Easy Candy Cane Cookies recipe. This dessert idea is so fun to make, and looks beautiful on a Christmas cookie tray.
It is getting closer to Christmas time, and all I want to do is make a good baked cookie and sit by the fire with a good book. Good news is, it is only 2 more days of work left until my winter holidays. I am already planning all of the activities (and days to relax) for when we go back to Vancouver for 2 weeks.
Of course, there will be plenty of holiday baking. Starting with these Candy Cane Cookies. The best part about these cookies is that you don’t need to pull out your rolling pin, and they are so much fun to make. Although I love sugar cookie recipes, I just don’t have the patience to roll out the dough. All you need to shape these cookies is the palm of your hand. So simple, you can even have your children’s little hands helping you too. And it is such a simple cookie dough recipe that it makes it very difficult to mess up these cookies.
I’m excited to make these for Christmas eve with my toddler and make it a holiday tradition to leave them out for Santa.
Candy Cane Cookies Ingredients
You don’t need too many ingredients to make this candy cane cookie recipe this Christmas season. All you need is:
- unsalted butter
- white sugar
- peppermint extract
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- egg
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- pink gel food coloring (or red food coloring)
That’s it!
Tips & Tricks
Do not skip the refrigeration step! To save time, you may be tempted to skip the fridge step and go straight to baking. I know that it’s a long time, but it pays off in the end. If you don’t refrigerate the dough balls, the cookies will not maintain their candy cane shape. For best results, refrigerate the pieces of dough for 3 hours. Any longer and they may start to dry out.
Amp up the peppermint flavor! The addition of peppermint extract is a nice touch to these candy cane cookies, but you can always ramp it up a little more. Try melting some chocolate chips with some coconut oil, dipping the ends in the chocolate and sprinkling some crushed candy canes or peppermint candies on top.
Storage: You can store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1-2 weeks.
Don’t like peppermint flavor? Switch it up with another extract you love. I have tried it with almond extract and cake batter flavoring and they have both tasted so good.
Make them look more festive! Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top to make it look like snow, or some coarse sugar to make it look like ice crystals.
More Christmas Cookies for the Holiday Season
Like these Candy Cane Cookies? Then you will love these Christmas cookie recipes:
- Cranberry White Chocolate Nutella Cookies
- Two Tone Peppermint Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Shortbread Cookies
If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it! Rate it, leave a comment and tag me with #atasteofmadness on Instagram! I always love seeing what you are creating. Happy baking!
Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pink food gel
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, peppermint extract, vanilla and baking powder until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg. Add in the flour and salt, and mix until fully combined.
- Divide the dough in two and transfer one half into a separate bowl. Add in a little bit of the pink food coloring and mix until incorporated. Keep adding the pink food coloring until it reaches your desired color.
- Shape each dough half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove a 1-inch round piece of dough from the write dough and roll it out into a 5-inch rope. Do the same with a piece of pink dough.
- Place the ropes next to each other and twist together. Form into a candy cane shape and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the reamining dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.
Notes
- Cookies keep for around 10 days in a sealed container at room temperature.
- Total time does not include refrigeration time.
Pin for Later
These Candy Cane Cookies are pure holiday magic! The festive swirl of peppermint and sweet vanilla creates a perfect balance of flavors. They not only look stunning but taste absolutely delicious. A must-bake for the festive season!
SO good 🙂
Such a fun Christmas treat!! My kids loved it! Thanks so much!
That makes me so happy to hear!!
My kinds loved both making these candy cane cookies and eating them. They were a fun addition to our holiday baking this year.
So glad they were a hit 🙂
What a great tradition. I’m sure Santa loves these peppermint flavored candy cane cookies. They are simply adorable.
Definitely leaving some out for him 😉
These are adorable and so perfect for the winter break project. My girls love to bake and they can’t wait to try these gorgeous cookies. We are planning to bake them tomorrow when the school starts winter break.
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear 🙂