Description
Soft, buttery red-and-white candy cane cookies with a cozy peppermint finish — the prettiest Christmas cookie for gifting, swaps, and holiday platters.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Red gel food coloring
Optional for finishing:
Sanding sugar
Crushed peppermint candies
Melted dark or white chocolate (for dipping)
Instructions
1. Beat butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
2. Mix in egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract until just combined.
3. Whisk flour and salt, then gradually add to form a soft dough.
4. Divide dough in half. Leave one half plain; tint the other with red gel coloring.
5. Wrap both doughs and chill at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll small portions of red and white dough into ropes about 10–12 cm (4–5 in) long.
8. Place ropes side by side, gently twist together, then curve the top to form a candy cane.
9. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
10. Optional: sprinkle with sanding sugar or crushed peppermint before baking.
11. Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges are set but not browned.
12. Cool 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.
13. Optional: once fully cool, dip half in melted chocolate and let set on parchment.
Notes
Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading.
Use gel food coloring (AmeriColor or Chefmaster) for a vibrant red without changing dough texture.
For softer cookies, remove them when they look just set—don’t wait for browning.
Store airtight with a slice of bread to keep them tender for days.
If dipping in chocolate, make sure cookies are completely cool before dipping.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg