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Candy Cane Cookies are the perfect festive treat to add a bit of magic to your holiday baking. Made with a soft sugar cookie base and flavored with cool peppermint, these striped red and white cookies are shaped like little candy canes, making them both fun to make and beautiful to serve. Whether you're baking for a cookie exchange, planning Santa's snack plate, or just want something cheerful with your cocoa, this recipe delivers sweet holiday joy in every bite.
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What makes these cookies stand out is their smooth, defined swirl and tender texture. With a little technique and some chilling time, you’ll get perfect candy cane shapes that hold up beautifully during baking.
Why You’ll Love These Candy Cane Cookies
Festive and Fun to Make
This recipe brings holiday cheer straight to your kitchen. Twisting the dough into candy cane shapes is simple and satisfying. Kids love to help with this part, making it a great holiday family activity.
Sweet, Buttery, and Minty
The cookies are buttery with just the right amount of sugar. A hint of peppermint gives them a fresh finish that pairs wonderfully with hot cocoa or milk. The texture is soft and chewy, with a smooth bite from the cream cheese in the dough.
Ideal for Gifting
Their vibrant color and iconic shape make these cookies perfect for cookie platters, party favors, or wrapped in cellophane as edible gifts. They’re also freezer-friendly, so you can prep them ahead for holiday events.
Ingredients and Substitutions
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- Red gel food coloring (Americolor Super Red is ideal)
Ingredient Notes
Use butter and cream cheese at room temperature for a smooth, creamy dough. Full-fat cream cheese (in blocks) gives the best texture. Avoid whipped or low-fat versions. For color, gel food coloring creates vibrant red with less product and won’t affect the dough's consistency.
Substitution Ideas
- Use vanilla extract if you don’t like peppermint. Almond extract also works well.
- For a dairy-free version, try vegan butter and dairy-free cream cheese.
- To make it gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and handle the dough gently as it can be more fragile.
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Make Candy Cane Cookies
- Cream the butter and cream cheese
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth. - Add sugar and flavoring
Mix in granulated sugar, egg yolk, peppermint extract, and salt. Beat until everything is fully combined. - Incorporate flour
Reduce speed and slowly add flour. Mix just until a dough forms. Do not overmix. - Divide and color
Split dough in half. Leave one half plain. Color the other half with red gel food coloring until evenly red. - Roll the dough
Roll each half between parchment into a rectangle about 5 inches wide and 18 inches long, and ¼ inch thick. Chill for 10 minutes. - Stack and chill
Stack the red dough over the plain dough. Lightly roll over to press them together. Wrap in plastic and chill for 45 minutes until firm. - Cut and shape
Cut the layered dough into ½-inch-wide strips. Roll each strip gently into a rope, twist to create the swirl, then curve one end to form a candy cane. - Bake
Chill shaped cookies for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake for 12–14 minutes. They should be puffed, not browned. Let cool before handling.
Tips for Success
Best Practices
- Chill your dough. It helps maintain clean edges and shape during baking.
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and reduce cleanup.
- Twist gently to avoid breaking or blending the colors.
Avoid These Mistakes
- Skipping chill time can cause spreading.
- Using liquid food coloring may make the dough too wet.
- Don’t overbake—these cookies don’t need to brown to be done.
Time-Saving Advice
- Make dough the night before and refrigerate until ready to shape.
- Freeze pre-shaped cookies and bake straight from the freezer with 1–2 extra minutes of bake time.
Serving Suggestions
Pair with Holiday Favorites
These cookies go wonderfully with hot chocolate, peppermint mocha, or a glass of milk. You can also serve them alongside your favorite holiday desserts.
Presentation Ideas
Display them standing up in a clear jar, line them around the edges of a dessert platter, or package them individually in small bags tied with ribbon for a thoughtful gift.
Great With These Recipes
If you're building a holiday cookie tray, pair your Candy Cane Cookies with these festive favorites:
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
How to Store
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to three months.
Freezing the Dough
You can freeze the dough before shaping or after shaping. To freeze unshaped dough, stack the red and white layers, wrap, and freeze. Thaw in the fridge before cutting and shaping. For shaped cookies, freeze them on a tray, then store in a container. Bake from frozen as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, feel free to use pink, green, or even blue for different themes. The technique works with any color gel.
The dough may be too warm. Chill it again before shaping or baking. Also, make sure your oven isn’t running too hot.
Yes, just adjust your baking time slightly. Smaller cookies may take 9–11 minutes, while larger ones might need a bit more time.
Try More Holiday Recipes
If you’re in the holiday baking mood, don’t miss these festive treats:
These pair perfectly with Candy Cane Cookies for the ultimate Christmas dessert platter.
Share and Save This Recipe
If you bake these cookies, I’d love to see how they turn out. Tag your photos with @bakewithlina on Instagram and follow along on Pinterest at Bake With Lina on Pinterest. Happy baking and happy holidays!
Candy Cane Cookies
- Prep Time: 46 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Peppermint-flavored sugar cookie dough shaped into festive red-and-white candy canes—perfect for Christmas parties or Santa’s cookie plate!
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter (1 cup), room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese (½ cup), room temperature
- 10 oz granulated sugar (1.33 cups)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp peppermint extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 16 oz all-purpose flour (3.5 cups)
- Red gel food coloring (Americolor Super Red recommended)
Instructions
- Place the butter in a stand mixer bowl and beat until creamy, about 30 seconds.
- Add cream cheese and mix until combined, then mix in granulated sugar for 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Add egg yolk, peppermint extract, and salt. Mix until smooth.
- On low speed, slowly add flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide dough in half. Color one half with red gel food coloring and mix until evenly red.
- Roll both doughs between parchment into rectangles ¼" thick, 5" wide, and 18" long. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Stack red dough on white, gently roll to meld layers into a ½" thick rectangle. Wrap and refrigerate 45 minutes until firm.
- Slice into ½" x 5" strips. Roll strips to round edges, twist into spirals, and shape into candy canes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Repeat shaping with all dough. Chill shaped cookies briefly if dough softens.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Freeze a tray of cookies while oven preheats.
- Bake 12–14 minutes until puffed and dull but not browned. Cool completely on tray.
- Store in airtight container up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
For vivid red cookies, use high-quality gel coloring. If dough tears, chill again briefly. Great for gift-giving—wrap individually or pair with cocoa!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
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