Candy cane sugar cookies are your favorite sugar cookies, dressed up for Christmas. They're coated with crushed candy canes for a subtle peppermint flavor.
Here we are: just over two weeks away from Christmas. This year I feel like I'm not ready. Or maybe it's because I'm keeping things very basic this year: no guests, minimal presents and almost no baking.
I mean it - as much as I love my favorite Christmas goodies, I know it won't get eaten and it'll sit in my freezer while I sneakily steal them out when my Hubby and/or kids aren't looking.
All I made were a couple of batches of cookies and my beloved Cornflake Squares. I gave half a batch of each away to a bake sale. And for some reason I got it in my head to try these Candy Cane Sugar Cookies.
I love my sugar cookies. I love that they're so simple, and delicate and taste of a delicious combo of vanilla and almond. But instead of just making them look festive with sprinkles or colored sugar, this year I wanted them to taste extra festive too. So I added the undeniable flavor of Christmas - candy canes.
How do you make Candy Cane Sugar Cookies?
I wanted these cookies to taste only slightly minty - like sugar cookies crossed with the candy cane cookies that my mom made (and I loved) when I was a kid.
I wanted them to be as easy as my regular sugar cookies, without the hassle of rolling, cutting and decorating. So I decided that the easiest way to do this was to simply roll the dough in crushed candy canes.
I actually cut the candy canes with a little granulated sugar to keep the flavor subtle. If you want full on peppermint, go with all candy cane crumbles.
Making the dough for these cookies is similar to making most cookie dough. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the dry ingredients. Chill the dough for an hour to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
To keep them nice and soft and to prevent spreading, you really need to chill the dough before you cook them. Keep your eye on the cookies in the final minutes of baking to prevent them from becoming overdone. And remember, they will continue to set and firm up on the baking sheet as they cool. Merry Christmas!
I loved how these turned out - but you do have to keep your eyes on them while they're cooking. They can get overcooked very quickly. My first batch was a little more well done around the edges than I would like, but the centers were still soft and chewy.
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Ingredients:
- Full-sized peppermint candy canes: You will be crushing these to roll the cookie dough in. If pre-crushed candy cane bits are available, those will work too.
- Granulated sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Equipment:
- Food Processor: this is the fastest and easiest way to crush up those candy canes to roll your sugar cookies in, but it's also possible to put the candy canes into a sturdy zipper bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Stand Mixer: This is the easiest way to mix up the cookie dough, but it's also possible to use a hand mixer.
- 2 Baking sheets: If possible, use half-sized sheets to fit more cookies at once and speed up baking time.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats: I prefer parchment for baking cookies, but re-useable baking mats are an option too.
Want more Christmas baking?
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Nutrition Notes:
Like most cookies, these are high in sugar and fat, without offering much in the way of beneficial nutrients. They are however, a delicious treat, so eat in moderation.
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Food Processor optional
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
Ingredients
- 4 full sized candy canes unwrapped and broken into pieces
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Place 4 full sized candy canes (broken into pieces) in food processor, and pulse until crushed, about 5 pulses. Alternatively, place the candy cans in a large zipper bag, and crush them with a rolling pin. Mix with ¼ cup granulated sugar and spread onto a plate. Set aside
- Stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Cream 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, remaining 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar together using a stand mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 large eggand 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix until well combined. Stir in flour mixture at low speed until dough forms.
- Scoop 1 tablespoon portions of dough and form into balls. Roll dough balls into candy cane-sugar mixture until fully covered. Refrigerate dough balls until firm, at least one hour.
- Heat oven to 375°F, with the racks at the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (NOTE: Cookies made on silicone mats will spread more than those baked on parchment). Set aside.
- Place balls onto prepared baking sheet about 2" apart. Slightly flatten balls with the palm of your hand or bottom of a drinking glass.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are just starting to brown. Don't overbake.
- Remove sheets from oven, and let cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze. Candy cane coated dough balls could also be frozen and baked later.
Nutrition
Ingrid Rohlfs says
What do you mean by 2 Tablespoons sticks of butter?
Carissa says
Oops! The recipe should have said 16 Tablespoons (2 sticks). Some of my recipes had formatting errors when I updated my blog a few months ago - I must have missed this one. I have fixed the recipe, and it is correct now.