Pink Peppermint Ice
If you grew up eating the iconic Pink Peppermint Ice from Fannie May Candies, then you will love this homemade version! These simple white chocolate and peppermint candies use organic ingredients and make a sweet gift for any holiday.
If you love making homemade candy as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Homemade Marshmallows Without Eggs, Mint Meltaways, Chocolate Cream Drops, Homemade Cherry Marshmallows, or Chocolate Covered Raisin Clusters.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Pink Peppermint Ice
- Ready In: 45 minutes
- Makes: 25 candies
- Main Ingredients: white chocolate, peppermint extract, candy canes
- Flavor Profile: creamy white chocolate with cool peppermint crunch
- Dietary Info: gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
- Difficulty: Easy!
- Why You’ll Love It: Fannie May candy copycat recipe
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Nostalgic: If you grew up going to Fannie May Candies, then this candy will be incredibly nostalgic for you!
- Organic Ingredients: This recipe uses simple organic ingredients, making it much better for you than the traditional Fannie May candies were! This recipe has no artificial colors and only 4 ingredients!
- Easy: I love how easy this recipe for Pink Peppermint Ice is! This doesn't take very long to make and it only has a few simple ingredients.
- Perfect for Holidays: Pink Peppermint Ice is a perfect candy for the holidays. It's filled with crushed candy canes for that signature peppermint flavor and it's colored organically pastel pink with those little peppermint pieces sticking out. This makes a great filler to any DIY Christmas Cookie Box.
What is Pink Peppermint Ice?
Pink Peppermint Ice is a candy that was created and originally sold at Fannie May Candies. It is a white chocolate square candy that is filled with peppermint crunch and colored pastel pink. They served three small squares in little candy cups inside a box of chocolates, so you got three candies in one. The smooth white chocolate, cool peppermint flavor, and subtle crunch of the candies is what makes these candies delicious.
Because I grew up in Chicago, Fannie May was a part of our holidays. It was the only time of year that we got to enjoy the delicious confections of this iconic candy shop. Pink Peppermint Ice was a part of all our Christmas celebrations and sometimes even Valentine's Day. But, when Fannie May filed chapter 11 and then was bought, many of their original menu items disappeared, the Pink Peppermint Ice being one of them.
So, I have made my own version of of Pink Peppermint Ice that has much better ingredients than the iconic Fannie May. This super simple candy recipe is made with just four ingredients! And this pastel pink candy is the perfect homemade gift for anyone on Christmas or Valentine's Day. If you'd like to wrap them up I used a candy cup (same size as mini cupcake liners) and put in three pieces per cup, just like Fannie May used to do. Then I put a four cups into a cute little box and tied it with a ribbon.
This easy Pink Peppermint Ice recipe tastes just like the iconic original, but even better because I use organic ingredients! These little bite sized candies are peppermint white chocolate with the traditional crunch that makes them so addicting!
Ingredients
- White Chocolate: I use organic white chocolate bars that I've chopped into small pieces.
- Peppermint Extract: I use organic peppermint extract for just a hint of mint. If you are using a peppermint flavor, double the amount.
- Pink Dye: For naturally pink candy without artificial colors, I'm using organic beet powder, but Suncore Foods Organic Pink Dye also works too!
- Candy Canes: I use organic candy canes in this recipe that have been crushed up. My favorites are YumEarth.
*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.
Tips for Pink Peppermint Ice
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- You don't have to temper the chocolate, this is totally optional. For more info on tempering, check out How to Temper Chocolate for Candy Making. If you don't temper the chocolate, you'll just want to store in the fridge.
- You can use crushed up candy canes or you can use a peppermint crunch for ease. I really love India Tree's Nature's Colors Peppermint Crunch as it's free of artificial colors and you don't need to chop candy canes!
How to Make Pink Peppermint Ice
- To create a double boiler, fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water. Place a heatproof bowl on top, do not let the bowl touch the water. Add about 80% of the white chocolate into the heatproof bowl and melt until it reaches 100°F on a chocolate thermometer.
- Remove from heat and add in the remaining 20% of chocolate and let it come down to 89°F. (If you don't want to temper the chocolate, you can just melt in a microwave safe bowl, doing 30 second intervals, stirring between each one to prevent burning).
- Add in the beet and powder peppermint extract and stir to combine completely. Then add in the peppermint crunch and stir to combine completely.
- Pour the white chocolate mixture into the candy molds, only filling them about half way. Place the tray on a baking sheet, so they set up evenly. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to set the chocolate and so they will remove easily from the molds.
- Allow to set for a couple hours, then remove candy from molds.
Recipe FAQ's
YES! This tastes identical to the Fannie May Pink Peppermint Ice. But, it's even better because this is made with minimal organic ingredients.
If you want them to look like the iconic Fannie May, then yes the molds are required. But, you don't need a mold to make this candy. You can use a baking sheet with parchment paper and just dump out the white chocolate peppermint mixture on the parchment lined baking sheet. Once it's set, just break into pieces for a white chocolate peppermint bark. Tastes the same, just looks different.
Make sure your white chocolate is chopped into small pieces, as it's easier to melt this way. You can use the double boiler method, which is always a great way to prevent burning. But, if you want to do use the microwave, you can melt doing 30 second intervals and stir between each one. Stirring between each intervals helps evenly distribute the heat, which makes the chocolate melt evenly. This will help prevent burning in one area.
If your chocolate is clumpy or thick it may have seized. This can happen if moisture gets into the chocolate. Be sure you don't have water in your bowl or on your spatula.
You don't need to, but you can. I rarely temper chocolate unless I'm gifting or serving it at a party, as tempering will prevent sweating. If you don't temper, you'll just want to store in the refrigerator.
Chocolate will sweat when it's moved into a warmer climate. For example, from the freezer to the fridge or fridge to room temperature.
Put them in a zip bag and remove all the air. Gently tap them with a rolling pin or meat mallet to break into pieces. Avoid hitting the small pieces that will turn them into powder. You can also use peppermint crunch, like I mention above so you don't have to chop candy canes!
Yes, you can use milk or dark chocolate if you prefer. If you use either of these, just omit the pink dye.
Yes! I use organic beet powder in this recipe to make these pink. If you want to make another color you can use other natural dyes. Check out my post The Best Natural Food Dyes & Sprinkles for inspiration for natural dyes!
Store in a cool, dry place or in the fridge or freezer.
Homemade Holiday Treat Ideas
While these Pink Peppermint Ice candies are the epitome of holiday treats, they go so well with other homemade treats for gifting! Their pastel pink shade and candy cane crunch makes them a perfect holiday indulgence!
These make a perfect addition to DIY Christmas Cookie Box. Add some to a small cellophane bag and tie them onto a jar of Healthy Gingerbread Granola With Olive Oil, How to Make Sugar Cookie Mix for Gifts, Easy Vegan Peanut Brittle Without Corn Syrup, Brown Butter Butterscotch Sauce, or How to Make Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix for Gifts as a little something extra!
More Homemade Candy Recipes
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Pink Peppermint Ice
Equipment
- Digital Food Scale
- Heatproof Mixing Bowl
- Small Pot
- Chocolate Thermometer
- Square Candy Molds
Ingredients
- 226 grams white chocolate (finely chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon beet powder
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 50 grams crushed candy canes
Instructions
- To create a double boiler, fill a small saucepan with about 1 inch of water. Place a heatproof bowl on top, do not let the bowl touch the water. Add about 80% of the white chocolate into the heatproof bowl and melt until it reaches 100°F on a chocolate thermometer. Remove from heat and add in the remaining 20% of chocolate and let it come down to 89°F. (If you don't want to temper the chocolate, you can just melt in a microwave safe bowl, doing 30 second intervals, stirring between each one to prevent burning).
- Add in the beet and powder peppermint extract and stir to combine completely. Then add in the peppermint crunch and stir to combine completely.
- Pour the white chocolate mixture into the candy molds, only filling them about half way. Place the tray on a baking sheet, so they set up evenly. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to set the chocolate and so they will remove easily from the molds. Allow to set for a couple hours, then remove candy from molds.
- Store in a cool dry place, or in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- Always weigh ingredients for the best results.
- You don't have to temper the chocolate, this is totally optional. For more info on tempering, check out How to Temper Chocolate for Candy Making. If you don't temper the chocolate, you'll just want to store in the fridge.
- You can use crushed up candy canes or you can use a peppermint crunch for ease. I really love India Tree's Nature's Colors Peppermint Crunch as it's free of artificial colors and you don't need to chop candy canes!
- High Altitude — Follow the recipe as noted.
Nutrition
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I’m not a big fan of white chocolate but my husband loves peppermint bark so tried these. They were creamy with a nice crunch. Very tasty.