You’re going to love this Easy Christmas Peppermint Patties recipe! Super easy to make, fantastically festive, and always a hit with kids and adults alike. These holiday treats are the perfect addition to cookie trays and make an excellent gift for teachers and friends!
Looking for more quick and easy Christmas treats? Try this Christmas Bark, Christmas Crack and Snow Day Snack Mix!
Can you believe we are 12 DAYS from Christmas? I know this for a fact because the boys like to ask me hourly…. I never forget what day it is during the month of December 🙂 The house is finally all decked out and I’m debating whether to put the boxes up in the garage OR just leave them on the floor in the garage since I’ll be putting everything back up in 13 days.
Yikes! That was depressing 🙁 No, we’ll keep all the decorations up for at least week after Christmas 🙂
Well we are finally getting around to planning this year’s cookie trays and teacher’s gifts and I’m sure you are too. I have the easiest, most delightful recipe to share with you today – Easy Christmas Peppermint Patties.
These patties take no time at all, don’t require any baking, use only a few ingredients and are guaranteed to put a smile on anyone’s face. Yes, guaranteed. Now for those of you who aren’t peppermint-crazy like I am, consider using a different flavored extract. Cherry for the red is always delicious and I actually made the green ones with mint extract which I find to be perfect for Christmas time.
The dough is made up with just a few ingredients that you knead together with your hands. This is where you add in the extract of your choice. Start with just a couple drops to start and add more as necessary until you reach your desired intensity of flavor. If you want to do three different colors like I did just separate the dough into three balls.. Or four. Or two. Your choice 🙂 Add food coloring of your choice. I find the gel and paste work best. If you only have liquid food coloring you will have to add in more coloring and more powdered sugar so that the dough isn’t super sticky.
Roll into small balls and then roll in the sugar. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and press down with a fork. It’s really that incredibly easy. Keep going…
And going…
Until you are done!
These little candies will be the easiest treats you make all season and your kids will have fun helping AND eating them when they’re ready to go 🙂
More Christmas Treats
- Martha Washington Candies
- Peppermint Fudge
- Buttermilk Pecan Pralines
- Divinity Candy
- Homemade Gumdrops
- M&Ms Marshmallow Dream Bars
How To Make Christmas Peppermint Patties
Easy Christmas Peppermint Patties
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract or mint extract or any other extract you want
- 4 cups powdered sugar divided
- food coloring preferably gel or paste
- ½ cup granulated sugar to roll balls in
Instructions
- Combine butter and corn syrup together in a small bowl.
- Stir in your extract of choice.
- Add 2 cups powdered sugar and mix until well combined.
- Stir in an additional cup of powdered sugar.
- Knead the mixture until the powdered sugar is absorbed and the dough is completely smooth, adding additional powdered sugar if needed.
- Divide dough into three portions.
- Tint one portion red with the red food color/gel and one green. Leave one portion white. If the dough gets sticky, knead in more powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Shape into 3/4 inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.
- Flatten gently with a fork.
- Let candies stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 1 day.
- Store in an airtight container.
jackie says
I tried these! And mission FAILED!! I have ate them before and loved them so when I found the recipe I was so excited. When I put them on the cutting board to knead out, it just all stuck to me!! Where did I go wrong?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
The dough can be stick Jackie but should definitely be knead-able. Did you try adding a bit more powdered sugar to make it less sticky?
jackie gammill says
The batch turned out ok once i walked away from it and let it sit for a little bit. I didn’t get near enough made because I had to wash half of it off of my hands. I am trying another batch tonight and will add more sugar if need be!! Thanks for sharing!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Jackie – the dough should not be sticking to your hands AT ALL. Like not at all. I hope adding more sugar worked out for you!
Carrie says
THANK YOU for this awesome recipe! I made these last night and they haven’t had the full day to set up, so I may be speaking prematurely but I’d call these mints, not cookies, but if YOU hadn’t called them cookies I probably never would have some across them on Pinterest so THANK YOU!!! They are a perfect accent to a cookie tray because they are colorful and different and so easy to make, and I will even let my 4 year old and 6 year old help with the next batch. I only used a drop of regular red food coloring and they are perfect pink. I also used a crystal wine glass with a starburst pattern on the foot to press them instead of a fork so they have a beautiful star design.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I love the crystal glass idea Carrie! I bet they turned out so pretty!!
Mandee says
I tried to make these tonight and it was a fail 🙁 I used a stand mixer mix the corn syrup and butter and first 2 cups of powdered sugar. By the 3rd cup of powdered sugar it was already seeming a little dry. By the 4th it was just crumbles that barely stuck together. Trying to knead in coloring was a joke and my hands just ached from kneading and kneading. I kept thinking it would get soft but it never did. 🙁 I’m sad because they taste and smell so wonderful.
Carrie says
I made these last night and they came out terrific. Was the butter totally softened? Was it real butter? If you try again, I hope you have better luck!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I definitely always use real butter that is totally softened. Thanks for helping Carrie!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I don’t use a mixer Mandee. I do it by hand. It certainly shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to knead together and it should be soft from the get go. I’m afraid maybe one of your measurements was off?? 🙁
Natalie says
Hi! I love the treats you have here! Do you mind if I post your pictures on my blog? Of course, I will give a link redirecting my readers here, with your permission. If you could let me know, I would be delighted! Thank you and Merry Christmas 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Hi Natalie! I allow one image with a link back and no re-posting of the recipe. Thank you and Merry Christmas to you too!
Marti @ SewliciousHomeDecor says
These are so cute! I would love to just have them sitting out in a bowl for a decoration just because they are so cute!! 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thanks Marti! We definitely go for cute around here 🙂
Maddie says
What are your favorite extracts to use? I was thinking cherry for the red, almond for the white, and peppermint for the green??
Jenetta Penner says
Those candies are definitely a feast to the eyes. Love the colors and they definitely look delicious! Will try making a batch and see how it goes. 🙂
Stacey says
I just made these today. They are so good. Thanks for the recipe!!! And you are right you will want to make more than one batch!!!
Ashley A says
Love these little guys! Made them last year and came back for the recipe to make again this year!! They really are fantastic! And a nice addition to put on a dessert tray, to break up all the fudge and chocolate treats.
A.M. says
This recipe looks amazing!! Was thinking about trying lemon extract for the white ones, do you think that would turn out ok? Thanks, in advance!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Ohmygosh YES! I love lemon extract in this recipe!
Tanya says
Are you using real butter or can I use stick margarine????
Haley says
Also, how much coconut oil is the right amount to substitute for the butter if we are going that route?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I’ve never made this recipe with coconut oil but if you were to try, I would sub in equal amounts.
Crystal says
These were delicious and so easy to make! Although my almost 3 year old made quite the mess with the confectioner’s sugar, haha. Even the dog was covered (he didn’t mind though, and now he smells delicious!:)
Cheryl says
Got this recipe from my husband’s grandmother 50 years ago. It’s been a Christmas tradition here for that long. I use cinnamon oil for red, peppermint for green, and clove oil for white. It’s exciting to see it being circulated anew.
Denise says
Do you use essential oils for this? Was wondering if there was a way I could incorporate my essential oils into this recipe!
Nikki @ Tikkido says
These look so festive and delicious! I’d love to have you add them to this week’s Party Time Link Party: http://tikkido.com/blog/link-party-23
Kate says
I don’t usually post but I also had some trouble with this recipe. I love peppermint and wanted to live this a try. Mine was very dry, so I added so extra corn syrup, stil too dry, finally I added 2 tablespoons of soft butter. It worked the dough was more like “play dough” and was great to work with. How can you go wrong with butter, and three types of sugar!