Cream Cheese Mints are perfect for a wedding or baby shower. This simple recipe makes classic old-fashioned candy that is minty and soft.
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Why Are Homemade Cream Cheese Mints So Good?
If you didn’t grow up eating cream cheese mints on special occasions, then the idea of combining cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and mint flavoring might seem a bit odd. But believe it or not, these mints are so delicious and easy to make that if you can get over your initial skepticism and try them, you’ll kick yourself for not doing it sooner.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Mints
To make this cream cheese mints recipe, you’ll need:
- Cream cheese
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Mint extract
- Food coloring – various to make pastel colors
Ingredient Notes
Peppermint mint extract is traditional, but feel free to use your favorite mint flavor. You can even use other flavorings like lemon, orange, or vanilla if you want to experiment.
Gel food coloring is also a good option to use instead of liquid food coloring in this recipe.
How to Make Cream Cheese Mints
Here are the steps to make this recipe for cream cheese mints:
- Let the butter and cream cheese soften on the counter for about 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
- Combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and mint extract in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Start mixing on low and slowly increase the speed of the mixer to medium until all the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface.
- Knead until the dough becomes slightly elastic and loses its stickiness. The ideal consistency is similar to play-dough. If the dough is too sticky, try kneading in a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar.
- Add the food coloring to the dough (see detailed instructions below).
- Shape the mints (see detailed instructions below).
- Sprinkle a layer of confectioners sugar on a rimmed sheet pan. Lay out the finished mints on top of the sugar and sprinkle more powdered sugar on top of them. The powdered sugar helps absorb any excess moisture and prevents the mints from getting soggy.
- Place the uncovered baking tray with the mints in the fridge for a minimum of four hours to set.
- Serve the mints or transfer them into an airtight container.
How To Tint Cream Cheese Mints
After mixing the dough, divide it into several pieces, one for each color you want to use. Various pastels are most common.
Add a small amount of food coloring to each piece of dough and use a gloved hand to work the food coloring into the dough. Evenly distributing the color can take up to three or four minutes.
Change your glove for each new color to prevent any blending.
How To Shape Cream Cheese Mints
There are multiple ways to shape these mints.
- The easiest method is rolling a teaspoon of dough into a ball and flatten with your thumb.
- You can use the tines of a fork or a food-safe stamp to create a design in the mint if you want.
What Can You Serve With Cream Cheese Mints
Most people serve these mints alone or as part of a dessert buffet, but you can also use them to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
Can You Use Molds for Shaping Cream Cheese Mints?
Yes, you can. Soft, flexible molds are the best. You can find a selection of molds online or at your local baking shop.
Occasions To Serve Cream Cheese Mints
Cream cheese mints are popular as wedding mints and baby shower mints, but they are great for other occasions.
- Make graduation mints by matching the school colors and shaping them like the mascot.
- Green trees and wreaths are perfect for Christmas mints.
- White bunnies and yellow chicks make cute Easter treats.
Cream Cheese Mint FAQ
After a few hours, the cream cheese mints will begin to soften. Since they contain dairy, it is best to to refrigerate leftovers. Take out only as many mints as you can eat within an hour or two.
If you plan on storing the Cream Cheese Butter Mints for more than a few hours, keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. Consume the mints within a week.
Yes, these mints freeze wonderfully. The only caveat is you need to be careful since they are brittle. Stack the mints in a hard-sided freezer-safe container with parchment paper between each layer to protect them from getting crushed.Â
You can freeze cream cheese butter mints for up to three months.
You can thaw the mints in the fridge or on the counter if you plan on serving them immediately. Try wrapping a paper towel lightly around the mints to absorb moisture from any melting ice crystals to prevent the mints from getting wet.
Favorite Candy Recipes
Popular Cream Cheese Dessert Recipes
- Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Bars
- Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
- Cream Cheese Brownies
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
- Red Velvet Brownies with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Check out more of my easy candy recipes and the best dessert recipes here on CopyKat!
Cream Cheese Mints
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons mint extract (peppermint extract is OK too)
- food coloring various colors
- additional powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and mint extract. Mix with an electric mixer.
- Divide the dough into portions so that you can dye each portion a different color.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to the dough and stir until it is uniform in color.
- Dust a baking sheet with powdered sugar.
- Roll the dough into teaspoon-sized balls and place the balls on the baking sheet.
- Use a fork dipped in powdered sugar to press down on the mints and make a design.
- Allow the mints to set up for about 4 hours (uncovered). They should absorb most if not all the powdered sugar while they are setting up.
- Store the mints in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. You may want to lay pieces of wax paper between the layers of mints.
Phyllis Brett
I have made these before and will make these again this weekend.
I will try dipping these in melted dark chocolate chips. Do you know if anyone else has done that?
BeckyAnne Jones
I make these often for showers, weddings and parties. I have made them pink heart shapes and dipped halfway in dark chocolate melts. I added more powdered sugar until the dough is very stiff and roll about 1/4 of inch thick. I let them dry on wax paper then dip quickly in the chocolate. I have put them on a rack and poured over too but but the dipped seem to taste better as if they are fully covered the chocolate overwhelms the taste. I use the mint candy flavoring at the craft stores as they are very concentrated.
Laura
I made these before, they are delicious! Yours are so pretty!