30-Minute Candy Cane Cookies for Holiday Magic
Festive, minty, and melt-in-your-mouth — your holiday baking win!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- Red food coloring
- Crushed candy canes (for topping)
- Extra granulated sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Cream the Butter & Sugar: Beat softened butter and powdered sugar until fluffy—this base creates that dreamy shortbread texture for a holiday cookie favorite.
- Add Eggs & Flavor: Mix in the egg, peppermint, and vanilla extracts. This combo gives the cookies their classic candy cane magic and seasonal cookie charm.
- Divide & Color the Dough: Split dough in half. Tint one half with red food coloring. Chill both halves for 20 minutes—this helps you nail the festive swirl look every time.
- Twist & Shape: Roll small ropes of each dough color, twist them together gently, and form into wreaths or candy cane shapes—this is where the fun baking vibes shine!
- Bake & Finish with Crushed Candy: Roll cookies in sugar, place on baking sheet, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top while warm—holiday sparkle unlocked!
Notes
- Chill the dough for easier handling.
- Use extra sugar for rolling to enhance texture.
- Add crushed candy canes while cookies are still warm for better adhesion.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg