After Dinner Mints

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This Homemade After Dinner Mints recipe is a delicious no-bake recipe that whips up in just a few minutes. A perfect after meal sweet treat!

A CREAMY, MINTY AFTER DINNER TREAT

These little mints make a perfect gift. Not only are they easy to make but they can be all be made and ready to go within an hour! I love to give these as gifts. They are so beautiful and are often an unexpected gift as most people don’t know they can make their own mints! I will usually wrap these up and print the recipe out to give along with the after dinner mints.

close up photo of cream cheese after dinner mints on a white plate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How many mints does this recipe make?

If you keep them the same size I did, you will get 7 dozen mints from this recipe.

Can these be frozen?

Absolutely! These freeze beautifully. I would flash freeze them on the baking tray for about 30 minutes. Then pop them into a freezer safe container or tray (this process will keep them from sticking together). They will keep for up to 3 months!

Do mints need to be kept refrigerated?

Yes. Because of the cream cheese in the mixture, they do need to be kept refrigerated. However, if you are putting them out for a party or giving them as a gift, they can certainly sit out for a few hours with no harm .

Could I use other colors?

Absolutely. You don’t even need to add food coloring if you don’t want. These can be a lot of fun to color during the holidays. You can change up the colors to match the holiday.

What do these mints taste like?

They have an ever so slight crunchy exterior due to the sugar coating but they are soft and creamy and easy to eat. They have a light mint taste that isn’t overpowering.

a short stack of after dinner mints shown on a small round white decorative plate.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

cream cheese
mint extract
red food color
powdered sugar
milk
granulated sugar

cream cheese, mint extract, red food color, powdered sugar, milk and sugar.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE AFTER-DINNER MINTS:

Using an electric or stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese with mint extract and food coloring. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add more food color if necessary to get it to the color you like.

cream cheese and red food coloring mixed together in a clear bowl.

Slowly begin to add powdered sugar. Keep mixer on low to keep the powdered sugar from flying everywhere.

powdered sugar being added to cream cheese and food coloring mixture.

Once you’ve added the powdered sugar, and your mixture is crumbly, you’ll need to add some milk. Add just one tablespoon at a time to get the right consistency. Mixture should be very stiff. Once it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, you are good to go.

cream cheese and red food coloring mixed together in a clear bowl with an electric hand mixer.

To make the mints, take about a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. You really don’t want really big mints. Most folks prefer smaller, bite-sized mints.

mint pieces rolled into balls and put on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Then, using the palm of your hand, gently smoosh down the ball until it’s flattened to about a 1/4″ thick. Then press the back of a fork lightly on the mints to form ridges. Just like when you are making peanut butter cookies.

a fork gently pressing down on top of a mint to make marks.

Roll each one in sugar.

rolling after dinner mint in a bowl of sugar.

Then pop the trays in the refrigerator to cool and harden.

cream cheese mints fully made on parchment paper on a baking sheet.

Store mints in the refrigerator.

a hand picking up a cream cheese after dinner mint to show size of the mint.

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Originally published: February 2014
Updated and republished: September 2022