Homemade Peppermint Patties
Cute, delicious, and perfect for the holidays, these homemade peppermint patties are so easy to make (video tutorial included in post!).
Homemade peppermint patties have been on my bucket list of things to make for years.
They are my mom’s favorite treat. (I’m pretty sure she keeps them in the freezer because apparently frozen peppermint patties are delightful and are harder to find for unsuspecting treat-seeking souls)
Turns out, making homemade peppermint patties is actually pretty darn easy.
The peppermint dough for the filling is wonderfully easy to work with and if you have a spare fork and butter knife handy, the dipping is a breeze, too.
I kept these refrigerated, as the recipe states, and even though it makes a bazillion, after gifting some to nether parts of our neighborhood, we had no trouble devouring the rest.
The white center is creamy and sweet and the rich dark chocolate cuts the minty mintness perfectly. Personally, I preferred the ones not topped with crushed mint candies but I’ll leave that up to you (the sprinkle of candy definitely helps out the pretty factor).
How to Package Homemade Peppermint Patties
To package these, I stuff a square of parchment into the bottom and up the sides of a cute tin bucket, fill it up with peppermint patties and tie the handle with a bit of twine.
I have found the tin buckets at Hobby Lobby, Oriental Trading has them for about $9/dozen and Amazon has a variety to offer also.
If you don’t want to use tin buckets, these little peppermint patties would do just fine in a treat bag (like the ones used for the caramel popcorn).
Homemade Peppermint Patty FAQ’s
They will keep about a week well-covered in the refrigerator (maybe a bit longer, although they taste the best/freshest within a week in my opinion). The peppermint patties can be frozen for longer – probably a month or so.
Shortening or another mild flavored, creamy, solid oil.
They are fine at cool room temperature, but keep longer and taste best if they are refrigerated.
The amount of powdered sugar is correct, but make sure you measure with a light hand (if you weigh your ingredients, it will be about 30 ounces). If the measuring cup is packed with dense powdered sugar, it will be too much. Fluff the powdered sugar in the bag/container, scoop in the measuring cup and then level off with a straight edge.
I haven’t tried that but many people in the comments have said they roll the peppermint patty dough into a log before refrigerating and then cut with a serrated knife or dental floss before dipping.
I haven’t tried subbing another ingredient, but you could experiment with honey or another sweet syrup (if it is dark colored, keep in mind it will lessen the bright whiteness of the peppermint patties. For the evaporated milk, you could try using half and half.
One Year Ago: Chocolate Shortbread Fingers
Two Years Ago: Chile Lime Popcorn
Three Years Ago: Root Beer Float Fudge
Homemade Peppermint Patties
Ingredients
- 7 ½ cups (855 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin or refined coconut oil, softened or melted
- ¼ teaspoon food-grade peppermint essential oil or 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (see note)
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate, chopped
- Crushed peppermint candies for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, milk, corn syrup, coconut oil and peppermint on low speed until combined. Shape the dough into two round circles, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle a liberal amount of powdered sugar on a clean countertop or on a piece of parchment paper. Unwrap one disk of dough and place it on the counter or parchment. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar, too. Roll the peppermint patty dough to about 1/4-inch thick and cut into rounds with about a 1 7/8-inch or similar-sized cutter.
- Reroll the scraps until all of the dough is used. Repeat with second disk of dough. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes or overnight.
- Melt the chocolate (I use the microwave on 50% power and cook for 1-minute increments, stirring in between; I melt until it is mostly melted but there are still a few small lumps of chocolate – I stir these in until fully melted. This will help to avoid blooming on the set chocolate.)
- Using a fork, dip the frozen patty rounds one-by-one into the chocolate. Tap the handle of the fork on the side of the bowl to drizzle off the excess chocolate, scrape the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl and gently place the dipped patties on parchment-lined baking sheets using a butter knife to gently slide the patty off the fork if needed.
- Sprinkle the dipped patties with crushed mints, if using. Let the chocolate set, about an hour. Store patties in the refrigerator.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cuisine at Home December 2013 (used coconut oil instead of shortening)
For all of you struggling with dry dough it is VERY important to sift the powdered sugar! We measured 7 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and then sifted it. After sifting 7 and 1/2 cups there were still about 2 cups (unsighted) left over. I imagine this is the problem people are having with dry dough. The recipe is PERFECT as long as the sugar is freshly sifted.
How do your patties keep their shape when you dip in chocolate? As soon as my frozen patties (8 hours) hit the warm chocolate they melt and loose their shape. Thoughts?
It might be possible that your chocolate is too warm – can you try letting it cool a bit more (still dippable but not so warm that it melts the patties)?
Same here- my chocolate was tempered and the patties were difficult to work with. The patties cool the chocolate so frequent reheating is necessary.
I followed the recipe but it wasn’t doughy at all-it was just really crumbly. Help!
How do you measure your powdered sugar? It should be light and fluffy when scooped into the measuring cup otherwise if there’s too much powdered sugar in the dough, it can be crumbly. You can try drizzling in evaporated milk or water to see if that might help.
How long do they keep? Can you make these ahead of time
Yes, you can make them ahead of time – probably keep pretty well about a week in the fridge.
Mel .. I just started these .. but to the part where you shape the dough into two rounds? Do you use your hands?! Is it supposed to be a gunky mess?! I don’t think I’ve ever been in such a mess save maybe a paper mache exercise with a 5 yr old!! They are in the fridge now maybe the situation will improve?
Hey Kimber – yes, I do use my hands…and while the dough is soft, it shouldn’t be super sticky. Hmmm. Let me know what happens when it comes out of the fridge – did it set up better?
Can you tell me if the corn syrup can be easily omitted, or if there is a good substitute for it? I’m looking forward to making these for this holiday season!
You could try another liquid sweetener but corn syrup is the best option I’ve found for no color and also for texture.
I made this recipe and loved it. I cut it in half and still got about 40. I made the thin mint. I will be adding this to my cookie list for this year. Im always looking for something quick and easy. Thank you so much.
I can’t use coconut oil because I’m allergic to coconut is there a substitute I can use?
You can try shortening or another creamy solid oil
I made these and they came out wonderfully! Great recipe. I’ve definitely used it again.
Love it Mel! Your recipes are awesome. I did run into 1 problem though… my melted chocolate was not enough for the whole batch! I had to use melted milk chocolate chips I had on hand. Good, but not as good as the recommended chocolate. Should I use my chocolate more sparingly next time? Thanks!
Maybe a thinner coat next time…or just plan on more from the beginning. Different varieties of chocolate have different consistencies after melting which means some are thicker and don’t go quite as far as a thinner-melting chocolate, if that makes sense (some of that is how cool/warm the chocolate is while dipping, too).
Thanks! I’ll try that next time! Keep posting recipes!!!
I am going to use this recipe again! By the way I’m 12 and this is super easy to make! I used Christmas tree shaped cookie cutters instead of circles and they turned out great. Totally delicious!
I accidentally posted this twice.
That’s ok! Way to go, Camille!
This recipe made a lot of delicious peppermint patties. I am even going to use this recipe again! By the way I’m 12 and this is super easy to make!
I made these today and used a small piece of plastic plumbing fitting to cut out perfect circles. It worked perfect and if they got stuck I could gently push them out the other end and keep the perfect circle shape.
I am dipping them tomorrow along with some other Christmas treats. I have high hopes they will be amazing!
Hi,
I have a pretty dumb question. Do you melt the coconut oil first, or leave it solid? I’m new to the whole baking with coconut oil thing. I can’t wait to try these though!
Claire
I watched the video and the coconut oil was not melted. 🙂 Hope this helps! Happy Baking and Merry Christmas, Claire!
Hi Claire – I don’t melt it first.
I’m not sure why others are complaining about this recipe – I think they are easy and FANTASTIC. Best Christmas treat. I’ve been making them ever since you posted them and they are or favorites.
This is a great recipe!! The only thing I changed was that I added a little extra peppermint oil.
I was really excited to make these as I use to own a bakery! And I did try the recipe, but these are wayyy to complicated! Especially for people who just want to make an easy Christmas gift for friends…this should be down to 3 ingredients only, peppermint oil, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and icing sugar! That’s it, it’s way too much icing sugar and way to much time! You actually don’t need to let these dry, if you have peanut butter molds or other molds, just add the melted chocolate, freeze for a couple mins, take out, roll the peppermint patties in hand add to molds freeze for a couple more mins, and add chocolate to the top and freeze for a couple more mins…this did not take me anymore than an hour and a half Total start to finish…I was going to add a picture of them but I don’t see the attachment anywhere, it is nice to see the effort and I am happy you put them up! I just think it’s to much for a recipe that is so simple…
My dad loves peppermint patties so I made this for him for Christmas. Thank you so much! They turned out delicious.
There is a BIG mistake in this recipe. Mixed as directed, is has the consistency of powdered sugar. I doubled the amount of liquid ingredients. Not much improvement. Now I have spent my time and $ with a brick of white cement to show for it. I just looked at the video, and it there is only a small amount of powdered sugar in the bowl. I don’t know how anyone could leave this recipe as written any kind of positive review. I’m sure it is a typo and am guessing it should be ONE and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, not SEVEN and 1/2.
Sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, Tracy. The powdered sugar amount is correct in the recipe (and in the video – it may not look like 7 1/2 cups, but the bowl is large and the video shows the exact recipe being made). Were you able to sift the sugar? Also, if you have a kitchen scale, you can try measuring out 34 ounces of powdered sugar – it’s easy to overmeasure powdered sugar, and that may be the problem.
I made this recipe today and it came out perfect, just as written. Can’t wait to share them with family and friends!
Wondering if I would be able to cut this recipe in half? 50 is way too many for what I need.
Sure.
I made these today with the lard due to allergies, they turned out great. Had difficulty with the dipped patty sliding off the fork so changed to a cocktail fork and they slid off easier. They taste great. Now onto the Twixster cookies.
Is the amount of powdered sugar correct? I made this and it turned out hard as a rock. Other recipes I looked out don’t have this amount of sugar. This recipe was a bust for me, what a waste!
Yes, the powdered sugar amount is correct. Sorry they didn’t work out for you!
I’m sorry too. Wish I knew what I did wrong. Oh well, on to other recipes to try!
How long can they stay unrefrigerated? I wanted to give them as gifts.
As long as it isn’t overly warm, they are probably fine for a couple hours.
Hi Mel – dumb question on the recipe…is that 7 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar or 7 -1/2 cups of powdered sugar??
It is 7 and 1/2 cups
Turned out excellent! Thank you.
Making these today while I’m home with a sick kiddo. I tried rolling into a log and using my Rada bread knife (which, by the way, you suggested I buy and I’ve never been happier with a purchase! I did wonder though if I was dulling it to cut the patties?). That method worked really well, although my type A personality questioned if it was okay to not have perfect circles. But then I thought, “who am I kidding? I’m not giving any away!” Last year I froze a batch at Christmas and they lasted me till May. Thank you for a winning recipe!
This recipe was a hit at my cookie swap.
I had a hard time keeping the chocolate melted fully, it kept clumping on me, but it still turned out great.
I also did another batch using raspberry emulsion instead of peppermint extract, and red food colouring to make the cream filling pink, they turned out AMAZING!
What a fun variation, Lynne!
Do they need to be refrigerated?
I think they taste best refrigerated, but they can stay at room temperature for a little while, too.
This is a great recipe! Worked perfectly and everyone loved them.
Could I use regular milk ? Or does it have to be evaporated milk ?
Evaporated milk is definitely the best for texture and flavor – but if you don’t have it, I’d suggest half and half as a sub.
Can you use heavy cream?
You can definitely experiment with subs for the evaporated milk but I’ve had the best luck using it.
Approximately how many patties do you get out of one recipe?
The yield is right above the recipe title – about 50 peppermint patties.
Do these freeze well? Looking to make them a few weeks before an event!
I think others have frozen them with good success.
I am allergic to coconut, is there a substitution that will work?
You could try shortening maybe?
I wanted the make there for Christmas but I am so afraid that If I freeze them the dark chocolate will be ruined and have white spots. I know recipe states you can freeze them but has anyone been successful with the mints still looking fresh?
I froze mine and they turned out great
I make these a lot and everybody loves them.
Oh my goodness. My daughter loves peppermint patties and my mother in law is gluten free…. This will be perfect for them both!!
My filling tastes like toothpaste. I used McCormick Peppermint Extract, and adding more to my filling doesn’t improve the taste. Has anyone else had this issue?
Add less next time
Has anyone made these using extract? I made the filling using McCormick Peppermint Extract and it tastes like toothpaste. I have added additional extract but it doesn’t seem to change/improve the taste. Any suggestions?
I would suggest (if you can) using a different brand of extract, or using oil instead.
Hi Mel,
How long would you say these keep for? Making them as gifts and don’t want to make too far in advance. Thanks.
Well covered, they should be fine up to a week (or frozen for even longer).
Hi Mel, I just made these. Delicious! However, the chocolate was too thick for dipping easily so I was basically frosting each one, almost as I would a cupcake. Otherwise, each one had waaayyy too much chocolate. It also took so long that I had to keep warming it up and the last few trays aren’t so pretty, but they are still yummy. I used Guittard chips. I’m wondering if I can try again with Lisa’s suggestion above, adding some oil or shortening while melting. Any other suggestions? Thanks for your wonderful site. It is my go to, for sure!!!
Sure, you could add a bit of shortening or butter to the chocolate and see if that helps.
I live in England but I only use Lindt chocolates when making any chocolate goodies as a lot of chocolate goes thick and clumpy
Try adding a little bit of flavorless oil that helps with my chocolate
I made these and rolled the dough into logs before refrigerating them. To cut them into patties, I used dental floss…worked great!!! Thanks for the recipes!!
Fabulous idea!
so smart! Thanks for the tip!
Hi!
What is the difference in taste or in the recipe when using coconut oil vs. shortening? I am worried that there will be a slight coconut taste.
Yes, there is a slight coconut taste if using unrefined coconut oil…but if using refined coconut oil, there shouldn’t be a noticeable coconut taste.
I bet if you roll into logs to slice using an electric knife may make the cuts smoother, but I haven’t tried it…
If subbing honey for corn syrup , are the amounts the same?
Yes, it should be.
Oh My Yumminess! I can’t wait to make these! I always keep a box of Junior Mints or some York Peppermint patties in the freezer. Need an easy no bake recipe for 10 dozen treats and this is the one I will use!
I think I’m going to try these this weekend. Do you think I could just roll dough into a cylindrical shape and slice it thin?
Could certainly try (although the dough is pretty soft).
OK great I’ll let you know how they come out 🙂
Can’t wait to try .
I would like to make these for Christmas gifts but am wondering how far in advance I could make these. Christmas is always a hetic time and anything I can do in advance is a sure bonus!
They can be made and dipped at least a week in advance…and the peppermint patties can be frozen, undipped (and even dipped) for months.
Excellent! Thanks! I’m very excited to make them!
Hi Mel, I just made these… they are FABULOUS but I only made half of them… do you think I could freeze one of the balls?
Yep!
If you have trouble with your chocolate not staying thin you should try adding 2 tablespoonfuls of vegetable shortening to the chocolate WHILE melting it. You could also try melting your chocolate in a small crock pot on low, then switch it to KEEP WARM while dipping your candies. Love the recipe, btw.
If you have trouble with your chocolate not staying think you should try adding 2 tablespoonfuls of vegetable shortening to the chocolate WHILE melting it. You could also try melting your chocolate in a small crock pot on low, then switch it to KEEP WARM while dipping your candies. Love the recipe, btw.