Name: Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 1 h 37 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 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

There’s something instantly festive about freshly baked, minty sweets, and that’s exactly what makes this Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe so special. They’re a joyful twist on classic sugar cookies—bright red and white stripes, a refreshing peppermint punch, and the perfect crisp-chewy texture you'll love sharing around the holidays.

The image shows many twisted candy cane shaped cookies on a white square plate. Each cookie has two thick spiral layers: one is cream-colored with a smooth soft texture, and the other is bright red with the same smooth texture. The cookies are arranged in a slightly messy pile, overlapping each other. The background is a white marbled surface with another twisted cookie and a glass of milk visible in the distance. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This candy cane cookies with peppermint flavor recipe captures the spirit of the season with flavor and fun. I love how the peppermint extract adds that unmistakable coolness, while the candy cane shape brings a whimsical touch to any cookie platter.

Classic Peppermint Flavor: The peppermint extract infuses every bite with just the right amount of refreshing mintiness.
Beautiful Candy Cane Shapes: You'll impress everyone with the iconic red and white swirls shaped like candy canes.
Easy to Make: Despite looking fancy, these cookies come together in a breeze with simple steps that anyone can follow.
Perfect Texture: Crisp edges with a tender, slightly chewy center that melts in your mouth—my personal favorite cookie texture.

Several twisted candy cane-shaped cookies lie inside a white rectangular dish with a red rim. Each cookie has two colors twisted together: bright red and a light beige, creating a striped pattern along their length. Around the dish, some cookies rest on a white marbled surface, and a black cooling rack with more cookies is visible in the top left corner. Part of a white cloth with black stripes peeks into the bottom left corner. The overall scene is bright and clean. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

Every ingredient in this candy cane cookies with peppermint flavor recipe has a purpose, blending together to create that perfect balance of flavor and texture. I always recommend using quality butter and fresh peppermint extract to really make those flavors pop.

Flat lay of a large slab of unsalted butter, a small white bowl of granulated sugar, a small white bowl of cream of tartar, a small white bowl of heavy cream, one large whole brown egg, a small white bowl of pure peppermint extract, a small white bowl of clear vanilla flavoring, a small white bowl of baking powder, a simple mound of all-purpose flour, and a small white bowl with vibrant red gel color placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Softened butter provides richness and tenderness—important to cream well for fluffy dough.
Granulated sugar: Sweetness and helps with the crisp edges after baking.
Cream of tartar: A pinch helps keep the cookies soft and gives them a slight tang.
Heavy cream: Adds moisture and richness, making the dough easier to roll.
Egg: Binds the dough together and contributes to a tender crumb.
Pure peppermint extract: The star of the show, infusing that signature candy cane mint flavor.
Clear vanilla flavoring: Adds warmth and depth without coloring the dough.
Baking powder: Gives the cookies a subtle lift for the right texture.
All-purpose flour: The base of the dough, providing structure.
Red squeeze gel color: To create those festive red stripes that look just like candy canes.

📝

Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One of my favorite things about this candy cane cookies with peppermint flavor recipe is how easy it is to make your own tweaks. I’ve played around with everything from swapping peppermint extract for a subtle almond flavor to adding a sprinkle of crushed candy canes on top for crunch.

Variation: For a chocolate twist, I sometimes dip the cooled cookies halfway in melted dark chocolate—quick and festive!
Dietary tweaks: You can swap regular butter for vegan butter and use egg replacer to make a dairy-free version, though texture will be a touch different.
Seasonal vibes: Try using green gel color in place of red to create candy canes for different holidays or parties.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe

Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar

Start by creaming softened unsalted butter in your mixer for about 1½ to 2 minutes until it’s smooth and fluffy. Then, slowly add granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and heavy cream while mixing on medium speed. This is key because it builds that light, airy base that helps give the cookies a tender crumb. Don’t rush this step—it's worth those extra minutes for the right texture!

Step 2: Add Egg and Flavors

Lower the mixer speed and add your room-temperature egg, blending until fully mixed in. Then pour in pure peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring. The peppermint is what gives these cookies that magical minty aroma and taste that screams winter holidays—don’t skip it!

Step 3: Mix in Dry Ingredients Slowly

Now, add baking powder and flour ½ cup at a time on low speed. Mix just until no flour streaks remain—you don’t want to overwork the dough or your cookies might turn out tough. Once combined, divide your dough into two equal balls: one stays plain white, the other gets that festive red gel color.

Step 4: Color the Dough and Chill

Add the squeeze gel red color to one dough ball and mix on low until it’s uniform with no streaks. Wrap both dough balls separately and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Trust me, skipping this chilling step is the biggest cookie-shape mistake you can make; the dough will spread too much and lose the candy cane shape.

Step 5: Shape Your Candy Canes

Once chilled, scoop equal parts of red and white dough, then roll each into tight little balls. I like to chill these balls again for 10-15 minutes to keep them cool before rolling ropes—cool hands and dough make the shaping so much easier. Roll each ball into a 5-inch rope, then pinch their bottoms together and gently twist to create classic candy cane stripes. Curve the top into the familiar hook.

Step 6: Bake and Cool

Place your shaped candy canes on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches apart, and bake at 350°F for 7 minutes. Watch closely near the end; they should be just set without browning. Let cool on the pan for 10 minutes before moving to rack—this helps them firm up and hold their shape.

Top Tip

From my many baking experiments with this candy cane cookies with peppermint flavor recipe, I learned a few tricks that make a huge difference to your results. You want to avoid dough spreading too much, preserve the shape, and get that true peppermint hit.

Chill Twice: I can’t stress this enough—chilling the dough initially and the rolled balls keeps it firm and easy to shape without sticking or smudging colors.
Keep Hands Cool: Warm hands can melt the dough and ruin those neat, round candy cane stripes. Wash and dry your hands or use a cold surface when rolling.
Use Clear Vanilla: Regular vanilla extract can tint your dough off-white, but clear vanilla keeps the white dough crisp and pure for contrast.
Don’t Overbake: The cookies bake quickly; removing them just when edges set and bottoms start to color keeps them tender and perfect.

How to Serve Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe

Garnishes

I usually keep garnishes simple—sometimes a light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of white chocolate adds a sweet finishing touch. When serving at parties, a sprinkle of crushed candy canes right on top before the chocolate sets gives the perfect festive crunch.

Side Dishes

These cookies pair beautifully with a warm mug of hot cocoa, peppermint tea, or even a glass of cold milk. For gatherings, I like to offer them alongside other holiday treats like gingerbread or chocolate truffles to bring variety to the dessert spread.

Creative Ways to Present

One year, I arranged these candy cane cookies standing upright in a festive jar filled with crushed candy cane bits—that presentation was a big hit! You can also tie a red and white striped ribbon around a stack of freshly baked cookies for pretty, edible gifts.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover candy cane cookies in an airtight container at room temperature—mine usually last a solid week without losing their soft-crisp texture. Keeping parchment layers between stacked cookies helps prevent sticking and bruising of the vibrant red stripes.

Freezing

I often freeze these cookies already baked and cooled. Just wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. When you want a treat, thaw at room temperature; they taste almost as fresh as just-baked.

Reheating

If you want that fresh-baked warmth, pop the cookies in a preheated 300°F oven for 3-4 minutes. This revives the peppermint aroma and brings back the perfect tender chew without drying them out.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use regular vanilla extract instead of clear vanilla flavoring?

You can, but keep in mind that regular vanilla extract may slightly color your dough off-white, which will change the contrast between the red and white dough. If you don’t mind a softer color difference, it works just fine.

How important is chilling the dough?

Chilling the dough is crucial for this recipe. It prevents cookie spreading during baking, helping the candy cane shape hold up beautifully. It also firms the dough so rolling and shaping are much easier and less sticky.

Can I make these cookies without peppermint extract?

Yes, but the cookies will taste like classic sugar cookies without that minty kick. If you want both types, consider making two batches—one with peppermint extract and one without to cater to every preference.

What’s the best way to keep the red color from bleeding?

Using gel food coloring instead of liquid coloring helps keep the colors vibrant and reduces bleeding. Also, chilling the dough thoroughly before shaping and baking slows down color mixing. Rolling and twisting gently helps the colors stay defined.

Final Thoughts

Baking these candy cane cookies with peppermint flavor recipe always brings back such warm, festive memories for me. They’re not just cookies—they’re a little holiday tradition on a baking sheet, simple to make but wonderfully impressive. I can’t wait for you to try them out and enjoy sharing them with the people you love. Trust me, this recipe will have you coming back every year to fill your kitchen with that magical peppermint scent and the fun of twisting those perfect candy canes.