These melt-in-your-mouth cream cheese mints are a Southern staple and the perfect bite-sized, sweetest treat for all special occasions. Made with just 5 simple ingredients, like cream cheese, butter, and vanilla bean paste...they're tender, smooth, and soft with that classic fork-pressed crisscross look. Perfect for coloring to match the holidays or a baby shower.

Have you ever attended a baby or bridal shower in the South where a bowl of butter mints or cream cheese mints isn't present? Absolutely not! They are a must-have staple like chicken salad or pimento cheese dip. It's just in our DNA to serve these classic dishes for special occasions.

And these mints, I cannot control myself with them. Gosh, they are so good. Every time I walk by them, I just pop one in my mouth. They are so smooth and chewy, and just a tiny bite of something so sweet and special.

Use the smallest amount of food coloring (to keep the classic pastel coloring) to color in as many or few colors as possible to match the occasion - a couple of ideas could be:

red and green for Christmas
blue or pink for a baby shower
Specific wedding colors for a bride
Any pastels for Easter
....or pink and blue for FSS specific colors!

You get the drift and my obsession - let me show you how to make these so you can add such a special and custom touch to your soiree!

⭐️PRO TIP⭐️ I actually prefer these with just a solid vanilla flavor - but if you would like, you can add ¼ teaspoon of mint extract* or a subtle minty flavor. I like to use a vanilla bean paste* as opposed to just extract for this most pure and robust vanilla flavor - but I LOVE the little vanilla bean specks you get in the mints too! 😍

butter and cream cheese in a mixer — Start by creaming together your room temp butter and cream cheese...

creaming together butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer — ...mix until completely smooth.

adding vanilla bean paste to a sand mixer with butter and cream cheese. — Add in your vanilla bean paste and salt...

Adding powdered sugar to butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer. — Finally, add in the powdered sugar. Add 1 cup at a time, scraping down the sides in between each mix.

Mixing together the dough for cream cheese mints in a stand mixer. — It will be quite a thick "dough" - but mix until mostly combined.

The dough for cream cheese mints on a kitchen counter. — I like to finish by kneading with my hands on a counter to bring it into a smooth ball.

Kneading together the dough for cream cheese mints on a kitchen counter. — Add powdered sugar to the counters to prevent sticking and knead until smooth.

Dividing the dough for cream cheese mints in thirds to be colored. — If coloring, divide into even sections of desired amounts of colors.

Adding a little bit of food coloring to cream cheese mint dough. — Add the tiniest amount of food coloring to the center of a dough ball...

Kneading for coloring in cream cheese mint dough to make it pastel pink. — ...knead with your hands (and add more powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking) until the color is evenly distributed throughout.

white, blue and pink sections of cream cheese mint dough. — Repeat with remaining colors.

⭐️PRO TIP ⭐️I like to use this teeny tiny cookie scoop* to help make these mints. It helps keep them in an even size for me personally, and this sized scoop is the PERFECT amount IMO.

Scooping out cream cheese mints with a tiny cooking scoop. — Using the cookie scoop, scoop out even dough balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper...

Making a crisscrosss pattern on cream cheese mints with a fork. — ...roll each ball in your hands until they are smooth. Then, using a fork, gently press into a criss-cross pattern across the top.

Letting cream cheese mints air dry on baking sheets. — Let air dry to set up on the counter for 8-12 hours.

Cream cheese candy mints in a candy dish. — When they are dried, serve in a candy dish or keep covered airtight in the fridge until ready to serve.

Recipe

Melt in Your Mouth Cream Cheese Mints

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Author: Heather Bilyeu
Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes
Yield: approx. 68 mints

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

4 Ounces Cream Cheese - room temperature
1 Tablesoon Butter - room temperature
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
⅛ Teaspoon Salt
4 Cups Powdered Sugar + ½ Cup more for rolling
food coloring colors of choice

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Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and butter together with a hand mixer until smooth.
Mix in the vanilla bean paste and salt until combined.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition until a soft dough forms. The mixture should be thick but still pliable.
Place the dough onto a counter and knead with your hands until it comes together in a smooth ball - you may need more powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
If desired, divide the dough into equal and separate sections. Add a small amount of desired food coloring to a sectioned, smaller ball. Knead by hand to incorporate the color throughout the dough, adding more powdered sugar as needed to prevent sticking. A bench scrapper can come in handy here if needed, too.
Using a small .5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out small dough balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once they are all scooped out, roll them in your hands to make a smooth ball, then press the tops gently with a fork to create the signature crisscross pattern.
Let the mints air-dry at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
Place in a candy dish to serve or in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minute
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 mint
Calories: 35
Sugar: 7 g
Sodium: 9.7 mg
Fat: 0.7 g
Carbohydrates: 7.2 g
Fiber: 0 g
Protein: 0.1 g
Cholesterol: 2.1 mg

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