Description
These Irresistible Valentine’s Cream Cheese Mints are soft, pastel-colored candies bursting with creamy sweetness and subtle flavor. Made from a smooth blend of cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and your choice of flavor extracts, these delightful mints are perfect for gifting or enjoying as a festive treat. With a simple melt-and-mix method, you can easily customize colors and flavors, then shape and coat the mints for a beautiful presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 package cream cheese (8 oz, softened to room temperature)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 4 to 5 cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp preferred flavor extract (peppermint, vanilla, lemon, cherry, raspberry, or strawberry)
- Food coloring (optional, to achieve desired pastel shades)
- Granulated sugar (for coating, optional)
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Cream Cheese: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 1/4 cup butter completely. Add the softened 8 oz cream cheese and stir continuously until the cream cheese softens thoroughly and blends smoothly with the melted butter. The mixture should be soft and creamy, not fully melted.
- Mix in Powdered Sugar: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Gradually stir in 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, mixing thoroughly as you add. If the dough remains sticky, add up to 1 additional cup of powdered sugar incrementally until the dough feels like soft playdough that does not stick to your fingers.
- Flavor and Color the Dough: Divide the dough into portions based on how many flavors or colors you want. Add about 1/3 teaspoon of your chosen flavor extract to each portion and mix well. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to each portion and knead until the color is uniform throughout for a fun, colorful effect.
- Shape the Candies: For classic butter mint circles, scoop about 1/2 teaspoon of dough, roll into a ball, then flatten slightly with the back of a fork to create a scored pattern. Alternatively, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Lightly spray cutters with non-stick spray or dip in melted butter then granulated sugar to prevent sticking.
- Coat and Set the Mints: Optionally, roll shaped candies in granulated sugar to coat. Arrange the mints in a single layer on waxed paper and allow them to sit for a few hours until set and no longer sticky. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to keep fresh. The mints will be soft inside but firm enough on the outside to store together.
Notes
- Softened cream cheese and butter mix more easily, ensuring smooth texture.
- Adjust powdered sugar quantity for your preferred dough consistency but avoid making it too dry.
- Flavor extracts can be mixed and matched for variety.
- Use pastel food coloring for a traditional Valentine’s look.
- Storing in the refrigerator prolongs freshness and prevents softening.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 mints (about 15 grams)
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
