This Candy Cane Cookies Recipe is a festive and buttery recipe, which features sugar cookie mix and cream cheese. It’s a fun holiday baking project, ready in about 40 minutes.
Jump to RecipeCandy Cane Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- 1 box sugar cookie mix
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup softened cream cheese
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for surface
- Red food coloring
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
How To Make Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
- Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Form the dough: In a bowl, combine sugar cookie mix, melted butter, egg, cream cheese, and flour; mix together to form a soft dough.
- Divide and flavor: Separate dough into 2 equal portions and place in 2 different bowls. Add red food coloring gradually to 1 bowl of dough, kneading together until your desired shade of red is created. To the second bowl of uncolored dough, add peppermint extract and knead until combined.
- Roll the ropes: On a floured work surface, take small pieces of dough and shape them into balls. Roll each ball into 1/4-inch-wide ropes, each about 6 inches long.
- Twist the canes: For each cookie, carefully twist one red rope and one white rope together gently. Curve the top to shape into a candy cane.
- Bake the cookies: Spread candy canes out on cookie sheets and bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool before serving.
Recipe Tips
- How to keep the dough from breaking: If the dough feels too dry or crumbly while rolling, the ropes will break. You can work in a tiny bit more butter or cream cheese. If it’s too sticky, chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes before rolling.
- Using the right food coloring: Gel food coloring is superior to liquid drops for this recipe. Liquid coloring adds moisture that can make the red dough sticky and harder to work with, while gel provides vibrant color without altering the texture.
- Flouring the surface: Cream cheese makes this dough rich but slightly sticky. Keep your hands and the rolling surface lightly dusted with flour, but don’t overdo it or the ropes won’t stick together when twisted.
- Preventing browning: These cookies look best when they stay pale white (to contrast with the red). Bake them on the top shelf as directed and pull them out just before the edges start to turn golden brown.
What To Serve With Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
These adorable cookies are a staple for Christmas cookie exchange platters.
- A mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows
- Cold glass of milk
- Eggnog
- Other holiday treats like gingerbread men or sugar cookies
How To Store Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
- Room Temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Place wax paper between layers to keep them from breaking.
- Freeze: You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter before serving. You can also freeze the unbaked dough balls; just thaw, roll, and bake when ready.
Candy Cane Cookies Recipe Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 140
- Total Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
- Sodium: 110mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 18g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 10g
- Protein: 2g
Nutrition information is estimated per cookie.
FAQs
If the cookies lost their shape, the butter might have been too hot when mixed, or the oven wasn’t hot enough. Make sure to use the “melted” butter as directed but let it cool slightly, and ensure your oven is fully preheated.
Yes. You can use a standard sugar cookie dough recipe (flour, sugar, butter, egg, vanilla/peppermint) and follow the same method for dividing, coloring, and twisting.
Absolutely. If you don’t like mint, almond extract or simple vanilla extract works perfectly fine for a classic sugar cookie taste.
Candy Cane Cookies Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy24
servings25
minutes12
minutes140
kcalA simple, festive holiday cookie made with sugar cookie mix and cream cheese, twisted into red and white peppermint canes.
Ingredients
1 box sugar cookie mix
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup flour
Red food coloring
1.5 tsp peppermint extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Mix cookie mix, butter, egg, cream cheese, and flour into a dough.
- Divide dough in half.
- Knead red coloring into one half; knead peppermint extract into the white half.
- Roll small balls of each color into 6-inch ropes.
- Twist one red and one white rope together and curve into a cane shape.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes on the top rack.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Texture: The addition of cream cheese makes these cookies soft and tender rather than crisp.
- Handling: Be gentle when transferring the twisted canes to the baking sheet to maintain their shape.
