Old-Fashioned Cream Cheese Mints
I’d bet you’ve had, or at least seen these cream cheese mints before. Sometimes formed into cute little discs (as seen here), and sometimes molded into pretty little flowers at bridal showers or rattles at baby showers, or made into just about any shape or color to suit any occasion (how about some green Christmas trees!?). In fact, they’re often referred to as “wedding mints” or “baby shower mints” because they’re so commonly seen at these events. I wanted to share a sweet and simple candy recipe with you before Christmas, one that didn’t require a candy thermometer (like most of my candy recipes from last year did!), and these cream cheese mints were the perfect choice. You need only a handful of ingredients. The end result is firm on the outside and creamy on the inside. They just melt in your mouth, it’s a bit like eating a minty cream cheese frosting. Have you ever made these before? If so, you already know how easy they are to make…
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Mints
This is such a straightforward recipe. You only need 5 ingredients:
Cream cheese. I think this one goes without saying. You’ll ideally want it to be softened a bit before using. I like to set mine out an hour before I begin making the mints. Make sure to use a brick-style cream cheese (like the one shown above) and not a spreadable type of cream cheese (that comes in a tub). Butter. Just a tablespoon for this recipe! It adds a nice creaminess to the texture. Powdered Sugar. This is what will make your mints hold their shape. You’ll be using a lot of powdered sugar, and it’s going to be quite an arm workout if you try to stir all of this in without an electric or stand mixer. The “dough” will need to be very stiff. Peppermint Extract. I much prefer this to “mint” extract, which I think makes these cream cheese mints taste like toothpaste. Start with just the ½ teaspoon indicated and then increase if desired/as needed. Not a fan of mint? you can play around with other flavors and extracts, too! Vanilla Extract. I find that this helps temper the mint flavor and adds an incredibly tasty but subtle depth of flavor. Just a tiny bit is needed — ⅛ teaspoon.
One last ingredient you might like to use is food coloring. This is completely optional, but I like to divide my dough into different bowls and tint it with a bit of food coloring. While I’m generally a fan of gel food coloring, which yields vibrant colors, something about cream cheese mints calls for a more pastel look, so I used liquid food coloring today. Whichever you prefer is fine (and of course you can leave out the color entirely).
How to Make Cream Cheese Mints:
If you like these, make sure to also try my easy butter mint recipe!
Can I use these in a Mold?
Yes! Cream cheese mints are commonly seen at bridal showers and baby showers and are often formed into cute shapes in silicone molds. You can absolutely use this recipe with your molds. To do so, roll a bit of the dough into a ball, roll that thoroughly through granulated (not powdered) sugar, and press it firmly into your mold. Invert the mold and pop out your adorably shaped cream cheese mint!
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.
Enjoy!
More Easy Candy Recipes to Try:
Easy Fudge Recipe Buckeye Recipe Saltine Cracker Toffee
Let’s bake together! Head on over to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 200 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
