🎄🍬 Candy Cane Cookies
These Candy Cane Cookies are a festive Christmas classic with a buttery texture, refreshing peppermint flavor, and beautiful red-and-white stripes shaped like traditional candy canes. They’re perfect for holiday cookie trays, Christmas parties, homemade gifts, and cozy baking days with family.
The dough is easy to prepare, fun to shape, and baked until lightly golden underneath while remaining pale on top.
Recipe Information
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Chilling Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 10–12 minutes per batch
- Total Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24–30 cookies
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Method: Oven-baked
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) heavy cream
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional but recommended
For the Red Dough
- Red gel food coloring, as needed
Optional Decoration
- White sparkling sugar
- Crushed peppermint candies
- Melted white chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven and Baking Sheets
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Set aside.
2. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and optional salt.
Mix thoroughly to distribute the ingredients evenly, then set aside.
3. Cream the Butter and Sugar
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until creamy and well combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add the Egg, Cream, and Peppermint
Add the egg, heavy cream, and peppermint extract to the butter mixture.
Beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
The peppermint extract provides the classic candy cane flavor, so measure carefully to avoid making it overpowering.
5. Make the Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
The dough should be pliable enough to roll into ropes without sticking excessively to your hands.
If it feels very sticky, refrigerate it briefly rather than adding too much extra flour.
6. Divide and Color the Dough
Divide the dough into two equal portions.
Leave one portion plain.
Place the other portion in a separate bowl and add a few drops of red gel food coloring. Knead gently until the color is evenly distributed.
Add more coloring a little at a time until the dough reaches a festive red shade.
Gel coloring is preferable to liquid coloring because it adds less moisture to the dough.
7. Chill the Dough
Wrap the red and plain dough portions separately in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm enough to handle comfortably.
Chilling helps the dough become easier to roll and helps the finished cookies maintain their shape while baking.
8. Roll the Dough into Ropes
Take a small piece of plain dough and an equal-sized piece of red dough.
Roll each piece between your palms or on a clean work surface into a rope approximately 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) long and about ¼ inch thick.
Try to keep both ropes the same length and thickness.
If the dough cracks, let it soften at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling again.
9. Twist into Candy Cane Shapes
Place one red rope beside one plain rope.
Gently twist the two ropes around each other, leaving the red and white stripes clearly visible.
Do not squeeze too firmly, or the colors may blend together.
Carefully curve one end into a hook shape to create the classic candy cane appearance.
Transfer the shaped cookie to the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining dough, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.
10. Chill Again if Needed
If the shaped cookies become soft or warm while you’re working, refrigerate the baking sheets for 10–15 minutes before baking.
This extra chill is particularly helpful in a warm kitchen.
11. Bake
Bake the cookies for 10–12 minutes, depending on their size and thickness.
They’re ready when the bottoms are lightly golden and the tops remain mostly pale.
Avoid waiting for the red-and-white tops to brown deeply, as this can make the cookies dry and dull their festive appearance.
12. Cool Carefully
Remove the baking sheets from the oven.
Let the cookies rest on the trays for 5 minutes. They will be delicate while hot.
Carefully transfer them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.
13. Decorate if Desired
For a sparkling appearance, sprinkle the shaped cookies lightly with white sparkling sugar before baking.
Alternatively, drizzle the completely cooled cookies with melted white chocolate or sprinkle them with a small amount of finely crushed peppermint candy.
Allow any chocolate decoration to set before storing.
14. Serve
Arrange the cooled Candy Cane Cookies on a festive platter.
Serve them with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or a glass of cold milk.
They also make beautiful additions to Christmas cookie boxes and homemade holiday gifts.
Chef’s Tips
- Use softened butter, not melted butter: This helps the cookies hold their shape.
- Measure flour accurately: Too much flour can make the dough dry and difficult to roll.
- Choose gel food coloring: It creates vivid stripes without adding too much moisture.
- Keep the ropes even: Similar thicknesses help the cookies bake uniformly.
- Twist gently: Overworking the dough can blend the colors.
- Chill when necessary: If the dough becomes too soft, refrigerate it briefly before shaping.
- Don’t overbake: The cookies should remain mostly pale on top.
- Handle them carefully: Candy cane cookies can break while warm but become firmer as they cool.
Delicious Variations
White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Once cooled, drizzle the cookies with melted white chocolate and let it set completely.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Replace ¼ cup (30 g) of the flour in one portion with unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate-and-vanilla candy cane twists.
Almond Peppermint Cookies
Replace ½ teaspoon of the peppermint extract with almond extract for a subtle nutty flavor.
Sparkling Christmas Cookies
Sprinkle the shaped cookies with sparkling sugar before baking for a festive shimmer.
Chocolate-Dipped Candy Canes
Dip the bottom portions of the cooled cookies into melted dark chocolate, then allow the coating to set on parchment paper.
Green and White Christmas Twists
Use green gel food coloring instead of red for a different festive look.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
Wrap the red and plain portions separately and refrigerate until ready to use.
Let the dough soften slightly at room temperature if it becomes too firm to roll.
You can also shape the cookies ahead and refrigerate them on a lined baking sheet for several hours before baking.
Storage
Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Keep them in a cool, dry place and avoid stacking them too tightly, as the curved ends can break.
Freezing
Freeze the unbaked dough portions separately, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before shaping.
Baked cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Place parchment paper between layers to protect their shapes.
Serving Suggestions
These Candy Cane Cookies are especially delicious with:
- Hot chocolate
- Peppermint mocha
- Coffee or cappuccino
- Black tea
- Chai tea
- Cold milk
- Vanilla ice cream
For holiday gifting, arrange them in a decorative tin with parchment paper between layers or package them in clear treat bags tied with festive ribbon.
Final Result
Beautiful Candy Cane Cookies with cheerful red-and-white twists, a tender buttery crumb, and refreshing peppermint flavor. Festive, delicious, and fun to make, they’re a wonderful addition to any Christmas cookie collection.