Candy Cane Cookies

These classic Christmas cookies are festive, fun, and delicious! Full of peppermint taste, soft, and buttery, these candy cane cookies will become a family tradition!

Christmas cookies are one of our favorite family traditions. Baking with my mom was always something I loved as a kid and it is something I love doing with my kids every holiday season.

There are certain cookies that we have to make every year. Once they’re baked and we’re enjoying them with a cup of hot cocoa it feels like Christmas has arrived. Throw in some snow and it is even better!

These candy cane cookies are one of our favorites! This recipe is one that I made with my mom, and so it has been a family tradition for decades.

These are so fun to make with kids, the rolling of the dough and forming of the candy canes is like playing with playdoh! Little hands can help, you’re cookies may not be perfect but they will be delicious and the memories you’ll make are priceless!

A couple of notes before we get started-

You’ll need to put the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours before making your candy canes so make sure to plan ahead!

You’ll need gel food coloring to make the dough red. Liquid food coloring doesn’t work well because you have to add a lot to achieve the color you want and it puts too much liquid in the dough.

Here’s what you’ll need to make these Candy Cane Cookies

• 1 Cup Butter (softened)
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• ¼ Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp. Peppermint Extract
• 1 Egg
• 2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• ½ tsp. Salt
• Red Gel Food Coloring
• 2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

2 Tbsp Crushed Candy Canes (2 Candy Canes)

First cream together your butter and sugar with an electric mixer, add in the egg, vanilla, peppermint, and mix until well incorporated.

In a seperate bowl combine your flour, baking powder, salt and powdered sugar.

Gradually add your dry ingredients into your butter mixture and mix until well mixed and a dough has formed.

Remove the dough from the bowl and gently knead it into a log or ball, then divide it into 2 equal halves.

Add your red food coloring to one half of the dough and gently knead it to mix the color in. Add more if needed to achieve the color you want.

Now wrap each section of dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

When you are ready to make your cookies preheat the oven to 350.

In a small bowl combine 2 Tablespoons of sugar and crushed candy canes and mix together, set aside.

Now scoop out equal amounts of red and white dough. A teaspoon is the perfect amount so I use one to scoop my dough.

Next roll the dough into 5 inch ropes (or worms if you’re making these with kids!)

Next twist the dough ropes together, form them into a candy cane shape and place them on a cookie sheet.

If at any time while making your cookies the dough becomes too soft you can place it back into the fridge.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.

Remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle them with your sugar and candy cane mixture. The heat from the cookies will melt the sugar and candy enough for it to stick.

Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.

Between batches scrape any excess sugar/candy cane off your baking sheet.

Keep the cookies in an air tight container.

Enjoy them with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa and enjoy the holiday season!