Candy and Confectionery Hard Candy Recipes

Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Lollipops

Peppermint Christmas lollipops

Original post published December 10th, 2017. Post lated updated on December 14th, 2023.

Last week I went on a bit of a holiday chocolatemaking binge. In a couple of days, I made chocolate bars, candied chocolate-dipped grapefruit peels, and these peppermint lollipops. I only intended to make green pops with white chocolate, but they turned out so well that I decided to experiment with dark chocolate and red gel coloring, too!

I ended up two batches of lollipops, one in red (dipped in dark chocolate) and the other in green (dipped in white chocolate). Then, I flavored the pops with natural peppermint oil, and finished each one with a sprinkling of crushed peppermint candy.

These delightful peppermint lollipops make a great addition to a Christmas care package. They’re perfect stocking stuffers, and look lovely tied atop wrapped presents, too!

Peppermint Christmas lollipops and a pair of candy canes

Why Lollipops?

Lollipops are actually very easy to make, and the ingredients are fairly basic (sugar, water, corn syrup). They’re low on allergens (no nuts, eggs, or gluten) and easily made dairy-free and vegan if you skip the chocolate dip. And, they’re equally popular with kids and adults.

Because they’re mostly sugar, lollipops will keep for a month or longer at room temperature. This means that they also ship well—even if the package is delayed or lost in transit, the pops will still arrive in perfectly edible condition!

Plus, they’re a tried-and-true treat. According to Old Time Candy, lollipops have existed in one form or another since the days of ancient Egypt!

Peppermint Lollipop Notes

For this recipe, you’ll need a silicone lollipop mold and a small package of lollipop sticks. Lollipop sticks are easily findable at a craft supply store like Michael’s, or can also be ordered online. Just make sure the sticks are the right size for the mold you purchase.

These lollipops will last for several weeks. To store, wrap lollipops individually to avoid having the pops stick together. (Cello bags work best for these pops.) These are ideal for gifting, or adding to the top of wrapped Christmas packages.

I used natural peppermint oil for this recipe. Because peppermint oil is quite strong, I only needed about 1/4 tsp of oil for each batch of candy. You could also substitute peppermint extract if you don’t have oil on hand, but you’ll need to adjust the amount as extracts are not as strong as oils.

Lollipops In-Depth

To learn more about making lollipops (including sugar temperatures and very detailed step-by-step instructions with process photos) please visit this how to make lollipops tutorial.

Peppermint Christmas lollipops

Other peppermint recipes you might enjoy:

Bakery-Style Mint M&M Cookies
Peppermint Marshmallows
Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Ganache

Love making lollipops? Try your hand at my caramel apple lollipop recipe, too!

And if you make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me at @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

Peppermint Christmas lollipops

Peppermint Christmas lollipops

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Peppermint Christmas lollipops

Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Lollipops


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  • Author: becky
  • Total Time: 30-45 minutes (including tempering time)
  • Yield: 12 lollipops 1x

Description

These delightful peppermint lollipops make a great addition to a Christmas care package. They’re perfect stocking stuffers, and look lovely tied atop wrapped presents, too!


Ingredients

Scale

200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
200 grams corn syrup (1/2 cup)
65 milliliters (1/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon natural peppermint oil
113 grams good-quality chocolate, such as Callebaut (4 ounces)
4 candy canes (or 8 peppermints, crushed)
Gel food coloring (red or green)


Instructions

Unwrap candy canes (or peppermints) and place in a ziploc bag. Using a kitchen mallet, crush candy into small pieces.* Transfer to a small dish and set aside.

Prepare lollipop mold by spritzing lightly with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Add lollipop sticks. Set mold aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved.

Using a candy thermometer, boil mixture until it reaches 300° F / 149° C. Remove from heat.

Stir in peppermint oil and food coloring of choice.

Spoon or pour hot sugar mixture into lollipop molds.

Allow candy to cool completely. Lollipops will set and harden as they cool. (This will happen quickly, about fifteen minutes).

When lollipops have set, pop them from the mold onto a silicone baking mat or sheet of parchment paper.

Melt and temper chocolate. (For an alternative to tempering, see notes below). Working quickly, dip the top half of each lollipop in chocolate, then sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. Transfer to silicone mat or parchment and allow chocolate to harden at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.

Individually wrap lollipops in cello bags. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one month.

 

Notes

*Do not work directly on the countertop! Be sure to place a thick folded towel underneath the ziploc bag to avoid damaging the counter.

This recipe makes approximately 12 lollipops. I made two batches, one with green food coloring and white chocolate, and the other with red food coloring and dark chocolate, for 24 total pops.

These pops will last for a long time at room temperature, making them ideal for gifting, or for sending long distance! For best results, package each pop individually in a cello bag, or store in an airtight container between layers of parchment.

For a detailed lollipop tutorial, including step-by-step photos, please see this post.

If you aren’t familiar with tempering, you can use discs of coating chocolate for this recipe. Unlike couverture, coating chocolate (also known by a range of other names such as candy melts, melting chocolate, melting wafers, confectionery coating, candy wafers, or dipping chocolate) is pre-tempered and will work if you want to dip your lollipops without tempering. I don’t recommend using melted chocolate chips, as they may not harden at room temperature, and refrigerating lollipops will lead to condensation issues and sticky pops.

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Candy and Confectionery
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Sweets

 

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