Homemade Butter Mints

Written by
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Elizabeth LaBau
Updated 06/20/21
Butter mints recipe

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 180 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
15 Calories
1g Fat
3g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 180
Amount per serving
Calories 15
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 0g
Calcium 0mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Homemade butter mints are the perfect after-dinner treat. These easy-to-make sweets have a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture, with just a hint of vanilla. They make great gifts for the holidays and are perfect for parties, weddings, and showers.

All you need are butter, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla and mint extracts. The mixture is blended together, tinted with food coloring, if you like, and shaped into pillows, little balls, or cut out with small cookie cutters to make fun shapes. Keep them simple or customize them to go along with a holiday or party theme.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar (plus more for dusting)
  • 1 tablespoon cream (or milk)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
  • Food coloring, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for butter mints
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, you can use a hand mixer.) Beat the butter on medium speed until it is smooth and free of lumps.

    Put the butter in a bowl
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. Add the powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon mint extract. Mix everything together on low speed, and once the sugar is incorporated, raise the speed to medium and beat until the candy is nice and smooth.

    Add powdered sugar
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Taste the candy and add more mint extract if desired; different brands have different strengths, and it's better to start with less flavoring and add more if necessary.

  5. Dust your work surface with confectioners' sugar. If you want to make different colors of mints, divide the candy into smaller portions. While working with one portion, wrap the candy you're not using in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.

    Dust work surface with confectioners' sugar
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. Add 1 to 2 drops of food coloring to 1 portion of the candy and knead it like bread dough on the surface covered with confectioners' sugar. (It's a good idea to wear disposable gloves to keep the food coloring from dyeing your hands.) Gel colors will darken as they sit, so use a light touch with the food coloring. Knead until the color is evenly blended into the candy and the mixture is smooth and supple.

    Add a drop of food coloring to the candy
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. Wrap the dyed candy in plastic wrap and repeat until all of your candy is dyed in your preferred colors.

    Wrap candy in plastic wrap
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Shape the candy into pillows or little balls, or roll out the dough and use small cookie cutters to create shapes.

    Shape candy
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Leave the mints on a baking sheet at room temperature overnight so that they dry out on the surface and can be easily transferred and stored. (They will still be smooth and creamy on the inside.)

    Colorful candy mints on a baking sheet
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Enjoy.

    Store
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Rectangular-Shaped Pillows

  1. On the powdered sugar-dusted work surface, roll a palm-sized portion of dough into a long, thin cylinder, about a 1/2-inch thick.
  2. Use a sharp knife to cut small pieces, 1/2- to 3/4-inch long.
  3. Transfer the pieces to a baking sheet and repeat the rolling and cutting process.

Small Balls

  1. Roll the mints into small balls between your palms.
  2. Leave them round like marbles or press them slightly to make discs.
  3. Transfer the pieces to a baking sheet and repeat the rolling and cutting process.

Shape With Cookie Cutters

  1. Roll the mints out like cookie dough to your desired thickness.
  2. Use cookie cutters or fondant cutters to cut small shapes out of the candy.
  3. Transfer the pieces to a baking sheet and repeat the rolling and cutting process.

Tips

  • Make sure to measure the mint extract carefully and add the lower amount first; too much, and the mints will taste like toothpaste. Not enough, and you can always add more.
  • If your kitchen is warm or humid, the dough can become sticky. Add a little bit of confectioners' sugar—only a tablespoon or so—until the candy is the right consistency.

How to Store

Store the butter mints in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

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