Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies Recipe for Festive Holidays

🥣 Ingredients to Have on Hand

Flour: All-purpose flour works well — no special handling required.

Butter and Shortening: A combination of butter and shortening creates a rich flavor while helping the cookies hold their shape so they don’t crumble while you handle the dough.

Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar gives the dough a tender, slightly dense texture and a smooth finish. Use powdered sugar in the dough and reserve granulated sugar for sprinkling after baking.

Vanilla & Almond Extract: The blend of vanilla and almond is classic here: vanilla rounds out the buttery dough while almond lend a distinctly festive note.

Red Food Coloring: Red gives the candy-cane stripes their signature look, but feel free to substitute another color for a different twist.

Scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements and the complete ingredient list.

Step 1: In a large bowl, cream together the powdered sugar, butter, shortening, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Step 2: Add flour and salt, mixing just until the dough comes together. It should be tender but not overly sticky.

Step 3: Color one half of the dough with red food coloring and mix until the color is even.

Step 4: Use a teaspoon to portion a rounded teaspoon of dough from each color for each cookie.

Step 5: Roll each portion into a small rope about 4–5 inches long.

Step 6: Place a red rope and an uncolored rope side-by-side and press them together.

Step 7: Gently twist each paired rope to create the swirled stripe effect.

Step 8: Place the twisted ropes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step 9: Curve the top of each rope to form the candy cane handle.

Step 10: Bake at 375°F for 8–9 minutes, or until set and very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and while the cookies are still warm, sprinkle a little granulated sugar along each cookie. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack.

Yes. If you refrigerate the dough, bring it to room temperature before shaping. Cold dough can be crumbly and hard to handle.

You can use only butter, but the shortening helps the cookies keep their shape. The butter-shortening mix balances flavor and structure best.

Powdered sugar gives a smoother, tender dough that differs from granulated sugar. Use powdered sugar in the dough and reserve granulated sugar for sprinkling after baking.

🍭Candy Cane Cookie Storage

These cookies freeze and store well, making them ideal for holiday prep.

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container. Best within 2–3 days, but they can keep up to 5 days at room temperature.

Freezer: After baking and cooling, layer cookies between wax paper in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Handle frozen cookies with care to avoid breakage.

🍭 Substitutions

Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of warm cookies instead of granulated sugar for a classic peppermint finish—this follows the original Betty Crocker version. You can also experiment with different food colors to make multicolored twisted cookies.

This technique works year-round—form straight twisted sticks or small twisted cookies if you prefer not to shape them as canes.