Candy Cane Cookies are a simple, yet festive Christmas cookie that everyone loves!
Looking for the best Christmas Cookies? Add these Christmas Candy Cane Cookies to your baking list along with Cut-Out Sugar Cookies, Snowball Cookies, and Neiman Marcus Cookies.
No Christmas Cookie tray is complete without Candy Cane Cookies!
Made with a simple cookie dough that is dyed and twisted together to form the classic shape of candy canes, these Christmas Candy Cane Cookies are not only visually stunning, but their flavor is perfection!
They are tender and buttery, much like classic shortbread. Perfect for dipping into a mug of Peppermint Mocha, Christmas Tea, or Hot Chocolate!
Notes On Ingredients
- Butter: Be sure to unsalted butter for these cookies, to control the level of salt yourself. You also want your butter to be at room temperature so that it creams easily into the batter.
- Flour: All-purpose is the way to to go for this classic butter cookie dough.
- Red Food Coloring: You can use either gel or liquid red food coloring to achieve the classic red dough for the candy cane braid. I opt to purchase all-natural red food coloring, but any variety will work.
- Extract: I use both almond and vanilla extract, just as I do in my sugar cookie recipe. This gives the cookies a nice sweet, nutty flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: Instead of using granulated sugar, opt for powdered sugar which will dissolve easily into the cookie dough, keeping it tender, light, and flaky.
- Extract: I use both vanilla and almond extract to flavor the candy cane cookies.
- Sparkling Sugar: I love finishing the cookies with a bit of coarse sugar. You can use clear or red, or a combination of the two. The sparkling sugar adds a nice sweet crunch to the cookies, but it is totally optional.
How to Make Candy Cane Cookies
While this candy cane cookie recipe is a bit more time-consuming than a simple drop cookie, the results are worth it and the process is quite simple. It is a also a great Christmas recipe for kids to help with!
- Cream the Butter. In order to get a light and fluffy butter cookie, you want to cream the butter in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add Sugar, Extracts, and Egg. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then add in the egg, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt. Beat again on medium speed until everything is fully incorporated.
- Add Flour. Add the flour to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low speed until just folded together. You don't want to overwork the dough or you will end up with a tough cookie.
- Dye Half the Dough Red. In order to achieve the red and white striped aesthetic of a classic candy cane, half the dough needs to be dyed a vibrant red color. Do this by removing half of the dough from the mixing bowl and place it in another bowl. Add several drops of red food coloring to the dough and mix until bright and vibrant.
- Chill Cookie dough. Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours minutes, or up to 48 hours, will make the dough easier to shape and prevent the cookies from spreading when baked.
- Shape the Candy Cane Cookies. Once the dough is fully chilled, break off ½ tablespoon each of both the red and white dough and roll each into a log. Place them next to each other to ensure they are the same length, and then twist to form the shape of a candy cane.
- Chill Again! As the dough was handled and the candy cane cookies were shaped, the dough warmed up. Therefore, it is crucial to chill the shaped cookies for 15-30 minutes before baking. This will help them to hold their classic shape.
- Add Sparkling Sugar (optional). To add a little sparkle to the candy cane cookies, sprinkle the cookies with sanding or sparkling sugar before baking.
- Bake. Bake the cookies until just beginning to turn a light golden on the bottom. You don't want to overbake the cookies, as they will continue to set up as they cool.
Peppermint-Flavored Candy Cane Cookies
This recipe for Candy Cane Cookies is a simple buttery cookie. If you would like to flavor them with mint to compliment the candy cane shape, follow the following modifications.
- Omit the almond extract and replace it with ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla extract to the batter. Peppermint extract is very strong, so you don't want to go overboard or your cookies may end up tasting like toothpaste.
- If desired, sprinkle the cookies with ½ cup of crushed candy canes. Not only does this add a festive touch, but it indicates the flavor of the cookies. Just be sure to sprinkle the crushed candy canes over the cookies as soon as you remove them from the oven, as that will help the crushed candy adhere to the cookies.
Storage Instructions
- At Room Temperature: Once baked and cooled completely, store the Candy Cane Cookies in an airtight container. They will keep for up to one week at room temperature.
- In the Freezer: Once baked and cooled completely, place the Candy Cane Cookies into an airtight freezer-safe container (not a bag, as these are delicate cookies) and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before enjoying.
More Festive Christmas Recipes
- Reindeer Pretzels
- Santa Pancakes
- Christmas Fudge
- Saltine Cracker Toffee
- Snowball Cookies
- Candy Cane Pizza
- Easy Christmas Bark
If you enjoyed this Candy Cane Cookie Recipe, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.
Candy Cane Cookies
Made with a simple cookie dough that is dyed and twisted together to form the classic shape of candy canes, these festive cookies are buttery, tender, and perfectly delicious.
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Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 99kcal
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons sparkling sugar optional
- In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, then add in one egg, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and ½ teaspoon salt. Beat again on medium speed until everything is fully incorporated.
- Add 3 cups of flour to the creamed butter and sugar mixture and mix on low speed until JUST incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Divide the dough in half and remove half the dough from the mixing bowl and pat into a 1-inch thick disk and wrap well in plastic wrap.
- To the dough left in the mixing bowl, add ½ teaspoon of red food coloring to the remaining dough left in the mixing bowl. Fold the food coloring into the dough, using a spatula or your hands until the dough is evenly dyed. If needed add up to ½ teaspoon of additional food coloring until the dough is a bright, vibrant red. Divide the dough in half and remove half the dough from the mixing bowl and pat into a 1-inch thick disk and wrap well in plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate both disks of dough for at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours to fully allow the cookie dough to chill.
- When ready to shape the cookies, line two large baking sheets or cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Pinch off about ½ tablespoon of dough from each disk of dough, so that you have both a red and white section of dough. Using your palm, not your fingers, roll each section of dough into a thick rope about 5 inches long, ensuring that each log of dough is the same length.
- Pinch the tops of the white and red ropes together and twist them together, curving the top of the dough into a candy cane shape. Place the shaped candy cane cookie onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. Repeat the process until no dough remains.
- Place the baking sheets with the shaped candy cane cookies into the refrigerator and chill for 15-30 minutes before baking. During this time, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Once the oven has preheated and the cookies have chilled, remove the baking sheets from the refrigerator and sprinkle the sparkling sugar over the cookies.
- Bake until the bottom edges are just barely starting to turn lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes.
- Once golden, remove the cookies from the oven. Cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to wire cooling racks and cool completely.
Storage: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature. If desired, freeze these cookies in a freezer-safe container rather than a freezer-safe bag to protect their delicate shape, for up to 1 month.
Peppermint Flavored Candy Cane Cookies:
- Omit the almond extract and replace it with ½ teaspoon of peppermint extract to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla extract to the batter.
- Omit the sparkling sugar, and instead sprinkle the cookies with ½ cup of crushed candy canes as soon as you remove them from the oven.
Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
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Liz R
I love this candy cane cookie recipe. It's so cute and delicious.
Sharina
One of the cutest cookies I've tried! My family enjoyed these buttery and delicious festive cookies. I'll surely add this recipe to our Christmas treats list, thanks Kristen!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this, Sharina! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Sheila G
I made these with my kids and they were a huge hit. They loved to help and it was so much fun, thanks so much!
Kristen Chidsey
Aw, I love hearing you and your kids had fun making these cookies (and enjoyed eating them!)
Jeff
I'm sure these'd make a welcome addition to any holiday cookie plate. They're gorgeous! I'm glad you mentioned the changes that you made; I'm always curious to see how someone puts their own stamp on a recipe.