These DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls are the perfect Christmas gift for friends, family, and co-workers. Made from melted peppermint candies in under 15 minutes, see why this original goes crazy viral every year!
DIY Peppermint Bowl
Our easy DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls are the perfect homemade holiday gift and a fun candy craft for kids. One ingredient and a few minutes to melt in the oven is all it takes to turn a handful of mints into an edible Christmas candy dish.
You can stop searching on Pinterest or shopping online for the perfect DIY Christmas gifts, because it’s more fun and even easier to make your very own peppermint bowls (and it costs less than a candy cane or a cup of coffee)!
I love making everyday items out of melted peppermint candy, especially when mint is so malleable when heated and can be shaped into edible candy bowls, Peppermint Shot glasses, Peppermint Candy Spoons, and this adorable Peppermint Plate I found from I Gotta Create.
After these peppermint candy projects, I became completely obsessed with all things melting candy. Two of my other favorites are our Candy Cane Christmas Trees and, of course, my famous Jolly Rancher Shot Glasses!
Why We Love This Christmas Candy Bowl
- Quick and easy to make in minutes.
- Uses only one ingredient.
- Fill it with you favorite foods and then enjoy a sweet treat when it’s empty!
- Cute way to add a festive feel to an otherwise boring bowl.
- Fun edible food craft to make with kids in the kitchen.
- Perfect homemade gift for teachers, friends, co-workers, and family.
DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls Ingredients
- Peppermint Starlight Mints – The actual type of mints matter. I found the most success with the Market Pantry brand from Target, but they stopped making them. Do not use the tiny peppermints. Try to find the larger flatter versions.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Serving Suggestions: You can serve your favorite sweets and snacks, like nuts, pretzels, candies, or even ice cream, in these mint bowls. Or place one in the center of your holiday table and hear how your guests talk about it!
Recommended Tools
- Silicon Baking Liner (or parchment paper)
- Baking Sheet
- Small glass bowl: I used a Pyrex glass dish that was 4.5 inches across the top.
How to make DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls
- Assemble: Place one mint in the center of the baking liner. Arrange six more mints around the center mint, making a flower shape. With the remaining 12 mints, form another circle around the others. (Image 1,2 and 3)
Pro Tip: The mints should be touching and as close with as little gap space as possible. - Heat: Place in a 300 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for about 8 minutes. (Image 4)
Pro Tip: When they become shiny and start to spread out and melt, remove them from the oven. - Mold The Mints: Allow the candy to cool for 30 seconds. Then flip the silicon liner (with the mints in place) on top of an upside down glass bowl (Image 5 and 6). Use your hands (with oven mitts on) to mold the mints around the bowl. (Image 7)
Pro Tip: You will have under a minute before the mints start to harden again. - Cool: Let the candy sit on the bowl until it sets (Image 8). Remove it from the glass bowl and cool completely. Fill with candy and enjoy!
Tips For Making the perfect peppermint candy bowl
- If available, use a silicone baking mat. The peppermints tend to stick to it less, and it protects your hands from the heat!
- IMPORTANT: The BEST peppermints that I have worked with are the Market Pantry brand at Target. I have no idea why, but these melt perfectly and work every time for me. They don’t stick to the bowl ever and anyone who has had issues and then uses these Starlight Mints is successful! note: they have not been available lately. Try to find larger mints that are flatter, those work the best for me.
- To prevent the mints from sticking to the glass bowl, you can use parchment paper on both sides of the peppermints. Lay the mints on top of the parchment paper and then place another piece of parchment paper between the glass bowl and the melted peppermint.
What to do if your peppermint bowl is sticking to the glass?
Advice from readers:
- Thank you to my reader, Jen, for her advice: When you first take them out of the oven, don’t fear; they’ll stay pliable for about a minute or so. Literally, put 30 seconds on a kitchen timer as soon as you lay it down. Then pick it back up (using gloves!), and center it over your bowl or cup. (When I got impatient, they stuck!) Gently press from all sides. When able, take off the silicone mat. Carefully smooth on all sides. What worked for me next was to turn over the cup or bowl, hold the candy, and twist the “mold”. It comes right off! I’d say if it still doesn’t, maybe try a SMALL amount of cooking spray, but very lightly — or try a different type of bowl/cup.
- Toni: Use a little spray of pam on the bowl – came right off!
More Easy DIY ifts
More Easy Holiday Treats
If you tried this Peppermint Candy Bowl Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls
Serves — 1
These DIY Peppermint Candy Bowls are the perfect homemade Christmas gift. Made from melted peppermint candy and formed into a dish, fill it with your favorite holiday treats!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Video
Ingredients
- 19 Peppermint Starlight Mints 19 per bowl
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Place silicon baking liner or parchment paper on baking sheet
- Lay one mint in the center of the baking liner. Take six more mints and lay the mints around the center mint (making a flower type of shape). The mints should be touching and as close with as little gap space as possible. Take the remaining 12 mints and make another circle around the center circles.
- Place in the oven. Now, this is important because all ovens cook differently. Mine took about 8 minutes. You MUST watch them cook. When they start to get shiny and just begin to spread out and melt – they are done! You do not want them so melted that they are bubbling.
- Have your small glass bowl upside down and ready to go – you are going to use this to mold the candy bowl.
- Take them out and let them sit for about 30 seconds – you want them cool enough to handle, but not too cool that they are set.
- Carefully (very carefully – you may want to use oven mitts because the mints are going to be super hot) flip the silicon liner with the mints in place, on top of the upside down glass bowl. Try to place the center mint as close to the center of the glass bowl as possible. Now use your hand (with oven mitts on) to form the mints to the bowl. You will have under a minute before the mints start to harden again.
- Let it sit on the bowl until it sets.
- Remove it from the glass bowl and let cool completely.
- Fill with candy and enjoy!
Jenn’s Notes
TIPS
- If available, use a silicone baking mat. The peppermints tend to stick to it less and it protects your hands from the heat!
- IMPORTANT: The BEST peppermints that I have worked with are the Market Pantry brand at Target. I have no idea why, but these melt perfectly and work every time for me. They don’t stick to the bowl ever and anyone who has had issues and then uses these Starlight Mints is successful!
- IF your candy dish is sticking, see the advice given in the post above.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Sugar: 64g
Post updated: ORIGINALLY POSTED November 4, 2015.
Can you use the peppermint candies?
Yes! Peppermint candies are what I used
Super cute idea and craft. Just wondering if there is a safe sealant that could be applied so that the candy doesn’t become sticky and that preserves the bowl for future use.
Love your ideas! For the shot glass, you could make 6,8 or even a dozen and given them as a hostess gift with a bottle of creme de cocoa, Schnapps, or some hot cocoa mix, or some tea. Yummm!
are the bowls sticky????
I have had mine out on the counter for more than a week and it isn’t sticky at all! Just don’t let it get wet!
The end ones start to melt but the middle is still hard and won’t stick together
You may need to turn your oven down a bit and cook increase the cook time. All ovens cook differently – just keep you eye on it – the middle ones won’t melt as much as the outer ones, but should still get soft and moldable.
I like this because I can make some for Christmas
THANK YOU!
How long do you bake them? Great Idea!!!
How long do you bake them?
Could you just put the candy on the inside of the bowl and bake it ?
Nope – the candy will not form correctly!
How would you keep it from getting all sticky or keeping bugs away from it?
I was wondering the same thing. it would just seem to be very sticky. everything that goes into the bowl is going to be sticky too.
I’m wondering if you can spray poly on it?
Can you spray this with poly spray?
Made Christmas ornaments with same concept. They were not sticky. Would think as long as candy is wrapped shouldn’t be a problem. Couldn’t keep them indefinitely though.
Penny, How could you think the candies are wrapped? They are put in an oven so that they soften and melt together a little. Would not happen if they were wrapped.
Im thinking this would be for a short term thing like a dinner party or something so unless you got it wet then there should not be a problem with it being sticky. As far as bugs go, they generally dont like peppermint so that will be a deterrent as well.
Exactly!!!!
ARE THEY STILL EDIBLE?
Yes – I broke one and let’s just say it didn’t go to waste!
Exactly what size bowl? Dimensions across and top to bottom would help. Thanks
Mine was 4.5 inches across
I noticed on a different craft idea using candy as the base, they mentioned that after much experimentation, a reader used Royal Coat by Plaid. It was the only one that did not melt the candy, or make it stickier.
Interesting!!! Thanks so much for the suggestion!!
anything you want to be permanent that is made from food you can spray with clear shellac. however, anything that is to be used with food (like this candy dish) should NOT be sprayed. shellac can contaminate the food. i am sure if you do some more research you might be able to find a product that you can use that is safe for food. i presently do not know of any.
Jenn,
I love this idea. I have seen it made for a tray but never for a bowl. It is pretty cool.
Thanks for sharing,
Diane
How long do you bake the candy for it to stick together?
got it sorry
how long do u bake the candy for and on what temp?…
About eight minutes. As ovens are so different from one another you can use your eyes. When the candy begins to shine or some candys start to melt it’s time. Do not allow to bubble. Use gloves to place the the candy on a upside down glass bowl. Mold to to fit.
WHAT TEMP & HOW LONG?
See full instructions in the post above 🙂
Are the bowls sticky or does the cooking cause the stickiness to go away
Mine were not sticky – they were a bit tacky at first, but not sticky. But, this could also be brand dependent
Can I make a larger peppermint bowl? how long to bake and what temp?
Don’t people read the directions? They were very clear.