Homemade Peppermint Patties
on Dec 21, 2011, Updated Oct 21, 2024
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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?
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 with some Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Grandma Lucy’s Christmas Sugar Cookies, My Favorite Sweet Chex Mix, and more. If you don’t need dozens of candies, feel free to halve this recipe to meet your needs. They do freeze well, though, and are delicious eaten cold.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s made with simple, pantry-staple ingredients.
- They are so easy to make that even the kids can join in.
- You can easily vary the size.
- They are a perfect addition to holiday goodie plates.
Ingredients
- Powdered Sugar
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Butter
- Peppermint Extract
- Milk or Dark Chocolate, for dipping
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Homemade Peppermint Patties
Step #1. In a large bowl, combine the peppermint dough ingredients. Shape the dough into 1/2″ balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
Step #3. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate. Melt half the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Dip the patties and place on waxed paper to set.
Step #2. Flatten into patties using a cup. Place the tray in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Step #4. Repeat with remaining chocolate and patties. Once set, store in an airtight container.
Recipe FAQs
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.
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.
Expert Tips
- 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.
- You can often find large chocolate pieces sold by the pound, intended for dipping, in the baking aisle or near the pretzels.
- Ghirardelli makes chocolate melting wafers and they work fabulously for this kind of thing and are delicious. (My sister-in-law introduced me to them!) 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.
- You can also use them in recipes like you would store-bought peppermint patties – they are great additions to brownies and cookies!
- I like to keep little baggies of peppermint patties stashed in the freezer just for me. These are so great cold!
More Candy Recipes to Consider
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Homemade Peppermint Patties
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- Shape the peppermint “dough” into 1/2 inch balls and place them on a baking mat or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use the bottom of a cup or measuring cup to flatten the dough to form patties.
- Freeze the prepared patties for 30 minutes. (If your baking sheet doesn’t fit in your freezer, just refrigerate them. Chilled is good enough).
- When your patties are chilled, prepare your chocolate.
- 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.
- Stir the chocolate and watch until all the lumps are gone.
- Dip the patties into the chocolate, tapping off the excess. Place on waxed paper until set.
- Repeat with the other half of the chocolate and peppermint middles.
- 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.
My heart sped up and my glands started producing saliva when I opened this post…..peppermint patties are one of my favorites!!! I don’t know if I would be better off making smaller ones…..Its too easy to eat a lot of littles at a time…..or I could just make several big ones and I would surely have the self control to only eat one………..an hour! This recipe is dangerous for me to know about!!!!
Thanks for sharing this! I was making peppermint patties tonight from the recipe I used last year and was having a hard time using a cookie cutter as recommended, then I remembered reading here your suggestion to just roll the “dough” into a ball and pressing it flat…SO much easier!