Candy cane cookies are the quintessential holiday treat, offering a fun, festive twist on traditional sugar cookies. Their delicate peppermint flavor, striking red-and-white swirl design, and festive shape make them an irresistible addition to any holiday cookie platter. Whether you’re baking for family, friends, or to give as gifts, these cookies bring both flavor and cheer to the season.
The dough itself is simple but delicious, made from butter, sugar, and flour, with a hint of vanilla to give it depth. What sets these cookies apart is the combination of almond or peppermint extract in the dough. A little almond extract in the dough adds richness, while peppermint extract in the dough and the red-tinted dough gives them that quintessential candy cane flavor.
What’s truly magical about candy cane cookies is their signature look. Once the dough is prepared, it’s divided into two portions, with one half left plain and the other half colored red. After chilling, the dough is rolled into strips, then twisted together to form the candy cane shape. You can use your hands to carefully twist the red and white dough together or roll each dough into long strips, then carefully twist them into candy cane shapes on the baking sheet.
Once baked, the cookies have a golden edge and soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior, with just the right balance of sweetness and minty freshness. For an extra touch, you can dip the ends of the baked cookies in crushed candy canes or a dusting of sugar for added crunch and color. Try this dessert with grandma’s hot chocolate.
Candy cane cookies not only make a festive treat for your holiday table but are also wonderful for gifting. Their striking design and peppermint flavor make them both a visual and culinary delight. They’re the perfect way to spread some holiday cheer, adding a sweet touch to any celebration.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp Red food coloring
- 1/2 cup peppermint candies crushed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Add the red food coloring to one half of the dough and mix until the color is evenly distributed.
- Shape each dough half into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Roll each color into 4-inch long ropes.
- Twist one red and one white rope together, pressing the ends together to seal. Shape the twisted ropes into candy cane shapes.
- Place the candy canes onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies onto the cookies, pressing lightly to make them stick.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Not bad but I’d prefer chocolate cookies. These were too crunchy for me.
Yummy cookies, but I forgot to let them cool, so they fell apart. Oops!
These are so delicious! Perfect for the holidays. I love the peppermint flavor!
Easy and fun to make! My kids loved shaping the candy canes. Will make again for the holidays! 😍
These cookies are so festive! My kids loved helping with the twisting part. Will make again!
Candy canes in cookies? Sounds weird! But I tried it, and they’re surprisingly tasty!
Yum! My kids loved helping make them. Simple and fun, we’ll do it again!
But like, aren’t those cookies just full of sugar? How can they be healthy for kids? 🤔
That’s awesome! It’s great to hear your kids enjoyed the process. Baking is such a fun way to bond! 😊
Delicious! But I think I put too much peppermint. A lil goes a long way. 🤭
I agree! A little peppermint adds so much flavor! Just gotta be careful not to overdo it! 😄
Too much peppermint? How can that be? It’s perfect! But I guess if you’re not into it, you can adjust next time.
I tried this recipe and it didn’t turn out as I expected. The dough was hard to shape and the colors got all mixed up. Kind of a mess, honestly. Maybe I did it wrong?
Looks great! Can’t wait to try—gonna make it for my family dinner.
Yum! Made these for a party and everyone loved them, they disappeared so fast!
That’s awesome! I love how festive they look too. Perfect for Christmas parties!
I dunno, they sound kinda hard to make. Can’t you just buy some instead?
I was skeptical at first. How can cookies with peppermint candies taste good? But, boy was I wrong! So good!
Honestly, why use real butter when you can use margarine? Makes no difference!
First time making cookies. They turned out great! But why do we need food coloring?
Are you sure these are the right ingredients? I think there should be something like chocolate in here… just sounds better that way. 🤷♂️
I think they are right! Candy canes don’t need chocolate. Peppermint is enough! 🍬
But chocolate and peppermint goes together like peanut butter and jelly! Maybe the recipe is missing that… just sayin’.
Super easy to make and they look cute! I used a different color, but still awesome!
I think I messed up the dough. It was too sticky, even after refrigerating! What did I do wrong? 😩
Not a fan of peppermint. Took one bite and couldn’t finish it. Thumbs down.
I totally get you! Peppermint can be really hit or miss. But these are such festive cookies, maybe try them without the peppermint next time?
I didn’t like the taste, what is with all the peppermint? Was expecting something different.
Candy canes are supposed to be minty! You gotta expect the peppermint. Maybe try reducing the amount next time?
Cookies are yum! But you really don’t need so much sugar. What’s with all these baking recipes always loading sugar?
But sugar is what makes cookies sweet! If you cut it, they won’t taste as good. That’s just how baking works, right?
I totally get what you mean about the sugar! Maybe you can try reducing it next time or using a sugar substitute?