These cookies are really easy to make with our simple basic cookie dough recipe, and splitting the dough in half to tint one side red.
These molded candy cane cookies will always be the most colorful festive cookie for cookie baking exchanges and fun shapes.
They can be baked without mint and just topped with a little icing and crushed candy canes, or sprinkle with red sanding sugar before baking and mint extract added to the dough.
Since our gang just loves just a hint of it, we didn't use much peppermint to make these cookies a mint lovers delight however you can adjust to your own taste buds.
Scroll down to our printable instruction card hit print and the ads will disappear for a quick recipe to get started.
Molding the Candy Canes
- make 4-inch even strips around 1/2 inch in thickness
- twist one red and white together like a rope
- bend the top to a little curve to shape like a candy cane
- note: add a little water or egg wash between the rope ends to ensure they don't open while baking
Shopping List (scroll down to the recipe card for the exact measurements and hit print)
- butter
- shortening
- powdered sugar
- egg
- peppermint extract
- vanilla extract
- sifted all-purpose flour and extra for rolling
- salt
- red food coloring
- Optional Garnish: crushed candy canes, sanding red sugar, and icing for the baked candy canes
Tips and Suggestions
- add more mint flavoring to icing or dough extracts are very strong but this isn't overpowering
- add green food coloring to one side and red to the other of the dough
- we like almond extract also or orange instead of mint so add a different extract if you're not a mint fan
- add crushed chocolate mint candy on top of the icing if using
- crush the candy canes in a ziplock bag and beat with a rolling pin
- add holiday funfetti to the white side of the dough
- cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months but freeze unfrosted
- keep cookies in an airtight container
- I always place them in cupcake liners or see-through ziplock cookie bags when sitting next to each other
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Festive Holiday Candy Cane Cookies
These cookies really dress up a cookie tray and the kids just love to help make these.
These can be a fun family project for the Christmas Holiday cookie-baking day.
Whether you dip them, add crushed sprinkles or candy canes on top, frost with mint icing, add mint flavoring to the batter, or mint chips, these will surely delight your mint lovers in the family just adapt away.
Yield: 20
Candy Cane Cookies
Christmas Candy Cane mint flavored cookie dough for a festive holiday cookie tray!
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (not a mint lover no problem just add more vanilla, almond,, orange or another extract you're family enjoys)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour and extra for rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring
- Optional Garnish: crushed candy canes, sanding red sugar, and icing for the baked candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl beat the sugar with shortening and butter until light. Add the eggs and all the rest of the ingredients to form a ball.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Work in one-half the red food coloring.
- On a floured board, roll 4-inch long ropes and twist them together
- You can add a bit of egg wash on both ends to ensure the ends bake together without opening (or water works also just a dab)
- Shape the end at the top to curve like a candy cane.
- Note: no two usually look alike that's ok or you can fuss with them to be all even if you like.
- Before baking, sprinkle with red sanding sugar (crushed candy canes may melt and be messy)..
- Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 8 to 10 minutes. The edges should be slightly browned depending on how thick you made them.
- Cool completed.
- Garnish with icing sugar and sprinkle with crushed candy canes if desired if you didn't bake them with sanding sugar.
- Icing recipe:
- 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or peppermint
- water to make a thick flowing icing around 2 teaspoons or more if needed.
- Mix all ingredients, frost the cookies, sprinkle with crushed candy, and let dry on wax paper.
Notes
Tips and Suggestions
- add more mint flavoring to icing or dough extracts are very strong but this isn't overpowering
- we like almond extract also or orange instead of mint so add a different extract if you're not a mint fan
- add green food coloring to one side and red to the other of the dough
- add crushed chocolate mint candy on top of the icing if using
- crush the candy canes in a ziplock bag and beat with a rolling pin
- add holiday funfetti to the white side of the dough
- cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months but freeze unfrosted
- keep cookies in an airtight container
- I always place them in cupcake liners or see-through ziplock cookie bags when sitting next to each other
Molding the Candy Canes
- make 4-inch even strips around 1/2 inch in thickness
- twist one red and white together
- bend the top to a little curve to shape like a candy cane
Note: this is with a streusel topping added
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Disclosure this post has updated photos done in 2023 orignally posted in 2012.