If you ask me, Christmas cream cheese mints are a holiday tradition worth keeping.

These simple no-bake candies make the perfect addition to any cookie tray or holiday gathering. Smooth cream cheese pairs with powdered sugar and a hint of mint for a melt-in-your-mouth treat.

They’re rolled into small balls and pressed with a fork to create those classic ridged tops. A little food coloring makes them festive, and they’re ready to serve in just about an hour.

It’s an easy recipe that feels fancy, perfect for when you want something special without all the fuss.

Why You’ll Love These Christmas Cream Cheese Mints

Perfect holiday treat – These festive mints add a special touch to your Christmas cookie tray and make wonderful homemade gifts for friends and neighbors.
No-bake recipe – You don’t need to turn on the oven for these sweet treats – just mix, roll, and chill for an easy dessert that’s ready in a few hours.
Simple ingredients – With just cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and peppermint extract, you probably have most of what you need already in your kitchen.
Fun to make with kids – Rolling the mints and adding colorful sprinkles makes this a great activity to do with little helpers during the holiday season.
Make-ahead friendly – These mints can be prepared days in advance and stored in the fridge, making your holiday entertaining much easier.

What Kind of Cream Cheese Should I Use?

For the best Christmas cream cheese mints, you’ll want to use full-fat block cream cheese rather than the whipped variety or low-fat versions. The block cream cheese gives you that smooth, rich texture that makes these mints so creamy and satisfying. Make sure your cream cheese is completely softened before you start – I like to take it out of the fridge about an hour before making the mints, or you can soften it quickly in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Store brands work just as well as name brands for this recipe, so don’t feel like you need to splurge on the expensive stuff.

Options for Substitutions

These festive mints are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, though some ingredients work better than others:

Cream cheese: This is really the star of the recipe, so I’d stick with full-fat cream cheese for the best texture. Light cream cheese can make the mints too soft and hard to shape.
Peppermint extract: You can use mint extract instead, but start with just 1 teaspoon since it can be stronger. For a different flavor, try vanilla, almond, or even lemon extract.
Gel food coloring: Regular liquid food coloring works too, but you’ll need less since it’s more concentrated. Gel gives better color without thinning the mixture.
Butter: You can skip the butter if needed, but it helps make the mints smoother and easier to work with. If you’re out, add an extra tablespoon of softened cream cheese.
Christmas sprinkles: Any small sprinkles or even finely chopped nuts work here. You could also roll them in granulated sugar or leave them plain for a cleaner look.
Powdered sugar: This is essential for the right consistency – don’t try to substitute with regular sugar. If your mixture is too sticky, just add more powdered sugar a little at a time.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Making

The biggest mistake when making cream cheese mints is adding the powdered sugar too quickly, which creates a lumpy, difficult-to-work-with mixture – instead, add it gradually one cup at a time and mix thoroughly between each addition.

Another common error is using liquid food coloring instead of gel, as the extra moisture can make your dough too sticky and hard to roll, so stick with gel coloring for the best consistency.

Don’t skip the step of dusting your work surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar, or your mints will stick and tear when you try to cut them out.

Finally, resist the urge to add too much peppermint extract thinking it will taste better – more than 1 1/2 teaspoons can make your mints taste bitter and overpowering, so start with the recipe amount and adjust from there.

What to Serve With Christmas Cream Cheese Mints?

These little mints are perfect for setting out on your holiday dessert table alongside other Christmas treats like sugar cookies, fudge, and chocolate truffles. I love arranging them on a pretty platter next to some hot cocoa or coffee – the cool peppermint flavor is such a nice contrast to warm drinks. They’re also great to serve after a big holiday meal since they help cleanse the palate and aren’t too heavy. You can even package them up in little gift boxes or bags to give as sweet homemade presents to neighbors and friends.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These little cream cheese mints stay perfectly soft when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Layer them between sheets of parchment paper so they don’t stick together. They actually taste even better after sitting for a day or two as the flavors meld together!

Freeze: You can absolutely freeze these mints for longer storage – they’ll keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Just make sure they’re in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. This makes them perfect for making ahead for holiday parties or gift giving.

Serve: Let frozen mints thaw in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving, or just pop them straight from the fridge to the table. They’re meant to be enjoyed cold and have that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture when chilled. No need to bring them to room temperature!

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	0 minutes
Total Time	120-240 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

Calories: 4800-5100
Protein: 10-14 g
Fat: 140-160 g
Carbohydrates: 950-1000 g

Ingredients

8 oz softened cream cheese
2 tbsp room temperature butter
8 cups confectioners’ sugar (extra for dusting)
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
Red gel food coloring
Green gel coloring
1 tbsp holiday-themed sprinkles

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Sheet

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

This will prevent the mints from sticking and make clean-up much easier.

Step 2: Cream the Base Ingredients

8 oz softened cream cheese
2 tbsp room temperature butter

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the softened cream cheese and room temperature butter until the mixture is completely smooth.

This ensures a creamy, uniform texture for your mints.

Step 3: Add Peppermint and Sugar

1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
8 cups confectioners’ sugar

Add the peppermint extract and 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar to the bowl with the creamed base.

Beat on low speed until everything is incorporated, then continue adding the remaining confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time.

Mix thoroughly after each addition.

The dough should no longer be sticky and should reach a Play-Doh-like consistency.

I like to knead the last bit of sugar in by hand to make sure the dough is just right.

Step 4: Color and Flavor the Dough

red gel food coloring
green gel coloring
1 tbsp holiday-themed sprinkles

Divide the finished dough into three separate bowls.

Add a small amount of red gel food coloring to one bowl and green gel coloring to another, mixing until the color is evenly distributed.

Leave the third bowl plain and mix in the holiday-themed sprinkles for a festive touch.

Use gloves if you want to avoid staining your hands with food coloring.

Step 5: Shape and Press the Mints

confectioners’ sugar (extra for dusting)

Roll about 1 teaspoon of each colored dough into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Dip a fork into confectioners’ sugar (to prevent sticking), then gently press each dough ball with the tines of the fork to flatten into a disk shape.

Step 6: Dry and Set

Allow the pressed mints to air dry on the baking sheet for 2 to 4 hours.

This helps them set and develop their classic melt-in-your-mouth texture.

I like to leave them out overnight for a slightly firmer texture.