Cream Cheese Mints Recipe
Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are one of our family-favorite holiday treats. And now you can make them at home! This easy candy recipe only needs 5 ingredients, and you don’t even need to turn on your stovetop.
We love making our own holiday treats from Candied Pecans to Lemon Bars. If you’re a fan of homemade candy recipes, you will love these melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese mints.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Assorted blue, pink, green, and white cream cheese mints grouped together on a parchment-lined baking sheet.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-Final.jpg)
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Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Mints
Who else has fond memories of popping these classic, creamy mint candies into their mouths and letting them melt? If you loved old-fashioned cream cheese mints as a kid, get your stand mixer ready, because today we’re making them from scratch.
Cream cheese candies have a nostalgic, sweet peppermint flavor that, for us, conjures up thoughts of holiday charcuterie boards and Christmas dessert spreads. They are also perfect for Easter, baby showers, bridal showers, and weddings.
These cute mint candies also make the perfect homemade gift. We’ll wrap them up to give to teachers, neighbors, and friends. We especially love this recipe because there’s no fussing with temperatures or boiling involved, and you can even get the kids involved. It’s that easy!
What Are Cream Cheese Mints?
Also called wedding mints or buttermints, cream cheese mints are a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth candy. You’ll often see them shaped like little pillows in pastel colors. They’re easy to make with just 5 ingredients and great for sharing and gifting.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Colorful Cream Cheese Mints in a serving bowl](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-Bowl.jpg)
Ingredients
This recipe makes approximately 90-100 mints, but you can definitely halve the ingredients if you’d prefer a smaller batch. Below is an overview of what you’ll need to make them, with the full measurements available in the recipe card below the post.
- Cream Cheese – You’ll want to use full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. Use the kind that comes in blocks and not the spreadable tubs.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter. Both the butter and cream cheese will need to be softened to room temperature before you start.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. You’ll need about 2 pounds of powdered sugar, plus a bit extra when you’re pressing out the mints (see my tip below).
- Salt – I find that a pinch of fine sea salt helps to balance the sweet flavors.
- Peppermint Extract – Make sure you’re using food-grade “pure peppermint extract“, and not essential oils.
- Food Coloring – This is optional. I recommend using gel food dyes to color your cream cheese mints, as a little goes a long way.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Ingredients for cream cheese mints.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints.jpg)
Pro Tip: If you prefer to measure out 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 there: You go to start a recipe that calls for room-temperature ingredients, only to realize that you forgot to take the cream cheese or butter out of the fridge ahead of time. Don’t worry, here’s how to speed-soften your cream cheese and butter if needed:
Method: First, dice the cold blocks of cream cheese and butter them up into small pieces. Cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap, and let it sit at room temperature until soft, about 20-30 minutes.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Unwrapped softened cream cheese cut into cubes.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-2.jpg)
How to Make Cream Cheese Mints
Our homemade cream cheese mints come together easily in a stand mixer. If you don’t have a mixer, however, don’t worry. It will take a bit longer and requires some elbow grease, but you can still make them with a hand-held mixer although you’ll have to switch to a firm spatula when the mixture gets too thick.
We’ll start by preparing the dough mixture for the cream cheese mints:
- Combine – First, beat together the butter and cream cheese, followed by two cups of powdered sugar. Once combined, add the peppermint extract.
- Mix – With the mixer going, continue to add the remaining powdered sugar one spoonful at a time until everything is well incorporated. If the dough seems sticky, add more powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency. Once your dough is ready, you can choose to color your mints or get right into shaping them (see below).
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Photo collage showing the process for mixing cream cheese mint dough.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-9.jpg)
Pro Tip: To prevent cracks in the dough, make sure to beat the mixture adequately, allowing the powdered sugar to really blend together with the cream cheese and peppermint extract. We beat for an extra 2 minutes once the dough is combined. The resulting mints will be creamier with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and smoother edges.
Coloring Cream Cheese Mints
If you’re coloring your mints, separate portions of dough into separate bowls, one for each color. Add one drop of color to each bowl, and stir it in. You can add more or even less dye depending on the shade you’re going for.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Photo collage showing the process for coloring and shaping the cream cheese mints.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-10.jpg)
Pro Tip: Gel food coloring is best, as it has a thicker consistency that won’t thin out the dough. It’s also super concentrated. Start with 1 drop at a time or even less if you’re looking for light pastel colors (use a toothpick to add a little smear of color at a time). You can always add more if you’d prefer deeper-colored mints.
Shaping the Mints
Once your dough is prepped and colored, all that’s left is to shape it into mints. This is very easy and only takes a few quick steps:
- Roll the Dough – Roll the dough into small balls, about one teaspoon in size (a small cookie scoop comes in handy here), and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Work in batches, keeping the dough covered so that it doesn’t dry out.
- Press – Next, dip the prongs of a fork into some powdered sugar, and gently press the tops of the rolled mints (see photos). Continue to roll out and press the remaining dough.
- Dry – Once your mints are shaped, leave them to dry uncovered on the counter for about 2 hours. After this, you can keep them in the fridge, or freeze them for longer storage. See below for detailed make-ahead and storage instructions.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Rows of green, pink, and blue cream cheese mints on a parchment-lined baking sheet.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-4.jpg)
Common Questions
Yes, you can use molds to shape your cream cheese mints. This is a popular idea for weddings, bridal showers, and themed parties.
No, peppermint essential oil is not food-grade and should not be used.
You can use food-grade peppermint oil in place of peppermint extract. However, you’ll want to use less as it’s more concentrated. Add one drop at a time to taste.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Assorted blue, pink, green, and white cream cheese mints grouped together on a parchment-lined baking sheet.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-6.jpg)
Make-Ahead
Anticipating a special occasion? Cream cheese mints are an easy after-dinner treat or holiday gift that you can make ahead to either refrigerate or freeze:
- To Refrigerate: Once they’ve dried, these homemade mints can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to one month.
- Freezing: You can also freeze cream cheese mints for up to 6 months. Store them in an airtight container or freezer bag and thaw them in the fridge.
- Gifting: These cream cheese mints are naturally beautiful so you can transfer them to these clear gift bags, tie the top and delight your friends, family, and neighbors.
![Sweet and nostalgic Cream Cheese Mints are an easy candy made with only 5 ingredients. Wrap them up for the perfect homemade gift! Assorted blue, pink, green, and white cream cheese mints wrapped in small plastic baggies closed with twist-ties.](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-8.jpg)
How excited are you to try these homemade cream cheese mints? Let us know how it goes in the comments and if you share this on social, don’t forget to tag me so I can see your beautiful homemade mints.
More Homemade Holiday Treats
These are the special occasion-worthy sweet treats that have become traditional for the Holidays. We can’t get enough of these nostalgic treats:
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Carrot Cake Cupcakes
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Easy Sugar Cookies
Cream Cheese Mints Recipe
![](https://natashaskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Cream-Cheese-Mints-SQ-150x150.jpg)
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened (full fat)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar, (about 2 lb), plus more for pressing
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, or to taste
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with your paddle or flat beater attachment, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- With the mixer on, add salt then add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat on medium/low speed until incorporated. Add peppermint extract and the remaining powdered sugar a heaping Tablespoon at a time, letting it incorporate between each addition and continue mixing until well blended then mix for a couple minutes longer, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- If you are coloring the mints, divide the dough into separate bowls for each color. Stir in gel color to reach desired color. Start with 1 drop or less if a light pastel color is preferred.
- Working with 1/4 of the dough at a time, roll the mints into balls (about 1 teaspoon or small cookie scoop each) and set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When rolling the dough, roll until the seams disappear so the dough is less likely to crack. Set balls on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Keep the remaining dough covered as you roll so it doesn’t dry out. Once the first batch of dough is rolled, dip a fork in powdered sugar which prevents sticking and press over the top of the mints to flatten them. Repeat rolling and pressing the remaining batches of mints.
- Let dry and rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a month or freeze for up to 6 months.
Listen to this one and then I will thank you in advance for your help and advice. Cream cheese mints is my goal for my very pregnant daughter-in-law. I am excited to be able to make these for her cravings. Also, the best I can do is make sure I have the correct teacher. Sadly, I suffer from Aphasia but I know that I can make this happen for my son and his family. I will let you know how it goes in a week or so. Thanks 😊
Hi Pam! I hope you all love this mint recipe!
Natasha, these mints are wonderful but calorically high.
Have you ever made any French Cream Mints? They are made with a fondant base and have no fats. I’ve been looking for a good recipe for them, a wonderful memory of childhood Christmases.
Hi Marilyn! They sound great, but I have not tried a recipe like that.
Hello – My recipe for these mints does not have butter in the ingredients and I’ve always liked them. I’m just wondering what the butter does for the mints as far as flavor and texture?
Thanks!
Steph
Hi Steph! The butter helps give these a “melt in your mouth” texture.
I’ve been making these since the 80’s and have never used butter, but it did call for 2T of cream. Going to try your recipe this time to see what I’ve been missing. They were good with just cream, for sure!
I hope you love our version, Leann!
Just want to clarify: Recipe makes approx, 95 mints. 95 servings/batch. 1 mint = 1 serving, 50 calories and 10g carbs?? For one mint? I was hoping to eat a handful or so.
This makes me incredibly sad.
Hi Debi, that’s correct, it’s 40 calories per serving.
Natasha, can these be done with a pipping bag? I want to make each color and flavor with a different tip.
Thank you
Hi Kim! You can experiment with it, but I think it may be difficult because of how thick it is. It would likely work better with a mold. Let us know how it turns out if you experiment with it.
It did not work?? It was a nightmare!!
Thanks for getting back to me.
You’re welcome, Kim! Thank you for sharing that with us. 🙂
Try a cookie press. I make spritz cookies with mine. I bet it’ll work nicely.
Hi Natasha !
Can I use other mint extracts such as spearmint or cinnamon for the cream cheese mints… Just to mix it up?!?
Thanks… Blessings!
Hi Lonita! Yes, you can use any extract flavoring you would like to. 🙂
I am trying to make these and they are not mixing very well. Do I some kind of liquid?
Hi Laura! Not, it’s not needed but if your butter or cream cheese is too cold, they wouldn’t mix well or would talk longer to mix together.
Can you add any other flavoring besides peppermint such as mint or wintergreen?
Hi Sandy, I bet that could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I never knew that this is made of Cream cheese- I just love it as mints. Little did I know I can make it with help from Natasha’s kitchen❤️
Thank you for your lovely review, Laura! I hope you love these!
Hello, I absolutely love butter mints. I’m guessing these aren’t as hard as the store bought ones?
Can I substitute the butter with ghee?
Hi Stella. No, they are not quite as hard. I think the ghee could work but I have not tested it myself to advise. Please let us know if you experiment.
Can I use a hand beater or is it recommended to use a stand up beater
Hi Patti! Yes, you can. See my notes above about using a hand mixer. 🙂
i made these today and they are so easy and so delicious. i am taking as a hostess gift for the weekend.
Wonderful! Thank you for trying my recipe.
Can these be made with sugar substitute? I have powdered sugar substitute, since I’m diabetes. But, I’m drooling over these!
Hi Cheryl! I think that would be fine. I haven’t tested it myself but please let us know how they turn out if you experiment with it.
Thanks…love these! How many of these are in the “per serving” amount? In other words, how many for the 50 calories? Thanks!
Hi Anna, this makes 95 mints and the calories are per mint so that will make it easy to calculate depending on how many you are eating. It is technically a candy so it’s difficult to give a recommended serving size.
Hi there, Natasha. I have not tried this recipe but maybe I will but I first need to know what the consistency of the finished product of the mints is. Is it like meringue or is it like a gummy?
Okosu
Hi Okosu, I hope you try and love this recipe soon! These mints are creamy with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and smooth edges.
Hi! I made these expecting they would be the crunchy pillow type of mint but even after leaving them out longer than the 2 hours, they did not dry up like that. I put them in a Ziploc into the fridge and they still wouldn’t harden. Any tips or suggestions on what could have went wrong?
Hi Angie! These are not like the ones that get hard, they harden but not very hard.
I was wondering if you have ever flavored these mints with something other than mint? I used to be able to buy these mints at the mall and the yellow ones were lemon, white was mint, green was wintermint and red (my favorite) was cinnamon. Any suggestions on where to get flavorings?
Hi Cheryl! You can use another flavored extract in place of the peppermint extract. 🙂
Hello, how long can these mints be left out once they are done? If I gift them, how long can they be left out without being refrigerated? Thank you
Hi Christina! I don’t have an exact amount of time and there are mixed opinions about this because they also contain a lot of sugar which helps preserve them. Since these contain cream cheese, a general rule is that it should not be left out for more than a couple of hours. I leave them out until they are dry and then I refrigerate them as instructed above.
These look awesome!
Do you think vanilla extract would work to flavor these?
Hi Jenn! Yes, a good-quality vanilla extract could work or a vanilla bean paste. Start with a little at a time, and add more as needed.
H
These look super easy and can wait to try this out. Moving it to the front of the list.now to follow on FB
Hi Steve! I hope you love the recipe! Thanks so much.
My recipe calls for 1/4 cup white karo syrup. Much smoother, shinier, more dissolvable mints, and smoothing over nonpareils a pretty holiday touch that stay put!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha. Can you use other flavors besides peppermint?
Paula
Hi Paula! Yes, you can use another extract/flavoring.
Can you substitute swerve or another sugar alternative? Thank you!
Hi Cindy! I think it could work, but I haven’t tested it to advise. Let us know if you experiment.
Can I dip these in chocolate or will they melt? They look so pretty!
I haven’t really tested that to advise. If you try that out, we’d love to know how it turns out!
Making this weekend ❤️❤️ I’m planning to give as an Easter gift, thank you for another amazing recipe.
Missing the video 😞
You’re very welcome. They will be perfect, Cristina! I’d love to see a picture if you want to tag me on Facebook or Instagram. 🙂 #natashaskitchen
Are there any other flavours that would work in place of mint?
Hi Shirley. Yes, you can. One of my readers said she uses different flavors to match the colors (for example strawberry-pink, lemon-yellow). Have fun with it! Just be sure to use food-grade extracts and start with a little and add more to taste if needed.
I had never tried these but they turned out so good! Thanks!!!
Thank you for trying my recipe! I’m so glad you loved them!
I just made these for my friend’s baby shower/gender revel party. Everyone loved them and they were so easy to make!
These are perfect for a baby shower! Great idea, Jenn! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Who knew these were so easy to make! And delicious too!!!!!!!
So easy! Thank you for your excellent review, Brenda!