Would you like to customize your own breath mints? We want to show you how! This recipe may seem super unhealthy, but keep in mind that you aren’t eating more than 1 or 2 small pieces at a time. In other words, even though these taste amazing, they are breath mints and are meant to be eaten in very small doses.

Gum paste is likely the ingredient you don’t have on hand; but don’t worry, we have included an easy homemade gum paste recipe with ingredients you probably already have in your house! If you don’t want to make it yourself, you can always buy gum paste at any grocery store or craft store that carries cake decorating supplies.

The hardest part of this recipe is getting the mints all cut out. So, if you don’t have kids that can help, try cutting out squares with a sharp knife instead of using a straw to make the process faster. You can also find tiny metal “clay cutters” at a craft store that would be about the right size and come in a variety of shapes.

Some essential oils we used that taste fantastic as breath mints are peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint, and fennel. Other oils that may taste good are ginger, orange, lemon, or lime. If you want to make them sour, you can even add a little citric acid to the gum paste and dust with citric acid instead of the powdered sugar.

You can store small quantities in your purse or pocket with this 1/4 oz. Salve Jars. These mints also make a great gift!

Essential Oil Breath Mints

Servings: 200–400 mints | Time: 45–60 minutes active; 48 hours inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• Gum Paste (this can be bought at a store that sells cake decorating supplies or made homemade with the recipe below)
• Food coloring (optional)
• Essential oils such as peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint, fennel, ginger, orange, lemon, or lime.
• Powdered sugar (or citric acid for sour flavors)

Instructions:

1. Pull out a section of gum paste about the size of an egg. Knead it with your hands until it becomes soft and pliable.
2. Add food coloring if desired (3–4 drops is usually sufficient), and knead until the color is well blended into the dough. (*Helpful hint: to make sure both the food coloring and the essential oil or blend stay in the dough and don’t drip off, create a well in the top of the piece of dough with your finger, drop the coloring or oil in the well, fold the dough so it closes over the well opening, and then continue to knead the dough as normal.)
3. Add 3–4 drops of your desired essential oil for a mild flavor or 5–8 drops of essential oil for a stronger flavor. We recommend starting with 3 or 4 drops, tasting a small piece, and adding more essential oil if needed.
4. Once the color and flavor are as desired, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on a clean surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out on the powdered sugar to a little more than 1/8 inch thick.
5. Cut out your breath mints using a straw (for circles), a sharp knife (for small squares), or another small shape. We used a straw cut down to an inch long.
6. As you cut out your mints, dust them with a little powdered sugar so they don’t stick together.
7. Leave the mints exposed to air until they become hard (about 48 hours); then store them in any container.

The 1/4 oz. Salve Jars is a nice sized container to keep some mints handy in your purse or pocket.

Easy Homemade Gum Paste

Servings: Makes 2 egg-sized balls | Time: 10 minutes active | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp. water
• 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin powder
• 1 tsp. corn syrup
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar + more if needed to get the right consistency

Instructions:

1. Put 4 tsp. of water in a double boiler or in a glass measuring cup placed in a small pan filled with an inch of water (creating a double boiler).
2. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the 4 tsp. of water. Let sit for 5 minutes or until it starts to look foamy.
3. Stir in the corn syrup, and warm on stove over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture turns clear.
4. Stir in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Continue adding sugar little by little and kneading with your hands just until it doesn’t stick so much to your fingers.
5. Once the texture is soft and stretchy, it is ready to use in the recipe above.
6. If unable to use quickly, store in a plastic bag, making sure to remove all the air. You don’t want the gum paste to dry out before you have a chance to work with it.