butter mints featured image
Homemade Butter Mints are an easy to make, soft and creamy, after dinner delight. Perfect for baby and bridal showers, weddings, and holiday parties, these minty sweet treats melt in your mouth!
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Our Homemade Butter Mints recipe is just like the old-fashioned mints you remember grabbing by the handfuls after dinner from your favorite restaurant. Soft, buttery, rich, and melt in your mouth – they are perfect for your holiday table, baby or wedding showers, or just about any occasion.

You only need 4 ingredients plus your favorite food color. These buttery bites are so easy to make in just minutes and taste even better than their store-bought candy counterparts.

butter mints hero image


This is the best Butter mint candy recipe ever!

Our easy recipe for Butter Mints is so simple to make by creaming together butter, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract to form a white dough that you can customize with drops of color and make pretty in pastels or classics for Christmas.

Once chilled, the dough is rolled into a rope, cut into shapes, and set to dry before they’re ready to be consumed.

This recipe for homemade butter mints is similar to my Christmas Mints, but these dessert mints are made without cream cheese and use more butter instead.

With a rich, smooth and creamy texture and a subtle minty sweet taste, these old-fashioned soft mints melt in your mouth and may freshen your breath after a meal.

Why we love this Butter Mints Recipe

  • Quick and easy to prepare (the mint-flavored middle makes it well worth the wait for them to dry).
  • Only uses 4 ingredients plus food coloring.
  • The undyed dough is a blank canvas for you to customize the colors according to the holiday.
  • Softer and creamier than the name-brand butter mint candy.
  • Package portions in parchment-lined tins to give as gifts.
  • Perfect for bridal and baby showers, weddings, parties, or for eating after dinner.

MOre Easy Homemade Candy Recipes

butter mints ingredients

ingredients needed to make butter mint recipe

  1. Unsalted butter
  2. Whipping cream 
  3. Powdered sugar
  4. Pure peppermint extract
  5. Food coloring
  • Stand mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Plastic wrap
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp knife
  • Baking sheet

Additions and substitutions for this butter mint recipe

  • Use Other Extracts: You can use other extract flavors if mint isn’t your favorite. Try cherry, cinnamon, or strawberry flavoring for red mints; vanilla or coconut for white mints; lemon for yellow mints; and lime for green mints.
  • Customize Your Candy: These little mints can be colored to match a party theme or other holiday celebration. Use pastel colors for Easter, Mother’s Day, and baby or bridal showers; use red and green for Christmas; make them multi-colored for birthdays.
butter mints in different color
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How to Make Butter Mints

  1. Make The Mint Mixture: Cream together butter, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in powdered sugar, and beat again. Repeat until all the sugar is gone.
  2. Color: Divide and wrap the dough portions in plastic. Add 1-4 drops of your color to each portion and work in until evenly distributed. Wrap again and chill for 1 hour.
    Pro Tip: I weigh the whole ball on a scale and then divide evenly.
  3. Cut: Roll dough into a ½” thick rope and cut into pieces.
  4. Dry: Allow the mint pieces to dry at room temperature for about 12 hours.
  5. Serve: Enjoy!

Butter Mint tips from our recipe developer

  • I used peppermint extract, not peppermint oil, for this recipe. Oils are stronger than extracts and typically have a 1:4 ratio (1/4 teaspoon of oil = 1 teaspoon extract).
  • Make sure to measure the peppermint extract carefully. Too much will make your mints taste like toothpaste!
  • You may need to add more powdered sugar to the mixture to get your peppermint patty dough to be the right consistency. You do not want it too stiff, but it should not be sticky.
  • I used Y-4, G-2, B-2, R-1 to color my mints.

Butter Mint Candy storage

  • To Store: Store your butter mints at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
  • To Freeze: Freeze your mints in airtight containers or in freezer bags for up to 2 months.
collage butter mints

Butter Mints FAQs

Can I make butter mints in advance?

You can make your butter mints in advance and keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week, but you should consume them within a week. You will have to take them out of the fridge for about 3-4 hours to allow the butter to soften.

Can I use cookie cutters to make different shapes?

Yes, you can use rubber or silicone molds to create different shapes for your candy. I recommend coating your molds in powdered sugar before pressing in the mint mixture and then chilling them in the fridge so they set before popping them out. However, if you want to keep them in the classic pillow shape, roll your dough into a 1/2 inch thick rope, and then cut them into 1/2-inch pieces.

What should I do if my dough is too sticky?

If your dough is too wet or sticky, you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar. Don’t add too much powdered sugar at once. Remember, you can always add more, but you can’t take it away.

What is the history of butter mints?

The exact origin of butter mints is unclear, but they have been enjoyed as a confection for many decades. They are often associated with weddings, parties, and special occasions.

Who made the original butter mints?

The specific individual or company credited with creating the original butter mints is unknown due to their long history and variations across different cultures.

What is buttermint flavor?

Buttermint flavor is a combination of creamy butter and refreshing mint. It results in a sweet and subtly minty taste with a hint of richness from the butter.

Why is it called a butter mint?

It is called a butter mint because it contains butter as one of its key ingredients, which contributes to its creamy and smooth texture as well as its flavor.

butter mints in a jar

More Easy Christmas Recipes

5 from 15 votes
butter mints featured image

Butter Mints

Serves — 2
Homemade Butter Mints are an easy to make, soft and creamy, after dinner delight. Perfect for baby and bridal showers, weddings, and holiday parties, these minty sweet treats melt in your mouth!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 stick butter unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon whipping cream
  • 4 cups powdered sugar divided (plus more for dusting)
  • ½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
  • 1-4 drops food coloring or more is desired for a brighter color

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, whipping cream, 1 cup of powdered sugar and peppermint extract until smooth.
  • Push down any dough that is on the sides of the bowl and add in another cup of powdered sugar and run again. Repeat until all the sugar is gone and the dough starts to pull away from the sides.
  • If using multiple colours, divide evenly and wrap each section in plastic wrap to prevent from drying. Note: I weigh the whole ball on a scale and then divide evenly.
  • Starting with 1 section add 1-4 drops of your color of choice and work in until evenly distributed. Note: We did Y-4, G-2, B-2, R-1. Wrap again and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Repeat for the other colors.
  • Working with 1 color at a time on a cutting board dusted with icing sugar, roll dough into a ½” thick rope shape with the palm of your hand and cut with a sharp knife or dough scraper.
  • Leave cut pieces on cutting board or transfer to a baking sheet and allow them to dry at room temperature for about 12 hours.
  • Store at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.

Jenn’s Notes

Makes: About 2 cups
Tips:
  • To Store: Store your butter mints at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks or in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
  • To Freeze: Freeze your mints in airtight containers or in freezer bags for up to 2 months.
Storage:
  • I used peppermint extract, not peppermint oil, for this recipe. Oils are stronger than extracts and typically have a 1:4 ratio (1/4 teaspoon of oil = 1 teaspoon extract).
  • Make sure to measure the peppermint extract carefully. Too much will make your mints taste like toothpaste!
  • You may need to add more powdered sugar to the mixture to get your peppermint patty dough to be the right consistency. You do not want it too stiff, but it should not be sticky.
  • I used Y-4, G-2, B-2, R-1 to color my mints.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 1367kcal | Carbohydrates: 240g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 27mg | Sugar: 235g | Vitamin A: 1522IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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Comments

  1. how much butter is a stick? I tried looking it up, I think it means a half of a cup? I’ll have to try it to find out.

  2. 5 stars
    I made these butter mints and they are AMAZING!! I made them to put in cute little jars for little gifts for people. But, I have to make alot more because my husband and I ate almost all of them. They are definitely something I will make all the time. Thank you for the recipe.

    1. 5 stars
      This was a very easy recipe and they turned out beautiful and taste amazing. I’m putting them in little jars for a small gift for my friends and neighbors. Thank you for the recipe. I’m just trying to figure out that if I freeze them and then take them out to defrost does it compromise the taste?

  3. I made this with a friend today but she only put in one of those half sticks of butter…I think we should have added the other “half” stick no? can we add it even after its been chilling in the fridge?