Homemade Buttermints
A perfect appetizer or gift, these melt-in-your-mouth homemade buttermints are surprisingly easy to make at home and customize with your favorite colors!
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- About Homemade Buttermints
- What ingredients are in homemade buttermints?
- Buttermints vs Cream Cheese Mints
- Do you have to use pure peppermint oil?
- What type of food coloring should you use?
- How long are they good for?
- Can you freeze buttermints?
- notes & tips for this buttermint recipe
- More FUn Candy Recipes
- Recipe Details
About Homemade Buttermints
Buttermints are easily made at home with just a few ingredients like butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint oil, creating mints that are soft and smooth in texture. They can be customized in color and shape to suit various occasions, adding an elegant touch to any gathering. This homemade version offers a unique experience, with mints that are creamy and subtly flavored, perfect for sharing or enjoying alone.
What ingredients are in homemade buttermints?
To begin crafting these nostalgic candies, you’ll need to ensure you have the following ingredients on hand:
- Unsalted Butter: The star of the show in buttermints! This creamy, unsalted variety brings all the rich, smooth goodness without any added saltiness. It’s perfect for ensuring your buttermints have that melt-in-your-mouth quality.
- Powdered Sugar: With its fine and fluffy texture, powdered sugar not only sweetens up the mints but also helps create that signature, velvety smooth texture.
- Pure Peppermint Oil: This is the essence of your buttermints, providing that refreshing zing! A little goes a long way with peppermint oil, infusing each candy with a burst of cool, minty flavor that’s sure to awaken the senses.
- Food Coloring (Optional): Here’s where you can let your creativity shine! Add a pop of color to your buttermints, making them as visually delightful as they are tasty. Whether it’s a subtle pastel hue or a vibrant burst of color, it’s all about adding a personal touch to your mints.
Buttermints vs Cream Cheese Mints
While both cream cheese mints and buttermints offer a delightful minty flavor, they differ in their ingredients, texture, and preparation methods.
- Ingredients: Buttermints are crafted with a simple yet classic combination of butter, powdered sugar, and pure peppermint oil, which delivers a sharper mint flavor than peppermint extract. In contrast, cream cheese mints include cream cheese along with butter, peppermint extract, and powdered sugar, resulting in a different flavor profile.
- Texture: The texture of buttermints is firmer and slightly crumbly, resembling traditional butter-based candies. This contrasts with cream cheese mints, which are smoother and creamier due to the inclusion of cream cheese.
- Flavor Profile: While both mints have a prominent minty taste, buttermints offer a lighter, distinctly buttery flavor with the peppermint oil bringing in a clear, refreshing mintiness. Cream cheese mints, on the other hand, tend to be richer, blending the flavors of cream cheese and butter.
- Appearance: Buttermints can be rolled and cut into various shapes, providing a uniform and classic mint candy appearance. Cream cheese mints typically feature a pattern from being shaped with a fork, giving them a distinct look.
Do you have to use pure peppermint oil?
While pure peppermint oil is the classic choice for buttermints for a potent and refreshing minty flavor, it’s not the only option. You can experiment with various other flavor oils to add a unique twist to your mints. Each type of oil has its distinct characteristics and potency, so you may need to adjust the quantity to suit your taste.
Different Flavors
- Spearmint Oil: A milder alternative to peppermint, spearmint oil offers a sweeter and less intense mint flavor. Use the same amount as peppermint oil to start, then adjust according to taste.
- Wintergreen Oil: Known for its sweet, minty flavor, wintergreen can be a delightful twist. Start with half the amount you’d use for peppermint oil, as it can be quite potent.
- Lemon Oil: For a zesty, citrusy take on your buttermints, lemon oil is a great choice. Begin with a bit less than the amount of peppermint oil, then adjust for the desired intensity.
- Orange Oil: Orange oil can add a lovely, fruity undertone to your mints. Start with using slightly less than peppermint oil and increase to taste.
- Cinnamon Oil: For a warm, spicy note, cinnamon oil is a bold option. It’s very potent, so start with just a few drops and adjust as needed.
Using Extract
If you’d prefer to use an extract instead of an oil, keep in mind that extracts are less concentrated than oils. This means you’ll need to use more extract to achieve the same level of flavor intensity. Extracts are a great way to infuse flavor if you have sensitivity to the strength of essential oils or are just more likely to already have extracts on hand.
- Peppermint Extract: Substitute peppermint oil with peppermint extract at a ratio of 1:4. So, if the recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint oil, use 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract.
- Vanilla Extract: A classic and versatile option, vanilla extract adds a sweet and cozy flavor. Use about double the amount of peppermint oil to start, then adjust to taste.
- Almond Extract: For a nutty, sweet flavor, almond extract is a great choice. Use it in the same quantity as vanilla extract.
- Lemon Extract: If opting for a citrusy flavor, lemon extract can be used in a slightly larger amount than peppermint oil, around 1.5 times the quantity.
- Orange Extract: Similar to lemon, use a bit more orange extract than peppermint oil to get a noticeable citrus flavor.
What type of food coloring should you use?
For buttermints, the best type of food coloring to use is gel food coloring. Here’s why:
- Gel food coloring is more concentrated than liquid food coloring, meaning you’ll need less to achieve a vibrant color.
- Since gel food coloring is thicker, it won’t thin out your mint dough as liquid food coloring might.
- The gel form allows for better control over the color intensity. You can start with a small amount and gradually increase it until you reach the desired shade.
As for the amount, it’s best to start with just a drop or two and then add more as needed. Keep in mind that the color often deepens a bit as it sets. You can always add more coloring, but it’s impossible to remove it once added. Be mindful of achieving the right balance – vibrant enough to be visually appealing, but not so much that it overwhelms the mint’s delicate appearance.
How long are they good for?
Buttermints are best stored in an airtight container to maintain their texture and flavor. At room temperature, ideally in a cool and dry place, they can be enjoyed for up to 2 weeks. If you prefer to refrigerate them, they’ll stay fresh for about a month. If needed, separate any layers of mints with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
Can you freeze buttermints?
Yes, buttermints can be frozen. Here’s how to do it:
- Place the candies in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them for about an hour. This prevents them from sticking together.
- Once they are individually frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or a freezer bag. Again, use parchment paper between layers.
- They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, thaw the candies in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Avoid exposing them to heat or direct sunlight while thawing.
notes & tips for this buttermint recipe
- If you’d like traditional round-shaped candies, you can follow the preparation instructions for these cream cheese mints instead. You can also use fun cookie-cutter shapes as seen with these strawberry cream cheese candies.
More FUn Candy Recipes
Homemade Buttermints
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint oil
- 4 cups powdered sugar, plus more for working dough
- gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), mix together butter, milk, and pure peppermint oil on medium speed until smooth, about 2-4 minutes.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons whole milk, 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint oil
- Reduce mixer speed to low and blend in powdered sugar, scooping in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup at a time. Keep mixing until sugar is incorporated and consistency is smooth.4 cups powdered sugar
- If using food coloring, divide dough into 1 bowl for per color. For each bowl, mix in a few drops of food coloring, stirring until color is consistent. Repeat as needed with other bowls.gel food coloring
- Dust your hands and a clean workspace with powdered sugar. Scoop out a golfball-sized piece of dough and roll it into a log, roughly 1/2 inch in diameter. Dust with more powdered sugar as necessary to reduce any stickiness. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut log into mints, roughly 1/2 inch in length. Transfer cut candies to prepared baking sheets. Repeat this step until all candies are formed. Dust formed candies with more powdered sugar (optional).
- Allow buttermints to completely air dry, about 2-4 hours or until firm.
- Serve as desired.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.