How to Make Homemade Buttermints

Soft and chewy, with a buttery flavor and a hint of mint, these homemade buttermints will melt in your mouth. If you’ve never considered making mints at home before you don’t know what you’re missing. Simple and fun, these mints come together in just a few minutes though they do require some time to set, so plan accordingly.

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Perfect for an after-dinner treat when you just need a little something sweet, you can make up a batch for some sweet treats every day. These buttermints would also be great for the holidays or celebratory events. Add a bowlful to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table, make up a batch for a baby shower or birthday party. But be forewarned, they will go fast! I suggest you make a double batch and stash some in the freezer. Frozen, these buttermints will keep for a few months.

Play around with different color combinations and get the kids involved. Buttermint making can be a great rainy day activity.

If you are looking for a few more sweet treats you may like these; Best Praline Pecans, Sweet and Salty Hugs and Kisses, or these 3 Ingredient White Chocolate Covered Strawberries.

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Buttermints also make a nice hostess gift or ‘thank you for coming’ token. Place a few buttermints in some parchment or wrapping paper and tie with a fancy bow or string. You can also use them in your favorite dessert recipe; crush the buttermint candies and add them to your favorite cakes or cookies as a topping or you can melt them and pour them over ice cream or use as a drizzle on top of brownies and squares.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple
• Fun
• Customizable
• No special equipment required
• Versatile

Equipment

• large bowl or stand mixer
• sharp knife, pizza cutter or dough scraper

Ingredients for Homemade Buttermints

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ½ tsp pure peppermint extract
• Food coloring

How To Make Buttermints

• In a large bowl or a stand mixer, add the butter, heavy whipping cream, peppermint extract, and 1 cup of powdered sugar.

• Cream the ingredients together until well combined.

• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until the powdered sugar is gone and the dough comes together.

• Separate your dough into 4 equal sizes and place into separate bowls.

• Place food coloring into each bowl.

• Stir until the coloring is fully combined.

• Next, place a ball of dough onto a cutting board that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Separate the dough into two equal pieces. Roll the dough out using the palm of your hand into about a ½” size “rope”. Continue for all the dough.

• Using a sharp knife, dough scraper or pizza cutter, cut into pieces.

• They should be about 1/2″inch to an inch in size so that they are bite-sized.

• Allow to harden for 12 hours, ideally overnight before enjoying!

• The outside of the butter mint will harden while the inside will be soft!

Variations

• Play around with different colors for the buttermints. Seasonal colors always look nice; orange and black for Halloween, red and green for Christmas, or pink and red for Valentine’s Day.
• Experiment with different shapes using mini cookie cutters.
• Instead of peppermint extract try other fun flavors like cotton candy, pistachio, or even lemon. Your local Michael’s likely has a big selection of flavor extracts to choose from.

Tips and Tricks

• Use a sifter to portion the powdered sugar so there are no lumps.
• Try gel food coloring for a deeper color. Or if using liquid play around with the amount to change the intensity of the color.
• The mints need a few hours to dry out so make sure to prepare them in advance of when you want to serve them.
• Look for a real mint extract for the best taste.
• If you’re serving a small crowd you can cut the recipe in half for half a batch.

FAQs

What are buttermints made of?

Buttermints are made with butter, icing sugar, peppermint extract, whipping cream, and in this recipe, food coloring.

Are buttermints vegan?

No, these buttermints are not vegan though if you want to use vegan butter and a vegan whipping cream alternative they will be vegan. I have never made them this way so I can’t say for sure they will work out.

How long do buttermints stay fresh?

You can keep buttermints in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 2 weeks. If you freeze them they will keep for a few months. An airtight container is better than a freezer bag so the mints can keep their shape. If you store them in a bag there’s a chance they may get squished if something is placed on top of them.