10 Things to Make With Fresh Mint (+printable!)

Enjoy these 10 practical ways to use fresh mint from your garden + a free printable reference sheet!

various mint projects with a printable thumbnail of mint recipes

Mint is easy to grow and helps cool, relieve pain, indigestion, headache & sore muscles.

While peppermint (Mentha piperita) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) are most commonly used, if you have other types of mint such as orange, pineapple or chocolate mint, feel free to try them in the ideas below instead.

If you scroll to the end of this article, you’ll find a quick “cheat sheet” about using mint that you can print out and reference any time you’d like. (No signup required, just click and grab!)

mint ice cubes

1.) Mint Ice Cubes

These are super easy to make and look so pretty in summertime beverages!

To make, pour a small amount of water in each section of an ice tray and place a mint leaf in each one. Freeze until almost solid to hold the leaf in place, then pour more water in until the tray is filled.

Freeze again until solid then remove the cubes and add as a decorative accent to drinks.

Store in freezer bags until ready to use.

Mint Sugar

2.) Mint Sugar

Mint sugar can be used to sprinkle on cookies, muffins or sweet breads. You can use it to sweeten tea or roll grapes and other fruit in it, for an extra sweet snack. My favorite way though, is as a topping for buttery toast, instead of cinnamon and sugar. It’s so yummy!

To make mint sugar you’ll need:

  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • about 8 fresh mint leaves

Blend the sugar and mint together in a mini-food processor.

Use right away, or for longer storage, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and let air dry overnight. Store in a small jar out of sunlight.

Mint Iced Tea

3.) Mint Iced Tea

This is so refreshing on a hot summer day! You can use any type of mint that you have on hand, but my favorite is spearmint.

To make mint iced tea:

  1. Fill a jar with fresh mint leaves.
  2. Pour simmering hot water over them, cover with a saucer and let steep until cool enough to handle.
  3. Place the unstrained tea in the refrigerator and let it steep further for several hours or overnight. (This gives a really strong infusion.)
  4. Strain, sweeten to taste and pour over ice cubes.
  5. Best enjoyed in a hammock in the shade with a good book!
Mint Tincture

4.) Mint Tincture

Mint tincture can be used for upset stomach, motion sickness and is said to be an excellent cure for the hiccups!

To make: fill a mason jar with fresh mint leaves (jar size depends on how many leaves you’ve gathered up), then cover with an 80 proof or higher alcohol like vodka or brandy.

If you don’t have fresh mint, use dried instead – keeping a roughly 1 part dried herb to 5 parts alcohol ratio in mind. (My favorite place to buy dried herbs is Mountain Rose Herbs.)

If the lid is metallic, place a layer of plastic wrap between the jar and the lid, to prevent corrosion.

Cap and store in a cool, dark place for 2 to 3 weeks before straining, shaking every day or two, as you remember.

Start with a dose of a few drops, increasing a bit, if needed. To treat my family, I mix with a spoonful of raw honey.

How to Make Lip Balm & Salve From Fresh Mint

5.) Mint Lip Balms & Salve

Learn how to turn your mint leaves into two kinds of lip balm and a salve.

You can find the full instructions in THIS BLOG POST.

Cucumber Mint Bath Soak

6.) Cucumber Mint Bath Soak

Fresh cucumbers and mint leaves combine with Epsom salt to create this lightly scented and refreshing bath soak made from locally sourced ingredients.

The salt helps to rapidly dry the fresh ingredients, capturing and preserving the natural green color for months.

No fake colorants, food coloring, or preservatives needed!

You can find the full recipe HERE.

Here’s a video of me making Cucumber Mint Bath Soak! (Sometimes an ad plays first, but the recipe will start right after!)

Mint Clay Shampoo Treatment

7.) Mint Clay Shampoo Treatment

This deep cleaning treatment only needs to be done once a month and is most ideal for hair on the oily side.

Peppermint is reported to stimulate your scalp, encouraging new hair growth.

To make and use mint clay shampoo treatment:

  1. Mix 1 teaspoon of your favorite shampoo together with 1 teaspoon mint tea and 1/2 teaspoon green French clay (or other cosmetic clay.)
  2. Add a drop or two of peppermint essential oil for an even more invigorating experience.
  3. Massage a small amount into your scalp.
  4. Leave on for about two or three minutes then rinse thoroughly.
  5. Follow with a rinse of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water.
  6. This hair treatment is perishable and should be used within a few hours of mixing together.
Mint Vinegar

8.) Mint Vinegar

Mint vinegar is super easy to make and comes in quite handy!

For windows & counters: Mix one part vinegar with one part water and a pinch of cornstarch (optional). Shake well before using.

You can also add mint vinegar to your mop water.

For a frugal fabric softener, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup per load of laundry.

Dilute with water to make a soothing rinse for an itchy dog.

To make mint vinegar:

Fill a jar with fresh mint leaves and cover with vinegar. If you’re just making for household use, you can use regular vinegar. If you have culinary plans for it, try white wine vinegar instead. You can also use apple cider vinegar, which is especially nice for a hair rinse.

Cover the jar with a layer of plastic wrap then cap. This will keep the vinegar from corroding the metal and ruining your mixture. Set aside for 3 to 4 weeks, shaking occasionally as you remember to. It should smell nice and minty by then, if not, steep a week or two longer. You can also remove the old leaves and add more fresh, for a stronger scent.

Garden Mint Soap Cold Process Soap Recipe (palm free)

9.) Garden Mint Soap

This mint soap recipe is another personal favorite! The French green clay helps soothe skin irritations, while the peppermint essential oil energizes and refreshes the senses.

I use fresh mint from my garden to make this, but you can also use dried. Any type of mint that you have on hand will work in this recipe: peppermint, spearmint, pineapple mint, apple mint, orange mint and so forth.

When including herbal teas in soap, make sure that you don’t steep for too long as a strong tea can discolor soap.

You can find the recipe HERE.

(Looking for more natural soapmaking ideas? Check out my Handmade Natural Soaps ebook collection!)

Dog Breath Freshener Treats

10.) Doggie Breath Freshener Treats

This recipe features:

  • Peppermint – which helps with intestinal gas, colic and motion sickness, plus it’s a great breath freshener.
  • Parsley leaves – which are full of protein, vitamins and other nutrients. It’s also an excellent digestive aid, is antimicrobial and helps reduce arthritic inflammation.

You can find the full recipe and how to make HERE.


Free Printable Reference Sheet – All About Using Mint

Here’s your free printable!

It’s a helpful reference with tips on using mint, its benefits, how to harvest and preserve, plus uses. Clicking on the image below will open a pdf file that you can download and save to your computer, or print out.

printable reference chart for mint

Feel free to share with friends and especially the younger generation, helping to carry on the legacy of using what grows around you. ?

More free plant printables are scattered throughout the site, including:

(You may print copies of my free printables to share with scout groups, garden clubs, etc. Just make sure the copyright information stays attached at the bottom and do not sell them for personal gain. Links WILL change as printables get updated over time – please link to this site when sharing, not the exact printable to avoid broken links.) ?

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63 Comments

  1. This is not directly linked to all the delicious minty ideas (that I just may try today…hello homemade gifts!). I always mean to give you a pat on the back and never get around to it, so… I just wanted to say, I LOVE your blog. It makes me happy. And inspires me to be even a little more ‘crunchy’ than becoming a mom already made me

    1. Aw, thank you Cecelia – you just completely made my day! :) Thanks for taking the time to say that – it means a lot!

  2. Love all these ideas! Of all my herbs, mint is the one that exploded this year in an unbelievable way, especially the orange mint. Will try some of these ideas!

    1. My orange mint went crazy this year too! It’s currently trying to overtake the catnip. I definitely planted them too close together & will have to move one soon! I’m happy to hear you love the ideas! :)

  3. Mmm! Those look great. I have plenty of mint, plus some orange mint, that I need to harvest pretty soon. Guess I’ve got something to do with them now!

  4. I had no idea orange mint even existed. I’ll have to add it to my shopping list!

    1. It smells great! My favorite is probably pineapple mint, but I just bought a chocolate mint plant last weekend… I’m already envisioning future dessert ideas with that one! :)

  5. Great tips, thanks! I also like to make mint simple syrup to use in various cocktails, unsweetened ice tea, and homemade hot cocoa. Just heat one cup of water with one cup of sugar until the sugar is melted. Add a handful of mint leaves (I like to tear them into smaller pieces to get more of the flavor) and steep for several hours, then strain and store in a glass jar in the fridge.

  6. Jan – can you use the mint even if it’s gone to flower? The bees have been loving it. Just wanted to make sure it was still okay for all these awesome ideas.

    1. Hi Lea, Yes, you sure can still use it then! I believe it has different compositions depending on before or after bloom, but for our home purposes, that doesn’t really matter. I pick some whenever I need it – whether it’s blooming or not. :)

  7. I love your site and am always look forward to your newsletter emails. Thank you so much for your blog, your willingness to help others. and your AWESOME ebooks!!! So glad I found your site.

  8. Hello!!
    I need to say that I love all your ideas and your page.
    I love mint and what I do, is that, I dry it and then I can store it in jars or little bags so I always have some. I also use it a lot in the bath so I really want to make your salts and test it ;)
    Thank you for all the info that you give us.

  9. I have dried some and crushed it up like a power its great for sugars and teas a bit strong have to watch how much you use. I just had so much of it.

  10. Do you have a list like this for lemon balm? My crop is overwhelming this year. Plenty of mint too, but at least I planted it in a pot, lol…

  11. I sure enjoy your web site.I didn’t know there was so many ways to use mint. I always have plenty of it. It comes back every year. This is my favorite webb site,

  12. Hey again! I have another question for you:

    I am harvesting my mint tomorrow as there is frost in the forecast NOOOOOO! My question is: How long do you think mint syrup will last in the fridge?? A week, a month?

  13. Also, I am going to try out your mint tincture recipe, only I have a HUGE patch of oregano, so I am going to try making a Oregano/mint tincture for cold and flu season. Hope it works out, thanks for the inspiration Jan!

  14. Just stumbled upon this site a couple hours ago and can’t seem to leave. It’s wonderful, thank you so much.

  15. Watermelon salad with mint is amazing. And mint simple syrup tossed with a fruit salad is so good! Love your site. :)

    1. Yum, those do sound amazing! :) Thank you for sharing and I’m happy to hear you like the site!

    1. Hi Cheryl! Yes, you can do any of these mint projects with any type of mint you have on hand: peppermint, spearmint, chocolate mint, orange mint, pineapple mint and so forth. The flavors might be slightly altered due to type, but they share similar benefits.

  16. Thank you, and just to let you know, I made a tea and then made ice cubes for later use and a tincture out of the rest. I would like to know more uses for the tincture though,

    1. Those are great uses for your mint! The tincture is good for treating upset stomach, motion sickness, and nausea. You can also try rubbing it externally on pressure points & your temples for headache & you can dilute it in water and use as a mouthwash or gargle when you have a sore throat.

  17. Love, love your recipes! I made Peppermint Lip Balm and Peppermint Salve today. Still waiting for the salve to set up, but the lip balm came out great! I’m glad that I added some drops of peppermint essential oil to it.

    1. That’s great – I’m glad they turned out well for you! In the summer, you might want to add a smidge more beeswax if they take too long to set up or don’t feel firm enough, since the heat can make items softer.

  18. Love your recipes!
    Since you know your mint, have you ever heard of mint warding of mice?
    We had a bit of a rain spell and the field mice came in, since we border a park and a river is nearby also.. I planted some indoors.. But wanted to know about an oil or spray or something. Thank you so much… I could very well be wrong lisening to my daughter but I’ll give it a shot…

    1. Hi Robin! I’ve heard that mint repels mice too. However, when I was in elementary school, we lived in a very old farmhouse with mice galore. I loved peppermint chewing gum and always had some in my room. The mice would come in and eat it, so I’ve always doubted a little bit, how much mint really repels them. It might be in certain high amounts that it will though? I wish I could be more help and I hope you find a good remedy for them!

  19. I didn’t see this question in the comments previously so I’m sorry if it’s a repeat but have you ever made candied spearmint like the recipe you listed for lemon balm? I’m wondering how that would be…

    1. Hi Kim! I don’t think that’s been asked before, so thanks for the reminder! You can candy spearmint leaves, just like you would lemon balm leaves. (Other types of mint and rose petals work well too.)

  20. these recipes are awesome I cant wait to try them all. the question I have for you is, how do I dry the mint?

    1. Hi Joni, I’m happy that you like the recipes! I have some information on drying mint in this post that might help: https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/using-fresh-mint-to-make-lip-balms-salve/
      “Gather up some leaves from your plant, then gently spread them out in a single layer on a paper towel and let them air dry where no one will disturb them for a few days. Let these dry until they feel fairly crispy. The leaves should still have a strong minty smell when you crumble one between your fingers.” Have fun with your mint! :)

    1. Hi Joni, You sure can! In fact, I think it’s recommended by some herbalists, but I don’t have access to it in my area.

  21. I loved your recipes and plan to try them soon. I do have a question though. How long would the mint vinegar be good for?

    1. Hi Nichole! Infused vinegar should probably stay good at least 9 months to a year, and possibly even longer. Just be sure to keep any plant matter completely covered with vinegar while infusing and strain before storing long term.

  22. I’ve got 4 mint plants out on the deck. I’ve noticed that we are getting fewer creepy crawlers and fearless flying blood suckers since I’ve put them in. This their second year, and have to re-pot them ’cause they really grow! Am thinking to add some mint to my citronella candles. That should keep the most daring bugs away!

  23. I am happy to have found your site. I’m a long time make-from-scratch person. Now I’ve lost my job due to injury, I’m having to learn about growing my from-scratch and how to make the most of them. Such as an abundance of dill, mint, coriander (you call it cilantro I think) and pumpkins etc. I have always made pickles, chutneys and freeze dehydrate bottle and bake. Your site helps me go that one step further.

    1. Hi Rosie! I’m so sorry to hear about your job loss and injury. I know that’s a difficult situation, but it’s good to hear that you’re being creative with what you have and making things from scratch!

  24. My daughter gave me a planter with 4 varities of mint for Mothers Day. Have used them in iced tea, hot tea and fruit salads. Yhey have really taken off so i my search for uses of mint stumbled upon your blog. Thank you for all suggestions, many of which I will try.

  25. I did enjoy your post ten things to do with mint as a matter of fact I always enjoy your posts. Since I bought your Ebook things to do with roses I am hooked on this site. Thank you for all this wonderful info and God bless!

  26. I am so glad to have found your site. I love anything to do with gardening and herbs. Great ideas come from interesting people like you. Thanks. Theresa schulz

  27. I am making that spearmint sugar now, and my kitchen smells amazing! I cannot wait to try it, honestly, but I will. I am sure it will be delicious in all sorts of things, so I doubled it.

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