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Homemade Peppermint Patties

By Melissa

on Dec 14, 2018, Updated Jan 25, 2020

How to make homemade peppermint patties with just 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

Who else loves making simple candies during the holidays? I sure do and homemade peppermint patties are one of my all-time favorites to make and eat. They are super easy to make with simple ingredients that I always have on hand. They are so easy, in fact, that this recipe is one that I let my kids make or help with often. Who doesn’t love a chance to dip things in chocolate?

You make a peppermint “dough” from powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk, melted butter, and peppermint extract. It’s about the texture of play dough and very easy to work with. You can even dye it green with food coloring if you want a minty green middle to your candy. Then you roll the peppermint mixture into balls, place them on a baking sheet and flatten them into disks with a cup. The flattening is a great job for kids, too. After a quick chill, you dip the patties in chocolate and let them set. All done!

I like this recipe because it makes lots and lots of peppermint patty candies and then we put them on our friend and neighbor goodie plates. If you don’t need dozens of candies, feel free to half this recipe to meet your needs. They do freeze well, though, and are delicious eaten cold.

Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Peppermint Patties

• You have a lot of flexibility on how big the peppermint patty is going to be. I like to make mine on the smaller side but really, make them however you like to eat them. I like the mini York Peppermint Patties much more than the big ones, so I make them smaller! Do what’s good for you; they all taste delicious when all is said and done.
• I like to make these the day before I plan on serving them (or even farther in advance – they keep great in the freezer), to give the chocolate and peppermint time to meld and mingle.
• When looking for chocolate to dip these in, do not be tempted to buy the chocolate “bark” for dipping. It’s not really much of a chocolate at all and is terribly waxy. Buy a large chunk of chocolate and break it up to melt. The chocolate I used was the same price per pound as the chocolate bark, but much tastier. You can often find large chocolate pieces sold by the pound, intended for dipping, in the baking aisle or near the pretzels.
• Speaking of chocolate for dipping. Ghirardelli makes chocolate melting wafers (my sister-in-law introduced me to them) and they work fabulously for this kind of thing and are delicious. The “dark” isn’t really dark at all. It’s more of a dark colored milk chocolate, still very sweet. That’s what I used on the homemade peppermint patties in the pictures.

How long do homemade peppermint patties last?

Homemade peppermint patties will last for 2 weeks in an air-tight container at room temperature, 1 month in an air-tight container in the fridge, and up to 6 months in an air-tight container in the freezer.

You can also use them in recipes like you would store bought peppermint patties – they are great additions to brownies and cookies!

Homemade Peppermint Patties

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• Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 min
• Yield: 8 dozen medium peppermint patties 1x

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Description

How to make homemade peppermint patties with just 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

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Ingredients

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• 6 cups powdered sugar (1 1/2 pounds)
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 pounds milk or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

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Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and extract. Beat well. You should have a “dough” similar to a play dough. If the mixture is crumbly, add a little more milk or butter.
2. Shape the peppermint “dough” into 1/2 inch balls and place them on a baking mat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
3. Use the bottom of a cup or measuring cup to flatten the dough to form patties.
4. Freeze the prepared patties for 30 minutes. (If your baking sheet doesn’t fit in your freezer, just refrigerate them. Chilled is good enough).
5. When your patties are chilled, prepare your chocolate.
6. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt half of the chocolate in the microwave on half power OR use a double boiler method on your stove top.
7. Stir the chocolate and watch until all the lumps are gone.
8. Dip the patties into the chocolate, tapping off the excess. Place on waxed paper until set.
9. Repeat with the other half of the chocolate and peppermint middles.
10. When the chocolate is set, remove from the waxed paper and store in an air-tight container. If your kitchen is warm, you might want to store them in the fridge.

Notes

• You have a lot of flexibility on how big the peppermint patty is going to be. I like to make mine on the smaller side but really, make them however you like to eat them. I like the mini York Peppermint Patties much more than the big ones, so I make them smaller! Do what’s good for you; they all taste delicious when all is said and done.
• I like to make these the day before I plan on serving them (or even farther in advance – they keep great in the freezer), to give the chocolate and peppermint time to meld and mingle.
• When looking for chocolate to dip these in, do not be tempted to buy the chocolate “bark” for dipping. It’s not really much of a chocolate at all and is terribly waxy. Buy a large chunk of chocolate and break it up to melt. The chocolate I used was the same price per pound as the chocolate bark, but much tastier. You can often find large chocolate pieces sold by the pound, intended for dipping, in the baking aisle or near the pretzels.
• Speaking of chocolate for dipping. Ghirardelli makes chocolate melting wafers (my sister-in-law introduced me to them) and they work fabulously for this kind of thing and are delicious. The “dark” isn’t really dark at all. It’s more of a dark-colored milk chocolate, still very sweet. That’s what I used on the homemade peppermint patties in the pictures.

• Prep Time: 45 min
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Category: Candy, Desserts
• Method: Freezer
• Cuisine: American

Love easy no-bake recipes like this one? You might also like these:

• No-Bake Chocolate-Covered Fluffernutter Cookies
• 8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
• Easy Healthy No-Bake Cheesecake
• No-Bake Potato Candy from Creme de la Crumb

I like to keep little baggies stashed in the freezer just for me. These are so great cold! Enjoy these chocolate and peppermint treats from my house to yours.