Peppermint Patties

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These Peppermint Patties are easy to make and perfect for the holidays! A creamy, tender peppermint filling is wrapped in a layer of semi-sweet chocolate and a smattering of colorful sprinkles! And all you need is 7 ingredients!

Why You’ll Love These Homemade Peppermint Patties

These peppermint patties would be great any time of year, but especially at Christmas. They are the perfect addition to your holiday lineup and gifting. Here’s why:

• Flavor-packed. These have a lovely peppermint flavor that is both prominent and not over powering. It’s easy for peppermint to become too much, but the addition of the vanilla extract in the filing and the chocolate coating keep that from being an issue.
• Better than store-bought. While these yummy treats are based on classic store-bought peppermint patties, there’s no doubt that they’re way better. The peppermint flavor is far superior, the texture is amazing and the chocolate coating is just a tiny bit thicker and more satisfying.
• Fun and festive. Peppermint patties are so playful and can be colorful. Feel free to use any kind of sprinkles you have or drizzle on colorful chocolate. You can even decorate them for another holiday or event.
• Easy to make. I love that you don’t need to turn on the oven to make these. And they are super quick and easy to put together. They are the perfect hassle-free dessert to whip up (especially when your oven is occupied with other festive faves).

What You’ll Need

You won’t need much to make this peppermint patties recipe. Here’s a grocery list for you. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

• Unsalted butter – The butter should be softened at room temperature.
• Light corn syrup – The corn syrup helps bind the peppermint filling and keep it from being too hard. Other options will bind your ingredients, but you won’t be able to use much without making the patties too soft, so they can end up hard. The little bit of corn syrup gives a nice, smooth, chewy filling that holds together perfectly.
• Peppermint extract – This is your flavoring. It’s right in the sweet spot of not too much or too little. But feel free to ramp it up or tone it down, depending on your preferences.
• Vanilla extract – This softens the peppermint flavor just a bit, so that it’s not overpowering and has a nice sweetness to it.
• Powdered sugar – This helps form the base of your filling. Too much will make them dry or hard and too little will make them too soft. You want to be sure to measure this accurately. I always recommend a food scale. I have this food scale, but there are lots of options.
• Semi-sweet chocolate – You could use dark chocolate chips or even white chocolate here instead if you wanted to. Feel free to use chips, or a good quality baking bar or even a candy coating, like the Ghirardelli melting wafers.
• Shortening – I like using Crisco (not the butter-flavored kind) but you could use a different brand if you’d like. Do not try to use butter instead. It will not yield the texture you need.
• Sprinkles – I used red and green sprinkles in honor of Christmas but feel free to use different colors for a year-round treat.

How to Make Peppermint Patties

Here’s a quick look at how to make homemade peppermint patties. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

• Make the peppermint filling. Beat together the butter, corn syrup, peppermint, and vanilla until it starts to come together. Then, use your hands to bring it together into a cohesive ball.
• Shape the filling into patties. Roll the dough out between two pieces of parchment paper, about ¼ inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and use a round cutter to cut out the patties.
• Chill. Place the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.

• Make the chocolate coating. Microwave the chocolate and shortening in 15-20 second increments, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth.
• Dip. Dip each patty into the melted chocolate one at a time and set the dipped patties on parchment paper to dry.
• Garnish. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the patties and sprinkle with sprinkles.

More Decorating Ideas

Red and green sprinkles felt like the perfect way to decorate these peppermint patties this holiday season but there are plenty of other ways you could beautify these tasty treats.

• White chocolate drizzle. Instead of drizzling the chocolate-dipped patties with melted semisweet chocolate, melt some white chocolate together with a bit of shortening and use that as the drizzle instead.
• Shapes. Feel free to use a different cookie cutter shape. I love making peppermint hearts, Christmas trees, and snowmen.
• Add red food coloring. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring to the peppermint mixture for a fun surprise.
• Make Christmas ornaments. Once the peppermint patties have fully set, punch a hole in the top and string some twine or ribbon through to make edible ornaments.

Tips for Success

Peppermint patty like a pro with these simple tips and tricks. Everyone will be begging you for your secrets.

• Measure properly. This is always a big one and can make such a difference. The big thing to keep an eye on here is the powdered sugar. If you add too much, you can get dry, crumble peppermints. Too little will give you a filling that is too soft and hard to work with.
• Patience. Note that the peppermint patty mixture will be crumbly at first. Keep beating until it starts to come together. It’ll get there.
• Chill. Allow the patties to fully firm up in the freezer before attempting to dip them in the chocolate. Otherwise, they will be too soft to dip in to the chocolate easily.
• No mess. Be sure to arrange the dipped patties on a sheet of parchment paper. This will allow you to remove them easily once the chocolate has solidified.
• Timing. Be sure to add the sprinkles to the patties right after dipping them. If you wait too long, the chocolate will start to harden and the sprinkles won’t stick properly.
• Let ’em set. Before packing these peppermint chocolate treats up, allow the chocolate to fully set to they don’t stick to each other. Break off extra parts of the chocolate coating and drizzles with your fingers or use a larger cookie cutter to get a real clean cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use sweetened condense milk instead of corn syrup?

Not in this recipe. I tested peppermint patties using sweetened condensed milk and found them to either be too hard or too soft. Plus, to really get the best flavor, you want to use something that is flavorless. Sweetened condensed milk has a fairly strong flavor, particularly when compared to this version.

What can I use instead of shortening?

Coconut oil that is solid at room temperature should work as an alternative.

Can I use peppermint oil?

Peppermint oil has a stronger flavor than peppermint extract. I recommend sticking with the extract, unless you want to play around with the right amount of oil.

How do you store peppermint patties?

Once the chocolate has fully solidified around the peppermint patties, seal them in an airtight container with parchment paper separating any layers and keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Peppermint Desserts

Peppermint desserts are delicious all year round, but especially during the holidays. Here are some of my other favorite recipes starring this refreshing ingredient.

• Peppermint Bark Cookies
• No Bake Peppermint Cheesecake
• Peppermint Chip Layer Cake
• Peppermint Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
• Peppermint Chocolate Sugar Cookies
• Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
• Peppermint Chocolate Cake
• No Churn Peppermint Bark Ice Cream
• Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies

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