Candy Cane Sugar Cookies!
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies! Christmas Sugar Cookies in the Shape of a Candy Cane are the PERFECT Holiday Sugar Cookie Recipe!
These Candy Cane Sugar Cookies are SO GOOD!
The perfect Christmas Sugar Cookies to take to a cookie exchange or holiday party!
Plus, here are even more Amazing Christmas Cookie Recipes!
Here’s why you will love these Candy Cane Sugar Cookies!
- They are SO easy to make and only need to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- They are a sugar cookie that looks like a candy cane. However, you can add peppermint extract for a peppermint flavor!
- Fun for kids to help you make! Kids will love rolling our the dough to make these cookies!
What you need for Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- Red Food Coloring
- Sprinkles, sugar, peppermint sprinkles, or crushed up candy canes or peppermint.
- Basic baking ingredients as well as cornstarch and cream cheese for this recipe!
How to make Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
These candy canes are the PERFECT treat to get you in the Christmas spirit! Here is how to make Candy Cane Sugar Cookies!
First, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Then mix in the sugar.
Second, mix in the egg and vanilla.
Next, add in the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, and salt) and stir until combined.
Now, divide the dough into 2 bowls. Add 40-50 drops of red food coloring to one of the bowls and stir the dough until it is completely red.
Use a cookie scoop to make red and white cookie dough balls. Chill them for 30-60 minutes.
Next, roll a red and a white cookie dough ball into a log and line them up next to each other. Pinch the ends together and twist the 2 colors together to get the “stripe” effect.
Bend a hook in the top of the cookie to make a candy cane. Place the candy canes on a baking sheet and decorate with sprinkles. Time to BAKE!
Finally, transfer the candy canes to a cooling rack. Let cool and ENJOY!
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Recipe
Yields: 23-24 candy cane cookies
Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Baking time: 8 minutes
Additional time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
4 ounces full fat cream cheese (softened)
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
40-50 drops red food coloring
Sprinkles or sugar
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, soften the butter for 20 seconds if it isn’t already soft.
Add the cream cheese and heat an additional 15 seconds (butter and cream cheese should be soft, not melted).
Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
Pour in the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes until soft, smooth, and fluffy.
Next, add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
Using a fork, mix in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined.
Divide dough in half and add 40-50 drops of red food dye to one of the bowls of cookie dough (leave the other one white).
Create 1 tablespoon cookie dough balls with both the white and the red cookie dough and place them on a cookie sheet.
Place cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the cookie dough balls from the refrigerator a few at a time and roll into straight lines (about the length of a fork, 7”).
Put one red line next to a white line and pinch the ends together at the top and bottom.
Twist either the top half or the bottom half of the dough first, and then twist the rest of the dough.
Once twisted, fold a hook at the top to make a candy cane.
Place cookies on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with sprinkles.
Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to keep cookies from breaking. Let cool completely.
Notes:
● Option to use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract in place of 1 teaspoon of vanilla for a stronger peppermint flavor.
● Can use peppermint sprinkles, crushed peppermint, or granulated sugar for garnishing.
● Keep cookie balls in the fridge until ready to roll, work with a few at a time so they stay chilled.
● Chilling dough 30 minutes – 1 hour makes it easier to roll the dough into candy canes.
● Press any cracks out of the candy cane before baking.
● Rolling and forming the candy canes takes the most time for this recipe. Having extra hands or kids to help roll dough will save time.
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies!
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies! Twisted Candy Cane Cookies for Christmas are a hit and are perfect for Santa or a cookie exchange party!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese (softened)
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups unbleached flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 40-50 drops red food coloring
- Sprinkles or sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, soften the butter for 20 seconds if it isn’t already soft.
- Add the cream cheese and heat an additional 15 seconds (butter and cream cheese should be soft, not melted).
- Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Pour in the sugar and beat for about 3 minutes until soft, smooth, and fluffy.
- Next, add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- Using a fork, mix in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined.
- Divide dough in half and add 40-50 drops of red food dye to one of the bowls of cookie dough (leave the other one white).
- Create 1 tablespoon cookie dough balls with both the white and the red cookie dough and place them on a cookie sheet.
- Place cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove the cookie dough balls from the refrigerator a few at a time and roll into straight lines (about the length of a fork, 7”).
- Put one red line next to a white line and pinch the ends together at the top and bottom.
- Twist either the top half or the bottom half of the dough first, and then twist the rest of the dough.
- Once twisted, fold a hook at the top to make a candy cane.
- Place cookies on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with sprinkles.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to keep cookies from breaking. Let cool completely.
I LOVE cute Christmas Cookies like this that you can make for a cookie exchange party or any holiday party.
These are easier than some sugar cookies I’ve made before and not as hard as you might think.
If you are worried about the time, grab some helpers or make these with your kids. The part that takes the longest is rolling the cookie dough balls out and shaping the cookies.
I found that if you have extra hands for this part, it goes pretty quickly!
Also, be sure to press any cracks out of your cookies before you bake them. Sometimes the dough will get cracks when you roll it out and form it into candy canes, but it’s super easy to press back together.
The dough being chilled but not too cold will help make a nice shape when the candy canes get rolled out.
If you’re looking for another fun Christmas Dessert, I LOVE these Christmas Brownies! They are SO easy to make and super festive!
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