These cream cheese mints are one of my favorite old-fashioned treats to make during the holidays. Soft and melt-in-your-mouth, they combine creamy sweetness with a bright peppermint bite. With just cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract, the dough comes together quickly and pipes into pretty swirls. I like to add red and green stripes in the piping bag for a festive look—these mints always disappear fast at parties and make a lovely edible gift or stocking stuffer.
Old Fashioned Cream Cheese Mints
These Christmas cream cheese mints taste wonderfully nostalgic—like the classic homemade candies served at holiday gatherings. The mixture takes just minutes to make and yields a delicate, peppermint-forward flavor with a silky texture that melts on the tongue. They require no baking, are naturally gluten-free, and pipe beautifully when you use a star tip and enough powdered sugar. Make them in holiday colors for a candy-shop look that’s perfect for sharing.
Test One Mint Before Piping the Whole Batch
Cream cheese brands and kitchen humidity can change the mixture’s moisture, which affects how well the mints hold their shape. Before piping a full tray, pipe one mint and let it rest about 10 minutes. If it softens, spreads, or loses its ridges, add more powdered sugar or chill the mixture for 5–10 minutes and test again. This quick check ensures all your mints dry with clean edges and hold up for gifting or serving.
Cream Cheese Mints Recipe
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Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set
Ingredients
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature (¾ brick)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (½ stick)
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Red and green food coloring
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and peppermint extract until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Fit a piping bag with a star tip. Use the handle of a spoon or a toothpick to draw three vertical lines of red or green food coloring inside the bag (lengthwise, not sideways).
- Fill the piping bag about 3/4 full with the cream cheese mixture.
- Place parchment on the counter. Hold the piping bag at a 90-degree angle and pipe small swirls onto the paper, leaving space so they don’t touch. Continue until the mixture is used.
- Size the mints as you like. Let them sit at room temperature for 24 hours to dry completely before storing.
Notes
Yield: About 6 cups of mints.
*For a lighter mint flavor, use ½ teaspoon peppermint extract and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
Tips:
- Sift powdered sugar if it’s clumpy so the mixture pipes smoothly.
- Soften cream cheese quickly on the soften microwave setting or heat for 10 seconds—don’t let it warm through.
- If the mixture seems too soft to pipe, chill it 10–15 minutes to firm up.
- If stripes fade during piping, reapply food coloring lines in the bag halfway through.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, roll the mixture into balls and press with a fork for a simple alternative.
- Let the mints air-dry for 24 hours before storing so they become fully solid.
- In humid kitchens, place trays in the coolest, driest room to help them firm up.
- Store dried mints in the refrigerator to preserve texture and freshness.
Make-Ahead: These mints need at least 24 hours to dry completely, so make them ahead.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature a bit before serving if frozen.
How to Store and Freeze
Store cream cheese mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving for best texture.
More Christmas Candy Recipes to Try!
-
White Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
-
Christmas Pretzel Bark
-
Buckeye Candy
-
Christmas Crack
