Description
Bring holiday cheer straight to your kitchen with these classic Candy Cane Cookies — soft, buttery sugar cookies twisted into festive red and white canes. These cookies aren’t just beautiful on the plate; they’re rich in flavor with hints of almond and vanilla. Ideal for cookie exchanges, holiday parties, or cozy family nights, this easy recipe adds magic to your seasonal baking. Whether you’re seeking Christmas baking ideas, easy cookie recipes, or fun food ideas for kids, these Candy Cane Cookies check every box.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
Red gel food coloring
Instructions
1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until well combined.
3. Gradually mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
4. Divide the dough in half. Tint one half with red gel food coloring and leave the other plain.
5. Wrap both doughs in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
6. Roll 1 teaspoon of each dough into 4-inch ropes. Twist one red and one white rope together and shape into a candy cane.
7. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes until just set.
9. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
Chill the dough well before shaping to keep the candy canes crisp and clean.
Use gel food coloring to avoid adding extra moisture to the dough.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg