Soft Christmas Peppermints (Easy Butter Mints) Recipe
These Soft Christmas Peppermints are easy-to-make butter mints perfect for the holiday season. Made with butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and peppermint extract, these colorful, twisted candies melt in your mouth with a refreshing peppermint flavor. They require no baking and are finished with a simple drying process, resulting in soft, creamy mints that delight both kids and adults.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes active plus 24 hours drying
- Yield: Approximately 60 small peppermint mints 1x
- Category: Confectionery
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Soft Christmas Peppermints Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (adjust to taste)
- Red coloring gel or food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare workspace: Set up a clean work area lined with parchment paper, waxed paper, or a baking mat. Keep extra powdered sugar nearby to prevent sticking during rolling.
- Beat butter: Place room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until it is light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for your candies.
- Add ingredients: Mix in the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract thoroughly until you achieve a firm dough consistency suitable for shaping.
- Divide and color dough: Split the dough into two portions. Color one quarter of the dough with red coloring gel, leaving the remaining three quarters white. Form each into balls and set aside.
- Form ropes: Roll the white and red dough portions into ropes; the white rope should be thicker, and the red rope smaller to create a festive contrast.
- Twist ropes together: Place the smaller red rope alongside the thicker white rope and twist them gently to form peppermint-striped candy ropes.
- Shape candies: Pinch off small sections from the twisted rope and roll between your palms to smooth and round out the pieces.
- Dry the ropes: Lay the twisted ropes on wax paper and allow them to dry for 1 to 2 hours until they become less sticky and easier to cut.
- Cut candies: After drying, use a pizza cutter to slice the ropes into individual peppermint pieces for serving.
- Final drying: Leave the cut candies out for approximately 24 hours at room temperature to fully dry and firm up.
- Storage: Store the fully dried candies in an airtight container at room temperature. Refrigeration is optional but not necessary.
Notes
- If the dough is too sticky, dust your hands and work surface with powdered sugar to make shaping easier.
- Adjust the peppermint extract according to your taste preference for a stronger or milder mint flavor.
- Use gel-based food coloring to avoid altering dough consistency.
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing.
- Store candies at room temperature as refrigeration may affect the texture.
Keywords: Christmas mints, butter mints, peppermint candy, holiday candy, soft mints, no-bake candy, festive treats
