For my first post of 2019 (still not used to writing that), I am sharing with you a homemade peppermint patties recipe that is SUPER EASY to make and tastes better than any store-bought brand! Seriously, they're SO good!
how to make homemade peppermint patties
This homemade peppermint patties recipe comes together very easily using only confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and evaporated milk. Oh, and of course the chocolate too.????
First you mix the confectioners sugar and softened butter together, then add in the milk and the extracts.
After you've chilled the peppermint patty dough, you can use any size circle cutter to cut out the rounds, but I found that using the 1.5" cookie cutter works best. You can see the Ateco 1.5" circle cutter I used in the image above, which comes in a set with 10 other sizes to choose from.
If you don't have circle cutters, you can try using the top of a medicine bottle or you can roll the peppermint patty dough into 1" balls and slightly flatten with the bottom of a glass.
tips for working with peppermint patty dough
- The key with this recipe is keeping the peppermint patty dough COLD. As cold as you possibly can! Freezing the dough for as long as possible after rolling it out will help you when it comes time to cutting out the rounds. An hour is good, several hours is even better, and overnight...well overnight is the best (it's what I did ????).
- Having a non-stick surface to roll out the dough will help to keep the wax paper from moving around too much. I like to use my Tovolo Mat for recipes like this. It's great for rolling out pie crust too!
- Generously add confectioners sugar on top of the wax paper and to the rolling pin which will help the peppermint patty dough from sticking to your rolling pin and everything else.
- In addition to the above, it's good to coat your circle cutter with confectioners sugar.
- After cutting out the peppermint patty rounds, it's a good idea to freeze them again. You don't have to do it for as long (30 minutes would be fine), but again, freezing them longer will keep them from falling apart as you dip them into the melted chocolate.
check out all my chocolate recipes!
homemade peppermint patties
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 1.5 hours chilling time)
- Cook Time: 30 minutes (for chocolate dipping)
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: Approx. 25 peppermint patties
- Category: Chocolate
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Incredible homemade peppermint patties, covered in a rich dark chocolate, taste even better than any store-bought brand! This is a recipe that comes together easily and a wonderful treat you can gift to friends, co-workers, family members, or neighbors!
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cup (or 1, 1 lb. box) Confectioners Sugar, firmly packed
- 3 tbsp. Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1/4 cup Evaporated Milk
- 2 tsp. Peppermint Extract
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1, 12 oz. bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Square of Paraffin Wax - OR - 2 tbsp. Shortening (both will thin the chocolate, but the paraffin wax will add some shine)
Instructions
- Using your hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the confectioners sugar and butter together on low speed.
- Add in the evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Switch the mixer speed to medium and beat together until well blended.
- Generously sprinkle confectioners sugar over a sheet of wax paper and roll out the peppermint patty dough to the thickness of your liking (I rolled mine out to approx. 1/4" thick).
- Place the peppermint patty dough onto a baking sheet and freeze for about an hour. The colder the dough is, the easier it will be to cut out the rounds.
- Remove the dough from the freezer and cut out each round with a circle cutter that's been coated in confectioners sugar. Place rounds on a sheet of wax paper and freeze again for about 30 minutes. See my notes for an alternate step.
- Using a double boiler, fill the bottom pan with 1" of water and turn the heat on low. Melt the paraffin wax first, then add in the chocolate. Stir continuously until completely melted.
- Working as quickly as possible, with a fork or candy making tools, take a peppermint patty round and dip it in the melted chocolate. Gently tap the fork on the edge of the double boiler a few times to allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the pan. Then place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat until you've covered each peppermint patty round in the chocolate.
- Place in the freezer to allow the chocolate to firm up.
- Peppermint patties are best kept in the freezer stored in an airtight container, layered with wax paper. They will pretty much keep indefinitely in the freezer!
Notes
- You can choose to roll out the peppermint patty dough on wax paper and then immediately cut out the rounds before freezing them. If you go this route, make sure to use a lot of confectioners sugar so it doesn't stick to the circle cutter. Freeze the peppermint patty round for a minimum of 1 hour. The colder the rounds are the better they will hold up when you dip them in the melted chocolate.
- I used a 4 oz. can of evaporated milk (the smallest I could find) so with the remaining amount, I chose to make another batch of peppermint patties.
- Recipe adapted from A Taste of Bedminster Elementary cookbook.
Keywords: homemade peppermint patties, peppermint patties, chocolate, dark chocolate, peppermint, peppermint patty, easy dessert recipes
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SarahB says
For a mint & chocolate lover, this recipe is dangerously good! I used a chest freezer all afternoon for the slab and then overnight for the rounds so they were thoroughly frozen. Literally my only note is that next time I'll split the rounds between 2 pans so I could keep half frozen while dipping half in the chocolate. I drizzled with white chocolate but they are super delicious no matter how you finish them (or even without chocolate honestly lol). Huge thumbs up! Also - I did have a few daydreams about other flavors that could be good...raspberry? coconut?
★★★★★
Jennifer says
Ooh I like the idea of both of those flavors! Especially the raspberry! Will work on that one soon!! I'm so glad you loved these Sarah! Stay warm!
Sheila says
I always have trouble dipping a chilled candy piece into warm melted chocolate, yet I see those instructions frequently. Any tips?
Jennifer says
The dipping part can definitely be tricky sometimes, depending on the size of the candy too. But chilling it beforehand definitely helps to keep it together for a bit longer. I always like do one piece of candy at a time and roll it around quickly using either forks or candy dipping tools. Then when I lift up, I tap the fork or candy dipping tool alongside of the saucepan to take off any excess. Then I carefully place it on the wax paper. Hope this helps!