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An easy recipe for homemade mints that tastes just like Altoids! These DIY mints are perfect for gifts, or wedding or baby shower favors.
It all started in high school…my obsession with breath mints and chapstick (related: How to Make Chapstick). I’m not sure what the root cause was, but I was hooked. At the time, it was Carmex and Starbucks mints.
Starbucks and I had a good relationship for a long time, but then they phased out my beloved mints and replaced them with a tin of mints that cost the same but had 1/10th as many mints. Well played Starbucks, well played.
So, you know what is about to happen, right? I mean I titled this post “Homemade Mints”. Anyone could see it coming.
We’re making Homemade Mints! You nailed it. Genius.
Gum paste mix is available online or at any place with cake decorating products.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Need to speed up the drying process? Bake the homemade mints at the lowest heat your oven will allow (typically about 170˚F) for 2 hours. Allow mints to cool.
- Homemade mints will keep in an air-tight container for up to six months.
- If you want to make round mints, dip a fat straw into powdered sugar and press it into the dough. You could also roll it into a “snake” and slice it into small pieces.
Homemade Mints {Altoids Mints Copycat}
Ingredients
- 1 tsp peppermint flavoring
- 2 cups dry gum paste
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a deep bowl, mix the gum paste with the flavoring, and water until it forms a very thick paste.
- Put parchment paper on a baking sheet, and dust with powdered sugar.
- Put the “dough” on the parchment, and dust with a bit more powdered sugar. Press it as thin as you can with the heel of your hand.
- Now at this point, you could make little balls, use a tiny mold to make these cute shapes, or even use a fat straw to punch out circles. That is a lot of work, so I recommend dusting a pizza cutter with powdered sugar and cut them into strips and pieces.
- Fill a lidded container with the pieces, and sprinkled a bit more powdered sugar in there. Shake it a few times to make sure that all the pieces are coated enough to not stick to each other.
- Spread the pieces back on the baking sheet with the parchment, and let dry at room temperature for at least 3 days. Your house will smell awesome, but please watch out for kiddos and pets. If you are using Xylitol it is especially dangerous for pets.
- Place finish mints in a mesh strainer and shake to remove the excess powdered sugar. Transfer to lidded containers and/or cute jars for giving as gifts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! I’m going to try this recipe this weekend! I’m so excited! My question is, the link to the flavors – is there 1 tsp of flavor in the bottle or do I need to buy two?
And is the 1 tsp enough to make it strong like altoids?! Thank you!!
Hi Stacy, there will be enough in the bottle to flavor the mints. I would start with less than 1 tsp, taste the mixture and then adjust to your preference. You can always add more flavor, but it’s really hard to make it “less minty” after the fact. 🙂
Hey i know this will be the most obscure question you’ve probably gotten about these mints, but do you think adding in powdered thc is possible? I make edibles and wanna try making mints so i have something small and easier to carry around than a bag of baked goods
1) you’re right that IS the most obscure question I have received! 🙂
2) I honestly don’t know! It’s not something I have ever used myself so I would hate to advise anything and not have it work out.
I’ve been dosing this recipe with great success. The peppermint is pungent enough to mask any residual taste or smell.
The Dry Gum Paste Mix is no longer available on Amazon. There is a ready-mix one. Will that will work if the water in the recipe is not added?
Valerie, I’m not sure as I haven’t tested. The dry gum is also sold on Joanns.com. I would check there for available stock. It’s such a weird time right now with things selling in and out in a flash.
This looks like a delicious recipe, and thankyou. However I’d like to avoid using anything containing either gelatin (from cows’ bone marrow) or eggs, and each the thickening alternatives – gum paste, fondant, do contain them.
Is there a vegan alternative?
I don’t know of vegan alternatives at this time.
How long do these mints last? Thanks for sharing!!
We usually consumes ours fairly quickly, but they should be safe in an air-tight container for up to six months.
Great thanks! You know I went through the same thing with chap stick and breath mints. I was popping 3 or 4 Starbucks after coffee mints. I don’t know why they stopped them. I found this page as I was looking to see if by some chance someone still had some of them around. Guess ill try yours! Thanks again!
Hi i was wondering if there was an alternative recipe that doeant use any sugar?… Or could I possibly try using stevia.. As it has no fructose?
I’m curious for your chocolate flavoring, maybe instead of powdered sugar use cocoa powder?
Alright, I gave it a shot and the consistency was good, I think it will be perfect when they have dried up a bit. However, I used just about 10 drops of 100% cinnamon oil, and it was way too strong. The candies don’t even taste like cinnamon, but just kind of numbs the tongue, so I think I’ll try mixing them up again with more of that sugar paste. I still feel like they need some other flavour though, but unfortunately all it says on the hot tamale packet is “artificial flavours”, so I have no idea which ones they use. Any tips are very welcome 😉 Thanks again for this!
I know this was posted long ago now but I’m still hoping for a response =) I live in Sweden and here gumbase seems very hard to get hold of – however I found a kind of sugarpaste in the grocery store, for decorating cake etc, and this seems kind of similar so I’m going to try making them with 100% cinnamon oil, to make my own Hot Tamales. We don’t have those here either except in special English Shops and those are beyond pricy =) Thanks so much for this recipe, I’ve been wanting to do this for ages!
I can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Are these mints hard or are they the melt-in-your-mouth kind? Either way, pinned it and am totally trying it.
They start out hard and then get soft. They remind me a bit of those wedding mints (we called them pillow mints growing up), but not as soft or awful.
…just blew my mind!
Are they chewy or crunchy? As a side note, I saw Mint Chocolate Chip Loranns oil 🙂
They’re almost like those wedding mints. They start out hard and then soften up a bit.
Some people reviewing the gumpaste at Amazon, noted the odor. Did you notice any odor to the mix as you mixed it, other than the flavor you added?
Did you ever have one of those big natural pencil erasers? Kind of smells like that. I just went and stuck my nose in the container.
This is the eraser I’m talking about: https://www.amazon.com/Prismacolor-Design-ArtGum-Erasers-73030/dp/B0006ZELR2/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1351649741&sr=1-1&keywords=gum+eraser
What a great idea! I have so many altoid tins (I asked everyone to save them for me before we moved for projects) that I could fancy up the tins and give them back to the people I got them from with homemade mints instead! AMAZABALLS!
You are so fancy. If the power ever goes out, I’m forming my militia with YOU! We will rule those electricity-desperate suckers!
We need to think of an amazing militia name. The Dolvetts?
Oh wow, I would’ve never thought of making replacement breathmints! I don’t use them very often, but I sure love their taste. I wonder if I can find the right flavors (I like the very minty/cool flavors that leave your mouth tingly. Yes, I am horrible describing flavors!)
It’s a very strong peppermint like an Altoid, but the powdered sugar keeps it from being too spicy.
The place where I got the oil also had spearmint.
That is awesome. I think I might make some soon. 🙂
Dude! You are awesome. I have been looking for a natural substitute and recipe for mints like these. Ask, and you shall receive 🙂
Well, don’t thank me too soon…the ingredients on the gum paste don’t look so natural. But it’s nothing worse than what I was consuming before!
Wow… I love this! Where did you find the mint flavorings? Thanks!
I found it a Puget Sound grocery store chain called Central Market, in the bulk section of all places! I couldn’t find them with the cake supplies at JoAnn’s.
Amazon sells them as well: https://www.amazon.com/LorAnn-Flavoring-Oils-Assorted-Flavors/dp/B000MS798G/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1351649833&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=LorAnn+oils