4.92 from 25 votes

Butter Mints

Name: Butter Mints
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 195 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened); 4 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream; Food coloring (optional)

By Sam MerrittPublished Dec 30, 2019

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86 Comments

Servings: 200 mints

3 hrs 15 mins

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How to make creamy, melt-in-your-mouth Butter Mints! This is a simple 6 ingredient recipe that can be made in any color with the addition of food coloring. Also commonly known as “wedding mints” these are popular at bridal and baby showers.

Pink and white buttermints made from my butter mints recipe

Butter Mints

Much like with the cream cheese mints that I shared just a little while ago, I would bet you’ve had these butter mints before. They’re very similar, actually, only made (surprise) without the cream cheese and with more butter. Who would’ve thought, right?

Simple to make with just 6 ingredients, butter mints are soft, creamy, melt-in-your mouth little mints that make great after dinner mints. They’re also very popular at bridal showers, baby showers, and weddings, and you might have even heard them called “wedding mints” before.

If Zach had it his way we would have a never-ending supply of them in the house. He doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth but the man could eat buttermints all day, every day. A single batch makes about 200 (yes, two hundred!) but he’s a very dedicated mint fan and works his way through quickly.

Ingredients for making butter mints

What are Butter Mints Made of?

Butter (well of course, right?). I like to use unsalted butter and then add salt for flavor. You can read more about why I choose to do it this way in my salted vs. unsalted butter post.
Salt. Just a pinch. See above!
Powdered sugar. You will need a lot of powdered sugar to make butter mints.
Peppermint extract. As with my cream cheese mints, I recommend using a peppermint extract and not a “mint” extract, which to me tastes more like toothpaste. If you like a stronger mint flavor you can certainly increase the amount, but start with less and then add more as needed.
Vanilla extract. Just a splash adds a great depth of flavor to these mints.
Heavy cream. This isn’t necessarily a standard butter mint ingredient, but it’s one I really love to use. It helps make these melt-in-your-mouth mints even smoother and creamier. You only need a tiny bit for today’s recipe.

And, of course, there’s the optional ingredient of food coloring. I used a drop of red liquid food coloring to color these mints pink. While I usually prefer gel food coloring, the liquid colors work well here to give our mints a pretty, classic, pastel appearance.

Making butter mints: roll into strips then cut into pieces

How to Make Butter Mints

Butter mints are incredibly simple to make. It’s almost like making a minty vanilla frosting, only thicker. Because the “dough” (batter?) will becomes so thick (due to all the sugar we’re adding) I strongly recommend that you use a stand mixer or electric mixer. You’ll combine all your ingredients and stir until they’re completely combined and you have a stiff but smooth, playdough-like consistency. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently so all of the sugar becomes absorbed.

This recipe calls for 4 cups of powdered sugar, but if you find that the dough is still sticky after adding all of your sugar simply continue to add more until you reach the desired consistency. On the other hand, if your dough is crumbly and just not coming together no matter how much you stir, you can salvage things by adding a splash more heavy cream (just a teaspoon or two at a time).

How to Store Butter Mints:

Once prepared, butter mints can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. For best results store in a cool, dry place. They will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a month, or in the freezer for several months.

Pink and white butter mints in a glass jar

Enjoy!

More Recipes You Might Like:

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4.92 from 25 votes

Butter Mints

A classic Butter Mint recipe that can be made in any color. Also commonly known as "wedding mints" these are popular at bridal and baby showers.

Be sure to check out the how-to video below the recipe!

Prep: 15

Setting Time: 3

Total: 3 15

Servings: mints

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Ingredients

▢ 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
▢ 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
▢ 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
▢ 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream
▢ Food coloring, optional

Instructions

Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use a large bowl and an electric mixer, but the mint dough becomes very stiff so I do recommend using an electric mixer rather than stirring by hand) and beat briefly until creamy.
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
Turn mixer to low-speed. Gradually add two cups (250g) of powdered sugar, stirring until combined.
4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar
Add extracts and salt and stir well, until completely combined.
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
Add heavy cream and stir, gradually increase mixer speed to medium.
1 1/2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Turn mixer to low-speed and gradually add remaining 2 cups (250g) powdered sugar until completely combined. Be sure to pause and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are well-combined.
If mixture is still sticky at all, add additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until no longer sticky and you’ve achieved a playdough-like consistency.
If desired, color with food coloring at this point.
Food coloring
Break off about 1-2 Tablespoons of mint dough and roll between your palms into a ½” thick log. Place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet and use a sharp knife to cut into pieces between ¼-½” long. Repeat until you have rolled and cut all of your dough.
Allow to sit (uncovered) at room temperature for several hours until dry and then transfer to an airtight container. Keep mints in a single layer with a sheet of wax paper between layers. Mints will keep in a cool dry place at room temperature for up to two weeks or up to a month in the refrigerator.