Candy Cane Cookies Recipe Perfect for Holiday Cheer
Festive peppermint-flavored cookies twisted into candy cane shapes, perfect for holiday celebrations and gifting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5ml) peppermint extract
- 2 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) salt
- Red gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup of softened unsalted butter with 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Mix in 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Split the dough in half. Leave one half plain and add red gel food coloring to the other half. Knead until the color is evenly distributed.
- Take a teaspoon-sized piece of white dough and a teaspoon-sized piece of red dough. Roll each into a 5-inch rope, then gently twist them together. Curve one end to create the candy cane shape.
- Place twisted cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Notes
[‘Don’t overmix the dough to avoid tough cookies.’, ‘If the dough becomes too soft, chill it in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.’, ‘Keep dough ropes uniform in thickness for even baking.’, ‘Test bake one or two cookies first to adjust oven time if necessary.’]
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 50
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 16
- Protein: 2
Keywords: Candy Cane Cookies, Holiday Cookies, Peppermint Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Festive Cookies