Christmas Candy Cane Cookies
Candy cane cookies are a classic Christmas cookie recipe! These soft, buttery cookies are full of peppermint taste that is perfect for the holiday season!
These cookies look complicated but they are an easy and fun Christmas treat that will become your new family tradition! We make them every Christmas!
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 time has arrived. Throw in some snow and it is even better!
This candy cane cookie recipe is one of those cookies! This recipe is one that I’ve made with my mom and my kids so it has been a family tradition for decades.
These are so fun to make with kids, the rolling of the cookie 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!
These fun holiday cookies are perfect for a Christmas party, bake sales or a cookie swap. They are the perfect addition to a Christmas movie night or to leave out for Santa!
- Other Recipes You’ll Love-
- Base Cookie Dough Recipe– With this delicious cookie dough you can easily make 5 different cookies! This is a great way to make many cookies and only need a few ingredients!
- Grinch Crinkle Cookies– These Grinch crinkle cookies are a delicious soft, minty cookies that are perfect for the holiday season! Whether you’re watching your favorite holiday movie, having a Christmas party or annual cookie exchange these cookies are always a hit!
- Sugar Cookie Fudge– Sugar Cookie Fudge Recipe This sugar cookie fudge recipe is the perfect easy fudge for the holiday season. Made with simple ingredients and full of sugar cookie flavor it will be your new favorite!
FAQ & Tips for Making Candy Cane Christmas Cookies
Plan ahead- 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!
Use Gel Food Coloring– 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.
Make them a different flavor– We love the peppermint flavor of these cookies but you can easily change their flavor by using different extract. We love to swap out the peppermint for more vanilla extract or almond extract for a delicious sugar cookie flavor. You can swap out the crushed candy canes or peppermint candies for sanding sugar or sprinkles.
Here’s what you’ll need to make 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 Peppermint Candy Canes (2 Candy Canes)
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer cream together your butter and 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts, 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 on low 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 the dough in half to form 2 equal parts.
Add 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 refrigerate at least 4 hours.
When you are ready to make your cookies preheat the oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl combine 2 Tablespoons of sugar and crushed candy canes and mix together, set aside.
Now scoop out a teaspoon of red dough and white dough.
Next roll the white and red dough to make 2 – 5 inch ropes (or worms if you’re making these with kids!)
Next twist red and white cookie dough ropes together and pinch the ends to keep the pieces of dough together. Form them into a candy cane shape and place them on a cookie sheet.
Repeat with remaining dough until all of the dough has been used.
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 or until set.
While the cookies are baking mix together the crushed candy canes and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle them with your sugar and peppermint candy mixture. The heat from the cookies will melt the sugar and candy enough for it to stick.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes.
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!
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
- – 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
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together butter and sugar, add
in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint and mix until well incorporated. - In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt,
and powdered sugar. - Gradually add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix
until well incorporated. - Remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a ball or log and then cut it in
2 equal halves. - Add red gel food coloring to one half and gently knead it to
mix the color in. Add more if needed to achieve your desired color. - Wrap each dough color in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4
hours. - To make the cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350
- In a small bowl mix together 2 Tbsp. of sugar and crushed
candy canes. - Scoop out a teaspoon of each color dough.
- Roll the dough into 5 inch long ropes. Twist the ropes
together and shape into a candy cane shape and place onto a cookie sheet. - Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle
with the candy cane and sugar mixture, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. - *Between batches scrape the excess sugar/candy cane off the
cookie sheet so that it doesn’t melt. - Store cookies in an airtight container.
Jeanne Marino says
Hi! Just curious……. why do you take out 1 teaspoon of cookie dough????????????????????