Peppermint Patties, mixed at home

You will never want to return to store-bought once you've tried these House-made Peppermint Patties! They have a creamy peppermint center that's chilled and then dipped into rich, melted chocolate. They're straightforward to mix and are genuinely flavorful!

Chocolate and mint desserts have long been a favorite of mine. Like my house-made thin mints, mint chocolate cupcakes, or no bake mint chocolate pie the refreshing coolness of the mint, paired with rich chocolate, gives you a satisfying treat that hits the spot every single time.

This house-made peppermint patties recipe is the ultimate year-round dessert that's straightforward to mix, uses only 7 ingredients, and is the perfect after-dinner treat. And when stored in the freezer, they'll last up to a year or more—if they're not already eaten up by then!

What goes in

Try using the following ingredients below to make these easy house-made peppermint patties. The brands mentioned below are favorites of mine, but please use what you have on hand or what is readily available in your area.

• Evaporated Milk. Not to be confused with heavy cream or sweetened condensed milk. I used a 4-ounce can of Carnation evaporated milk—the smallest I could find.
• Peppermint Extract. Not to be confused with mint extract (that stuff tastes like fresh mint). I used McCormick's brand, but any brand will work.
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Milk chocolate doesn't quite work with the peppermint filling here, so Try semi-sweet chocolate chips. And a good quality brand like Ghirardelli or even Guittard (if I feel like spending a bit more) is perfect.
• Vegetable Shortening or Coconut Oil. Both will do a good job of thinning the chocolate, but the coconut oil will help give it a little more shine after the chocolate has set. You will not taste the coconut at all.

For quantities and instructions, please see the method card below.

Substitutions

Dark Chocolate Chips. I have also used Ghirardelli's 72% dark chocolate baking chips instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips, which taste fantastic!

Paraffin Wax. Used as a substitute for vegetable shortening or coconut oil, it does a fabulous job of thinning the chocolate, adding some shine after the melted chocolate has set, and preventing the chocolate from melting if the peppermint patties are left out at room temperature. I still recommend keeping them chilled, though. I understand it can weird people out, but it does work well!

How it comes together

Below is a quick overview of how to make these copycat York peppermint patties. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements, visit the method card below.

Step 1. Mix up the peppermint filling. A stand mixer or hand mixer can be used for making the creamy peppermint filling. Beat together the powdered sugar and softened unsalted butter over low speed. Add in the evaporated milk and the peppermint and vanilla extracts (Images 1 and 2).

Step 2. Roll out, then chill the peppermint patty filling. Generously sprinkle powdered sugar over a sheet of wax paper, then the peppermint patty filling, topped with a little more powdered sugar, and another sheet of wax paper. Roll it out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Chill the dough in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 3. Cut out the rounds and freeze. You'll need a circle cookie cutter or something similar to cut out the peppermint patty rounds. I found that using a 1.5-inchsize circle cookie cutter works best. Mine are the 11 piece Ateco circle cookie cutters set. Freeze the rounds for another 20-30 minutes. Keep them in the freezer until you're ready for chocolate dipping (Images 3 and 4).

Quick Tip: After you cut out the rounds, you'll have leftover peppermint patty filling. Try repeating steps 2 and 3 until only a tiny amount of filling is left. You can shape the small bit of filling in your hand and freeze it with the rest of the peppermint patty rounds.

Step 4. Melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening (or coconut oil) into a medium or large microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 1 minute at full power, then stir. Microwave once more for 45 seconds to 1 minute, stir again (Images 5 and 6).

Step 5. Dip the peppermint patty rounds. Working as quickly as possible, with a fork or candy-making tools, take a peppermint patty round and dip it in the melted chocolate. Lift up, then gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl a few times to allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the pan (Images 7 and 8). Carefully place it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat until you've covered each peppermint patty round in the chocolate.

Step 6. Refrigerate or freeze. Place in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15-20 minutes to let the chocolate set. Then enjoy! Keep them stored in the refrigerator or (better option) freezer.

Quick Tip: With any leftover chocolate you have, you can drizzle some over the tops of each peppermint patty or take some of your favorite pretzels and coat them in the chocolate! You can also dust the tops with a little cocoa powder.

Recommended Tools

You probably have most of the tools used to make these house-made peppermint patties. But here are a few you may not have that I highly recommend using for this method.

• Forks or Candy Dipping Tools. The latter is nice, but the forks do just as good of a job. The candy dipping tool set I have is from Wilton.
• Circle Cookie Cutter. The recommended size is 1/4 inch. I have the 11-piece Ateco circle cookie cutters set.
• Wax Paper. It works evenly when rolling out the peppermint patty filling, removing the peppermint patty rounds, and finishing peppermint patties after they have been dipped in the chocolate.
• Silicone Mat. Use my Tovolo silicone mat for rolling out the peppermint patty filling. Having this non-stick surface underneath the wax paper helps prevent everything from moving around too much. It's equally a strong match for rolling out pie crust for my strawberry rhubarb pie or house-made apple pie!
• Paring Knife. Run it under hot water, dry off, then cut off any excess hardened chocolate around the peppermint patties. You can also do the same with the circle cookie cutter if you want a more rounded cut.

Top Tips

Tip 1. Cold is Key. Keeping the peppermint patty filling cold for as long as possible will help you throughout this process. I do this with the chocolate covered peanut butter eggs and chocolate covered cookie dough hearts too. Freezing the filling for 45 minutes to 1 hour will help when it comes time to cut out the peppermint patty rounds. Several hours or—my preference—overnight in the freezer is even better. Freezing them again for about 20-30 minutes after you have cut out the rounds is also helpful because it helps to keep peppermint patty rounds from falling apart as you dip them into the melted chocolate.

Tip 2. Coat your Tools. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of the wax paper, which will help prevent the peppermint patty filling from sticking to everything as you roll it out. It's also a good idea to coat your circle cutter with powdered sugar.

Tip 3. Prep Your Dipping Station. Before dipping the peppermint patty rounds into the melted chocolate, ensure you have prepped your area. Doing so will allow you to work quickly through this part of the method.

I place a baking sheet lined with wax paper to the side where I'll be dipping my peppermint patty rounds into the chocolate. I also keep a sheet or two of paper towels to place my fork onto or wipe off.

Questions on this bake

What's the best way to store house-made peppermint patties?

The best way to keep your house-made peppermint patties fresh is in the freezer in an airtight container, separated by sheets of wax paper. The wax paper is to prevent them from sticking together.

What can Use to cut out peppermint patty rounds?

Try using a small 1.5-inch round cookie cutter. If you don't have round cookie cutters, you can roll the peppermint patty filling into 1-inch balls and flatten to about 1/4 inch with the bottom of a glass. Coat the bottom of the glass with some powdered sugar to prevent the peppermint patty round from sticking to the glass.

What should Use to dip the peppermint patty rounds into the chocolate?

You can use a fork (or two, if needed) or candy-dipping tools. The latter is nice, but if you're only planning to use them for the peppermint patties and nothing else, you can get away with just using the forks.

How long do house-made peppermint patties last in the freezer?

In the freezer, they'll last for a year or sometimes longer. But they're so good, they'll be long gone before then!