Red and White Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Candy cane cookies are one of those Christmas treats that instantly make a cookie tray feel festive. With their cheerful red and white swirl and classic candy cane shape, they look like they came straight out of a holiday Hallmark Movie! The best part is that while they have a lovely peppermint flavor, it is gentle and balanced, not overkill. Even peppermint skeptics love these.
These cookies start with a simple sugar cookie dough that is soft, buttery, and easy to work with. Once the dough is mixed, it is divided in half, and one portion is tinted red with food coloring. From there, each color is rolled into long, snake like strips.
You can scoop out all the cookie dough into 1 tablespoon portions (I got 32 portions of each dough. I weighed the cookie dough in grams, then divided the dough in half to be sure I’d have even portions).
One important tip when making candy cane cookies is how you roll and twist the dough. The key is to work one cookie at a time.
Do not roll all the strips at once. If the dough sits out too long, it will start to dry, and the two colors will not stick together properly, causing the dough to break or separate when twisted. Taking it cookie by cookie keeps the dough pliable and makes shaping much easier.
One red and one plain strip are placed side by side, gently rolled together.
Then twisted to create that signature candy cane swirl.
Shape each cookie into a hook on one end, or leave them straight for candy cane sticks!
You will want to chill the cookie dough now, because handling the dough warmed it up. Chilling the dough will help prevent them from spreading when they are baked. Chill at least 20 minutes. You can chill them longer.
The cookies are brushed with an egg wash (egg white and water mixture).
Then sprinkle on coarse clear sugar crystal sprinkles, these add sparkle and a subtle crunch.
Bake in a hot oven, preheat it for at least 15 minutes. The hotter the oven, the less the cookies will spread. These cookies bake at 400° for about 8-9 minutes, the bottom of the cookies should be golden, while the tops stay bright. The cookie dough should seem firm. Bake one cookie tray at a time to ensure each tray is properly baked even. Bake in the center of the oven or a row higher. Dark cookie sheets produce dark cookies, so bake on light colored baking sheets lined with parchment paper for best results.
Not only are these cookies adorable, they are guaranteed to be a hit at Christmas. They brighten up any cookie tray and instantly stand out among classic cutouts and drop cookies. They are perfect for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or gifting to friends and neighbors. And of course, Santa is sure to love them waiting on the plate on Christmas Eve.
These candy cane cookies also store beautifully. They can be kept in an airtight container on the counter for up to one week, making them great for early holiday baking. If you want to plan even further ahead, they freeze well for up to three months. Simply thaw at room temperature, and they are ready to serve.
Festive, fun, and irresistibly charming, candy cane cookies are a must-bake for the holiday season. They bring just the right amount of peppermint cheer and a whole lot of Christmas joy to every bite.
A friend had these overalls on, and I just had to order them. They fit great, are super cute and fun for Christmas and I can’t wait to wear them as much as I can!
You can find more Christmas Cookies Here!
Red and White Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter 230g
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 170g
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 10G
- 2 3/4-3 cups all-purpose flour 413-447g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8.5g
- 1 teaspoon salt *if you prefer sweeter sugar cookies you do not need to add additional salt if using salted butter 5.69g
- 1 tablespoon red gel food coloring
- 1 egg white + 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
- 1/4 cup coarse clear sprinkles
Instructions
- In the large bowl with a mixer, cream together butter and powdered sugar, and mix until the butter is light in color and well blended.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla.
- Blend in 2 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. (only add the additional 1/4 cup flour if needed, the dough should be supple and soft not dry)
- Mix until the dough forms a ball, on medium speed.
- Divide the dough in TWO EQUAL portions.
- Mix 1 portion with red food coloring, until desired color is achieved.
- Scoop or divide out 1 tablespoon of cookie dough from each color.
- Roll each color into a 5 inch “snake” shape.
- Place one color “snake” on top of each other and roll them together smoothly until they form 1 “snake”
- twist gently to swirl the colors together.
- Place on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Create the hook shape on one end.
- Preheat oven to 400° (you want the oven to be VERY hot when you go to place the cold cookie sheet in the oven)
- Once the tray is full, place in the fridge for 20 minutes. (I prepare all the trays, refrigerate all the trays at once, clean up, then bake the trays one at a time)
- Remove from fridge, mix the egg white and water, brush each cookie with the egg wash, and add the sprinkles.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes, the bottoms will be lightly golden, the tops should not brown.
- Remove from oven and allow the cookies to completely cool on the baking sheets.
- Baked cookies can remain on the counter overnight, or in a sealed container on the counter for a week, or freeze for 3 months.