Dairy Free Cream Cheese Mints (Gluten Free)

Dairy free cream cheese mints are a great way to make homemade allergy-friendly candies and table mints for parties. Based on classic vintage cream cheese mints, our version is dairy free, vegan, and gluten free!

Spring is quickly approaching, and with it, lots of springtime events like weddings, bridal showers, Easter gatherings, and more.

If you want to add a classic touch to parties, homemade cream cheese mints (aka wedding mints) are a fun way to add a personal touch. And our version is gluten free, dairy free, nutr free, and vegan!

Almost all classic/vintage cream cheese mint recipes have the same basic ingredients with a few small variations: cream cheese, powdered sugar, and mint extract. We used dairy free ingredients and added a few extra ingredients for delicious flavor and creamy texture.

Why we love this recipe

These sweet and creamy mints are very simple to make and are great for making in large quantities for parties (one batch makes about 70-75 mints) since they can be made ahead, and they freeze well.

These classic treats are perfect for events like baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, Mother’s Day, Easter, Christmas, and more.

How to make dairy free cream cheese mints

Our version of cream cheese mints are simple and easy to make, but take a little time to make since the dough is quite thick, like playdough.

Here are the steps for making our cream cheese mints. This is just an overview of steps, the full recipe is at the end of the post!

• In a large bowl, add the dairy free cream cheese and beat it with a hand mixer until softened.
• Add in the dairy free butter, peppermint extract, vanilla, and salt, and mix again. These don’t need much salt, just a dash, but it helps enhance the flavors a bit and helps cut some of the sweetness.
• Mix in the powdered sugar in increments, about 1 cup at a time, mixing well each time, until the mixture resembles the texture of playdough, it is easy to roll and shape, and is no longer sticky, but doesn’t crack when you shape it. This took my batch 5 1/2 cups of powdered sugar to get the consistency with the liquid food coloring I used as well. If you use a dry natural food coloring powder, it might take a little less powdered sugar.
• I used my hand mixer to continue mixing everything as it got very thick, but you can knead it on a clean countertop as it gets thicker.
• You can taste test it here to see if you want to add more mint extract. I like the light mint flavor of these as-written, but if you want a stronger mint flavor, you can add a little extra extract. If you are adding more, add a little bit at a time since a little goes a long way.
• If you are making different colors of mints, divide the mint dough into separate bowls, add natural food coloring, and mix until everything is blended and the color you want. You’ll want to cover each bowl with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out while mixing in the colors.
• Roll the mint dough into nickel or dime sized balls, roll them in white sugar, place them on a parchment paper lined sheet pan, and press a fork into the top of the mint.
• Another option is rolling in sugar, then pressing the dough into a silicone mold that is sprinkled with more sugar inside. Unmold gently and place them on the sheet pan.

• If you divided the dough into different batches to color them, cover the other bowls while shaping the mints to prevent the dough from drying out too much before you shape the mints. If the dough starts to dry out, knead it until it’s no longer dry. We had some fun and mixed a couple of colors for a 2-toned mint.
• Repeat until all the dough is used up and shaped. Put the sheet pan in the fridge, uncovered, to chill overnight to firm up the mints and let them dry out a bit on the outside to hold their shape.
• Once the mints are firm, they can be served chilled or at room temperature. Store any leftover mints in the fridge or freezer in an airtight bag or container. If they are frozen, just thaw them at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving. They will thaw quickly since they are small.

For mint extract, I prefer McCormick’s mint extract because it’s a smooth blend of spearmint and peppermint oils and tastes great in these types of recipes paired with vanilla extract.

I love making these mints in light pastel colors since that doesn’t require a ton of food coloring, but you can make these darker in color if you want. Just be aware that if you use a lot of liquid food colors, especially natural ones, you may need to add a little more powdered sugar.

Dairy free cream cheese options

Keep in mind that different brands of dairy free cream cheese will taste a bit different and might have an impact on the taste of the final product. Stick with a cream cheese brand that tastes good and is thick and creamy.

We used Violife cream cheese in this recipe and these turned out looking great and tasting delicious.

Here are some other options for dairy free cream cheese (we haven’t personally tried all of these brands):

• Violife cream cheese (our personal favorite and what we used for this recipe)
• Daiya (tastes pretty good, although some people dislike the taste of this one, we don’t mind it)
• Philadelphia (we haven’t tried this one yet)
• Kite Hill (made with almonds)
• Treeline (made with cashews, this brand tends to be more tart/sour tasting)
• Wayfare Foods (contains butter beans and oats, we haven’t tried this brand)
• Miyoko’s (contains cashews)
• Toffuti (soy-based, I haven’t eaten this brand for years, so I can’t remember if it’s good or not)

Check out our other dairy free and allergy friendly candy recipes, especially our soft chocolate-covered caramels!

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