These buttermints are creamy, buttery and melt in your mouth as you eat them. They are easy to make and you only need 3 ingredients to make them. The mints can easily be customized with different colors or shapes. The mints store well and are great for serving at a party or for gifting.
Old-fashioned buttermints are one of my favorite treats. I get so much nostalgia whenever I eat them. They are also known as hospitality mints, dinner mints, pillow mints, or wedding mints. I love that you can customize them with different colors to fit the occasion. You can also cut them into different shapes as well.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
- Peppermint
Butter: Unsalted butter is first softened and then creamed in a mixer until smooth and creamy. Butter is what gives these buttermints their creamy, buttery texture.
Powdered sugar: Powdered sugar is used to form the dough to make these candies. Powdered sugar also creates that melt-in-your-mouth sensation. Since powdered sugar is one of the main ingredients used in this recipe, you do want to use a premium brand of powdered sugar. Some cheaper brands add too much cornstarch which can leave a chemical aftertaste.
Peppermint: A little peppermint extract is used to add mint flavor to the candies.
How to Make Buttermints
- The butter is first creamed with a mixer until smooth and creamy. The peppermint and half of the sugar is then mixed in. Gradually add more sugar until a dough forms. You want the dough to be soft and pliable but not sticky.
- If desired, you can add a few drops of food coloring to the dough to change the color. I separated my dough into four pieces, adding red, green, blue and yellow food coloring to make pink, green, blue and yellow buttermints.
- Roll the dough into 1/2 inch thick ropes. Use a sharp knife to cut each rope into 1/2 inch long pieces.
- Place the buttermints onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let the mints air dry overnight.
Texture
Unlike commercial mints, these fresh buttermints have a softer texture. They will be slightly firm on the outside but are very soft and creamy on the inside. The mints melt in your mouth as you eat them.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use a good brand of powdered sugar. Some cheaper brands add too much starch to the sugar which can cause an unpleasant aftertaste. In addition, some people are sensitive to the taste of powdered sugar and find that it leaves a soapy or chemical aftertaste. If this is the case for you, I recommend trying powdered sugar made with tapioca starch instead of cornstarch which can sometimes help.
- The candy dough can also be rolled out and you can use small cookie cutters to cut into different shapes to fit the occassion.
- If you prefer a stronger mint flavor, you can increase the amount of extract added.
More Mint Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Cream Cheese Mints
- 3 Ingredient Peppermint Creams
- 3 Ingredient Peppermint Cloud Cookies
3 Ingredient Buttermints
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/4 tsp (1.2 ml) peppermint extract
- 4 cups (420 g) powdered sugar or more as needed, see note before starting
Instructions
- Line a large baking tray with parchment and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (about 15-30 seconds).
- Add in peppermint and 2 cups of powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Gradually add in 2 more cups of powdered sugar until a soft, pliable dough forms (you can use a mixer for this step or mix/knead with your hands). The dough should not be too sticky to work with. If your dough is too sticky, add a little more powdered sugar.
- If you plan on coloring the dough, add in the food coloring now (1 drop at a time) and mix it in until the dough is uniform in color. I divided my dough into four parts, adding red food coloring for pink mints, green food coloring for green mints, yellow food coloring for yellow mints and keeping one dough white. Add only 1 drop of food coloring at a time because you don't need a lot of food coloring to color the dough.
- Keep dough covered loosely with a paper towel to prevent it from drying. Break off a small portion of dough and roll it into a rope that is 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. Use a sharp knife to cut each rope into 1/2 inch long pieces. So your mints should be approximately 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. If the dough is sticking to the knife, you can dust the knife with powdered sugar before cutting. Transfer the cut mints to your parchment lined baking tray.
- Let the mints sit uncovered for several hours or overnight to dry and firm up. When mints are ready, they should have a dry and slightly firm exterior (but they will still be soft if you apply pressure). Once mints are ready, you can serve right away or place into an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Notes
- Powdered Sugar Note: Make sure to choose a good quality brand powdered sugar. I used C&H powdered sugar (Amazon | Target | Walmart).* Some cheaper brands add too much cornstarch which can affect the taste of the mints. Some people are also sensitive to the taste of powdered sugar and find that it has a soapy or chemical aftertaste. If you know you are one of these people, you may want to try using a powdered sugar that contains tapioca starch instead of cornstarch (many organic powdered sugars use tapioca starch). This can sometimes help solve the problem.
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- The mints have a slightly firm exterior but will not be as firm as commercial mints. They are soft and creamy on the inside.
- If you like a stronger peppermint flavor you can add 1/2 tsp instead of 1/4 tsp.
- You can also roll the dough out and cut into shapes instead of making the classic buttermints shape.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
