, then divide up the mixture and stir in the food coloring.
Then it’s time to form the mints. You’ll form them into small balls, place on a lined cookie sheet and then press down the tops with a fork. You’ll want to sprinkle your hands with powdered sugar first, and dip the fork in powdered sugar first too. This helps to avoid sticking.
Do Cream Cheese Mints Need to Be Refrigerated?
Storage: Yes, cream cheese mints require refrigeration. You’ll always want to store cream cheese mints in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Freezer: Store in an airtight, freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Arrange the cream cheese mints in a single layer on a cookie sheet, freeze for a couple of hours, then transfer to a freezer bag or other container.
Make Ahead: Give yourself at least two hours or up to a day in advance to make these mints. They need to sit a while to harden.
For more homemade candy recipes:
Cream Cheese Mints
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract or up to 1 teaspoon
- 3 cups powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- food coloring
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft. Beat in the cream cheese until smooth and incorporated.
- Add in the peppermint extract. Mix in the powdered sugar starting with the mixer on low speed and incorporating about 1 cup at a time.
- Divide the mixture into different bowls, add in a few drops of food coloring into each and mix until the color is even.
- Dust your hands with powdered sugar and form the dough into small balls and place on the lined cookie sheets. Dip a fork into powdered sugar, then gently press into the top of each ball.
- Let the mints sit at room temperature for about 2 hours for a crust to form, then place in the fridge to firm up even more.
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