There’s something truly magical about the combination of peppermint and sugar, especially when it’s shaped into festive candy cane swirls. This Candy Cane Cookies Recipe brings that classic holiday flavor into buttery, tender cookies that feel just right to share with friends or a warm cup of cocoa. Trust me, these cookies will make your kitchen smell like Christmas morning in the best way possible.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I adore this Candy Cane Cookies Recipe because it combines a festive look with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a pop of peppermint flavor that feels like a holiday hug. Every year, baking these brings back warm memories, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
- Perfect Peppermint Kick: The peppermint extract adds just the right refreshing zing that makes these cookies feel festive and special.
- Beautiful Swirled Design: Their classic red and white twist looks impressive but is surprisingly simple to make.
- Buttery Texture: These cookies stay tender and soft, perfect for enjoying with a glass of milk or coffee.
- Keeps Well: You can prep ahead and store these cookies without losing that fresh-baked taste and texture.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Every ingredient in this Candy Cane Cookies Recipe was chosen for both taste and the function it serves in helping the cookie come out soft, flavorful, and picture-perfect. Let’s walk through them so you understand what they each bring to the bowl.
- Unsalted Butter: Using softened unsalted butter ensures a creamy base and allows you to control the salt precisely.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create slight crispness on the edges.
- Cream of Tartar: This little acid stabilizes the eggs and adds chewiness, making your cookie texture just right.
- Heavy Cream: Adds moisture and richness for a tender crumb.
- Egg: Binds ingredients and adds structure without making cookies tough.
- Peppermint Extract: This is where the magic happens — pure peppermint flavor that makes these cookies authentically festive.
- Clear Vanilla Flavoring: A subtle background note to round out the flavors without coloring the dough.
- Baking Powder: Just a touch for lightness and gentle rise.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the dough body; be sure to measure correctly to avoid dense cookies.
- Red Gel Food Color: For that bright candy cane red that stays vivid during baking.
Make It Your Way
One thing I love about this Candy Cane Cookies Recipe is how easy it is to tweak according to taste or occasion. Feel free to experiment with different extracts or swap out the red gel for natural colorants if you're feeling creative.
- Variation: I’ve tried swapping peppermint extract for almond extract once, and it gave the cookies a delicious, unexpected flavor twist—perfect for non-holiday occasions.
- Dietary Adjustments: For a dairy-free version, use a vegan butter substitute and a little plant-based milk instead of heavy cream.
- Color Swap: If red isn’t your thing, try green gel color for a fun, minty alternative look.
- Less Sweet: Reduce sugar by a couple of tablespoons if you prefer a softer sweetness—but keep the peppermint for that essential flavor pop!
Step-by-Step: How I Make Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar to Fluffy Perfection
Start by beating the softened butter on medium-high speed until it’s light and creamy—about 1½ to 2 minutes. Next, reduce speed and add sugar, cream of tartar, and heavy cream. Beat it all together until super fluffy, which usually takes 2 to 3 minutes. This fluffy texture is key to soft cookies later on.
Step 2: Add Egg and Flavorings
Drop in a room-temperature egg and mix on low until fully incorporated. Then add your peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring. The clear vanilla keeps the dough light in color while still delivering that subtle, sweet warmth.
Step 3: Gently Fold in Dry Ingredients
Keep the mixer low as you add baking powder and flour, half a cup at a time. Mix just until no flour streaks remain—over-mixing can make cookies tough. Divide the dough in two: one plain white and one to color red. Wrap the white dough well and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour to chill.
Step 4: Color and Chill the Red Dough
Add red gel color to the remaining dough and mix on low speed until evenly red—no streaks! Place this dough in a covered bowl and refrigerate alongside the white dough for at least one hour. This chilling step helps keep the candy cane shape when baking.
Step 5: Roll, Twist, and Shape Your Candy Canes
On a parchment-covered surface (to avoid stains), scoop out equal portions from both dough balls. Roll each into 5-inch ropes, keeping your hands cool to prevent dough softening. Press the red and white ropes lightly together at one end, twist gently, and shape into candy cane curves. Lay them spaced on a parchment-lined baking sheet ready to bake.
Step 6: Bake and Cool
Bake at 350°F for exactly 7 minutes—watch them closely, as ovens vary. Let cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes; this helps them firm up so they don't break when moved to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Top Tip
I’ve learned that the trickiest part of this Candy Cane Cookies Recipe is handling the dough without warming it too much. Here are a few tricks I keep in mind each time I make these:
- Chill Seriously: Don’t skip that one-hour chilling; it keeps dough firm and candy canes from spreading into blobs.
- Cool Hands: I often chill my hands in cold water before rolling dough ropes—it helps keep the dough from getting sticky or too soft.
- Use Parchment Paper: Rolling ropes on parchment protects surfaces from red dye stains and makes cleanup a breeze.
- Watch Your Oven: Since ovens vary, start checking cookies at 6 minutes to avoid overbaking—they should be firm but not browned.
How to Serve Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I love leaving these cookies simple—they’re pretty enough on their own! If you want a little extra, a light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of white chocolate adds a festive touch. Just don’t overpower that peppermint charm.
Side Dishes
Pair these candy cane cookies with a classic hot chocolate or a creamy peppermint mocha for the ultimate winter treat. They also work beautifully alongside a simple cheese board if you’re hosting a holiday gathering.
Creative Ways to Present
For Christmas parties, I’ve arranged these cookies around a centerpiece, nestled with fresh pine boughs and twinkling fairy lights. Wrapped up in clear cellophane tied with red ribbon, they make charming homemade gifts your friends will love.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I store leftover Candy Cane Cookies in an airtight container layered with parchment paper to prevent sticking. They keep beautifully at room temperature for up to a week, still tasting fresh and wonderfully soft.
Freezing
If I want to prep early, I freeze shaped but unbaked dough ropes separately wrapped in plastic wrap. When ready to bake, I thaw briefly in the fridge before twisting and shaping. Baked cookies freeze well too — just warm them slightly before serving.
Reheating
To refresh cookies from storage or freezer, I pop them in a 300°F oven for 3-4 minutes—this gives them just-baked warmth without drying out their tender crumb.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can substitute regular vanilla extract, but it will darken the dough slightly. Clear vanilla is preferred to keep the red and white colors distinct in this Candy Cane Cookies Recipe.
Rolling the dye-colored dough on a piece of parchment paper helps protect your countertops and prevents staining. Wearing disposable gloves or washing hands frequently also helps minimize red dye transfer.
Certainly! If you omit the peppermint extract, you’ll have a delicious sugar cookie base. You can even split the batch to have plain and peppermint versions for variety.
Chilling the dough thoroughly before shaping and baking is crucial to maintain the candy cane twist and prevent spreading. Also, avoid flattening the ropes when twisting and keep your hands cool while rolling.
Final Thoughts
This Candy Cane Cookies Recipe holds a special place in my holiday baking lineup each year because it’s not just about the taste, but the joy of making something festive and lovely with your own hands. Give yourself the time to chill the dough and enjoy the process — the results are worth every minute. You’ll be handing these out as gifts and savouring them at home, feeling the spirit of the season with every bite.
Print
Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
- Yield: 48 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These festive Candy Cane Cookies are peppermint-flavored sugar cookies twisted with classic red and white dough to create adorable candy cane shapes. Perfect for holiday celebrations, they are soft, buttery, and infused with refreshing peppermint extract.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure peppermint extract
- 1¼ teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer with a large mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter on medium-high speed for 1½ to 2 minutes until smooth.
- Add Sugar Mixture: Reduce mixer speed to low, add granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and heavy cream. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
- Incorporate Egg: Reduce speed to low, add the egg, and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add Extracts: Mix in the peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring on low speed.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add baking powder and flour ½ cup at a time on low speed. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain.
- Divide Dough: Divide dough into two equal balls. Return one ball to the bowl to color red, cover and refrigerate the other white ball for 1 hour.
- Color Red Dough: Add red gel color to the dough in the bowl. Mix on low until uniform color appears. Place red dough in bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare Dough for Shaping: Remove dough from refrigerator and cut each color dough in half. Cover work surface with parchment paper to avoid staining.
- Roll Dough Balls: Using a ½ tablespoon scoop, form white and red dough into tight balls. Chill again for 10-15 minutes for better shaping.
- Roll Into Ropes: Roll each dough ball into 5-inch long ropes with cool hands to maintain shape.
- Twist and Shape: Press the bottoms of the white and red ropes together lightly and twist gently. Curve the top to form the candy cane hook.
- Arrange on Sheet: Place twisted ropes on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake Cookies: Bake cookies for 7 minutes at 350°F until edges are set.
- Cool: Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Repeat: Remove remaining dough from refrigerator and repeat shaping and baking steps.
- Store: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and maintain the candy cane shape during baking.
- Keep an eye on oven temperature as it may vary; adjust accordingly to avoid overbaking.
- Peppermint extract is key for the classic flavor; omit if you prefer plain sugar cookies.
- Protect your work surface with parchment paper when shaping dough to avoid red food coloring stains.
- Keep hands cool when rolling ropes to help the dough hold its shape and prevent flattening.
- Ensure dough ropes stay rounded and do not flatten them when twisting for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
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