During the chilly winter months, my family has movie night once a week. We love to snuggle up on the couch under a big cozy blanket, and watching a film together is also the perfect excuse to indulge in one of my favorite movie-going snacks: Junior Mints. The problem is, traditional Junior Mints contain modified ingredients, artificial flavors and a couple of ingredients that I have never even heard of.

So before we pop in a DVD, I spend a few minutes making a quick batch of organic chocolate peppermints with my son. We almost always have the four ingredients necessary to make them in our kitchen, and my son can do almost all of the work by himself. And guess what -- they taste almost exactly like the real deal! If you want to give these little yummy gems as a hostess gift, you can roll the balls yourself - imprinting the holes as you go to prevent cracking -- and you can carefully pipe the chocolate in so they look perfect! Read on to learn how to make these simple organic chocolate peppermints with your children. You can grab the one-page printable instructions here. Then, choose your favorite movie to enjoy while you have a sweet treat!

What you will need:

4 ounces of organic cream cheese
16 ounces organic powdered sugar
3 ounces organic dark chocolate or carob chips
1/4 tsp. organic peppermint

Step 1: Mix it Up!

Combine and mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and peppermint with either a hand mixer or a stand up mixer.

Step 2: Roll it!

Roll into small teaspoon sized balls.

Step 3: Press it!

Use your pinkie or let your child imprint a hole in the center of each of the mints. Then, pop the mint balls into the refrigerator for a few hours or the freezer if you want to finish them up immediately.

Step 4: Melt it!

Melt the chocolate, then spoon or pipe a small amount into the hole of each mint.

Step 5: Store or Enjoy!

You can store the peppermint candies in an airtight container in your refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy them!

Simple Organic Chocolate Peppermints Recipe

Ingredients:

4 ounces of organic cream cheese
16 ounces organic powdered sugar
3 ounces organic dark chocolate or carob chips
1/4 tsp. organic peppermint

Directions:

Combine and mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and peppermint with either a hand mixer or a stand up mixer. Roll into small teaspoon sized balls. Use your pinkie or let your child imprint a hole in the center of each of the mints. Then, pop the mint balls into the refrigerator for a few hours or the freezer if you want to finish them up immediately. Melt the chocolate, then spoon or pipe a small amount into the hole of each mint. You can store in an airtight container in your refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy them!

One Response to “HOW TO: Make Organic Chocolate Peppermint Candies”

gretchenm47 says:

January 24, 2013 at 12:27 pm

You can also use shredded coconut in lieu of the cream cheese and sugar, and then it’s vegan and you aren’t adding a bunch of sugar. Awesome recipe here: http://forkandbeans.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/mints-of-small-proportions/