Christmas Candy Cane Cookies

These Christmas candy cane cookies are the cheerful red and white twists that show up on every holiday cookie tray. A simple butter and sugar dough is split in half, one half is tinted red, and the two colors are rolled into thin ropes, twisted together and bent into little canes. A roll in sparkling sugar before baking gives them a festive shimmer and a light crunch. They taste buttery and tender with a cool hint of peppermint, and they look far fancier than the effort they take. This recipe makes about 30 cookies.

Why You’ll Love These Candy Cane Cookies

• Classic and festive: the red and white swirl is pure Christmas and always the first cookie to go.
• Simple pantry dough: butter, sugar, an egg, flour and a little flavoring are all you need.
• Fun to make together: rolling and twisting the ropes is a great job for kids and holiday helpers.

The real candy cane has been a holiday favorite for well over a century, and these soft cookies borrow its famous stripes and shape. For bright color without changing the texture of the dough, use a gel food coloring, which is far more concentrated than the liquid kind.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring
• 1/3 cup coarse sparkling sugar, for rolling

Ingredient Notes

Butter: it should be soft enough to press with a finger but still cool. Butter that is too warm or melted makes a greasy dough that spreads in the oven and loses the twist.

Powdered sugar: it dissolves into the butter completely and gives these cookies a tender, melt-in-your-mouth bite with a smooth surface that shows off the stripes.

Peppermint extract: a little goes a long way. Start with 1/2 teaspoon, or swap it for 1 teaspoon of almond extract for a classic bakery flavor.

Red gel coloring: gel gives a deep, true red with just a small amount.

Sparkling sugar: large clear sugar crystals hold their shape in the oven and add sparkle. Regular white sugar or crushed peppermint candy also work.

How to Make Christmas Candy Cane Cookies

1. Prepare. Heat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flavor. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and peppermint extract until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms and no dry flour remains.
5. Color half the dough. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Return one half to the bowl, add the red gel coloring and mix until the color is even. Leave the other half plain.
6. Chill. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm enough to roll without sticking.
7. Roll the ropes. Pinch off 1 teaspoon of red dough and 1 teaspoon of white dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a thin rope about 4 inches long.
8. Twist and shape. Lay the ropes side by side, press the ends together and gently twist them around each other. Curve the top down to make a cane shape.
9. Roll in sugar. Gently roll or press each cane in the sparkling sugar and place them on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
10. Bake. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cookies are set and the bottoms are just barely golden. The tops should stay pale so the red and white stripes stay bright.
11. Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for Perfect Candy Cane Cookies

• Keep the dough cool. Work with a small portion at a time and leave the rest in the fridge. Cold dough rolls neatly and holds a sharp twist.
• Roll even ropes. Ropes of the same thickness twist evenly and bake at the same rate, so no end gets too brown.
• Use very little flour. Dust the surface lightly. Too much flour dulls the colors and dries out the cookies.
• Bake one sheet at a time. The middle rack gives the most even heat and keeps the white stripes from browning.

Variations

• Green and white: tint half the dough green for a Christmas tree color twist.
• Almond canes: swap the peppermint for almond extract for a softer, nutty flavor.
• Chocolate dipped: dip the straight ends in melted white chocolate and let them set on parchment.

Building a holiday cookie tray? Pair these twists with our tender mint chocolate chip snowball cookies and a batch of easy 3-ingredient butter cookies. Creamy homemade peppermint patties make a perfect minty partner in a gift box, and a warm mug of crockpot hot chocolate is the best thing to dunk them in.

Storage

Room temperature: store cooled cookies in an airtight container, with parchment between the layers, for up to 1 week.

Freezer: freeze baked cookies in a single layer until firm, then move them to a freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Make-ahead dough: the wrapped red and white dough keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before shaping.

Notes

• If the dough cracks while rolling, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
• For bigger canes, use 2 teaspoons of each color and add 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
• The red color may fade a little in the oven, so add a touch more gel if you want deep stripes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my candy cane cookies spread?

Spreading usually means the butter was too soft or the dough was not chilled long enough. Chill the shaped cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm.

Can I make these without peppermint?

Yes. Leave it out and use 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla, or swap in almond extract. The cookies will still taste buttery and sweet.

How do I keep the stripes bright?

Use gel coloring, dust the counter with very little flour and pull the cookies from the oven while the tops are still pale.