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.
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.
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.
- 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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Candy Cane Cookies with Peppermint Flavor Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
- Yield: 48 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delight in festive Candy Cane Cookies with a perfect balance of peppermint flavor and classic sugar cookie texture. These charming red and white twisted treats are ideal for the holiday season and are made with a soft, buttery dough enhanced with peppermint and vanilla extracts. Chilling the dough ensures minimal spreading, keeping their iconic candy cane shape intact.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 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
Coloring
- ½ teaspoon red squeeze gel color
Instructions
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer with a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter on medium-high speed for 1½ to 2 minutes until creamy.
- Add Sugar and Cream: Lower the mixer speed to low, add granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and heavy cream. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is fluffy.
- Incorporate Egg: Reduce speed to low and add the large egg, mixing until fully combined.
- Add Flavorings: Mix in peppermint extract and clear vanilla flavoring thoroughly.
- Add Dry Ingredients: On low speed, gradually add baking powder and flour ½ cup at a time, mixing just until no flour streaks remain.
- Divide Dough: Split the dough into two equal balls. Return one ball to the mixing bowl for coloring and refrigerate the other ball covered for 1 hour.
- Color Dough: Add red gel color to the dough in the bowl, mix on low until fully uniform in color, then transfer to a medium bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat Oven: Just before removing dough from fridge, preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare Dough Balls: Split both red and white dough balls in half, leaving the halves in the refrigerator.
- Scoop and Roll: On a parchment-covered surface, scoop ½ tablespoon portions of white and red dough and roll into tight round balls. Chill for 10-15 minutes to keep dough firm.
- Roll Ropes: Roll each dough ball into 5-inch long ropes. Keep hands cool to maintain dough shape and prevent softening.
- Twist Ropes: Lightly press one end of the red and white ropes together, then carefully twist them into a rounded candy cane shape without flattening.
- Shape Candy Canes: Place twisted ropes on the prepared baking sheet, curve one end to form the candy cane hook. Maintain 2 inches of spacing between cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes until edges are set but not browned.
- Cool On Pan: Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet to firm up before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Repeat: Take the remaining halves of red and white dough and repeat the scooping, rolling, twisting, baking, and cooling steps.
- Store: Once completely cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading and to preserve the candy cane shape during baking.
- Oven temperatures can vary, so keep a close eye on the cookies as they near the 7-minute baking time to avoid overbaking.
- Peppermint extract is key to achieving the peppermint flavor; omit it if you want a plain sugar cookie version.
- Use parchment paper on your work surface to avoid red dye staining counters or cutting boards.
- Ensure hands stay cool when rolling ropes to help maintain the dough’s shape.
- Keep dough ropes rounded and avoid flattening them to preserve the iconic candy cane look.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
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