The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
Candy Cane Cookies are fun and festive peppermint cookies that are easy to make and perfect for livening up your holiday cookie trays. Grab the kids because they’ll love making these with you!
This recipe costs around $3.70 to make. It makes twenty-eight cookies for approximately $0.14 per cookie.
Need more peppermint desserts in your life? Try our Peppermint Dip, Copycat Chick-Fil-A Peppermint Shake, and our Peppermint Pie for some delicious options.
For a merry and cheery cookie this holiday season, you need to make these Candy Cane Cookies. They are full of delicious peppermint flavor and look just like a candy cane but in cookie form.
The red and white dough is twisted together to make the perfect candy cane shape. The simple cookie dough bakes into soft and chewy cookies that are the best holiday treat. Make these Candy Cane Christmas Cookies for the kiddos, or add them to your cookies trays to deliver to friends.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 1 cup granulated sugar – $0.17
- 1 cup unsalted butter – $1.76
- ½ cup milk – $0.09
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract – $0.50
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract – $0.29
- 1 large egg – $0.23
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour – $0.32
- 1 teaspoon baking powder – $0.04
- ¼ teaspoon salt – $0.01
- about ¼ teaspoon red paste food coloring – $0.29
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
How To Make Candy Cane Cookies
- First, using a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Next, using a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until it is light and fluffy.
- Then, beat in the milk and extract followed by the egg.
- Slowly add in the flour mixture until it is well blended.
- Divide the dough in half and place half of the dough in another bowl. Add the red food coloring to one of the bowls.
- Cover both of the bowls with plastic wrap and set them in the fridge to chill for at least four hours.
- After removing the dough from the fridge, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Then, scoop one rounded tablespoon of each color of dough and roll them into a six-inch rope.
- Next, place a white rope next to a red rope, pressing together slightly.
- Then lightly twist by holding each end and turning.
- Set the twisted dough on the cookie sheet and curve the top to form a cane.
- Finally, bake the cookies for eight to ten minutes or until the cookies are light brown. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack for forty-five minutes before serving.
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Instead of red food coloring you can use green food coloring.
- Sometimes we like to sprinkle the the finished cookies with a little bit of powdered sugar.
- You can even dip part of the cookies in melted chocolate.
Storage Tips
SERVE: Serve and store these cookies at room temperature.
STORE: Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
FREEZE: Place cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or zipper-top bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies at room temperature for about one hour before serving.
Recipe FAQs
You can make most Christmas cookies up to a month in advance and freeze them. We love to make our cookies before the holiday madness starts.
Candy canes are known for their peppermint flavor. That is why we add peppermint extract to the cookie dough to achieve the perfect candy cane flavor we all love.
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: Your child can assist you by helping to pour the ingredients into each bowl. As you form the candy canes, ask your child to count how many you have made.
Ages 4-5: Have your child practice their measuring skills as they measure and pour the ingredients into the bowls.
Ages 6-8: Your child can practice measuring skills as they measure the length of the dough ropes. Guide yourchild’ss hands as you teach them how to roll the dough into strips and twist them together to form the candy canes.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
This recipe makes twenty-eight cookies for about $0.12 per cookie. That makes this a fabulous cookie recipe for gifting to friends and neighbors for an affordable price.
More Cookies
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Dulce De Leche Cookies
- Gingersnap Cookie Recipe
- Gingerbread Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Cranberry Pistachio Cookie
- Christmas Brownie Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies
Candy Cane Cookies
Recipe Cost 3.70 Serving Cost 0.14Equipment
- mixing bowls
- wire whisk
- measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- stand mixer
- baking sheet
- wire rack
- Ruler
- 1-Tablespoon scoop
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup milk whole or 2%
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Red paste food coloring about ¼ teaspoon
Instructions
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a bowl of the stand mixer or large bowl, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Beat in milk and extracts until well combined.
- Add egg and beat well.
- Gradually add flour mixture until well blended.
- Divide the dough in half.
- Place half of the dough in a separate bowl and color with red food coloring.
- Cover both bowls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator.
PREP OVEN AND PREP PANS:
- Move the oven racks to the upper middle and lower middle positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
SHAPE COOKIE DOUGH:
- For each candy cane, scoop 1 rounded tablespoon of each color of dough and roll each into a 6 inch rope.
- Place a white rope next to a red rope, pressing together slightly and lightly twist by holding each end and turning.
- Place the twisted dough on a prepared cookie sheet and curve the top to form a cane.
BAKE AND COOL COOKIES:
- Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set and light brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 45 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
These look really fun to make with the kids and they look so pretty too. Definitely adding them to my list for this year.
Tavo says
Loved this recipe! Can’t wait for Christmas to make it!
kushigalu says
How pretty cookies. A perfect holiday treat. Thanks for sharing.
Casey says
OMG my kids LOVE making these — it’s super easy and such a treat!!
Katherine says
These cookies are just the cutest!