Candy Cane Cookies are a delicious homemade cookie that is shaped to look like a candy cane. These are the best Christmas cookie to serve up at the holidays.
Candy cane sugar cookies are a classic Christmas cookie. Buttery, soft, and colorful—they are just plain cheerful and you’ll love how easy this recipe is!
You might also like our Little Debbie tree cookies, Christmas sugar cookies (with decorating tutorials), or no-chill gingerbread cookies.
candy cane sugar cookies
Candy cane sugar cookies are a classic Christmas cookie. They’ve been around for decades and for good reason. They are just so cheerful! The bright red and white striped cookies keep their shape and taste amazing. One batch makes 50 cookies so they are great to make and share during the holidays.
3 candy cane cookies on a white plate.
CLASSIC CANDY CANE SUGAR COOKIES
My favorite sugar cookie recipe is no-chill, tastes great, and the cookies keep their shape. As much as I hate chilling cookie dough I knew that these cookies would need to be cold when placed in the oven to keep their perfect candy cane shape. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
COURSE DESSERT PREP TIME 1 HR COOK TIME 8 MINS TOTAL TIME 2 HRS 8 MINS SERVINGS
hand holding two candy cane sugar cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces full fat cream cheese softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups unbleached flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 40-50 drops red food coloring
- Sprinkles or sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large mixing bowl heat up the butter to soften. It takes a minute or less to get the butter softened.
Add in the cream cheese and heat again for another 15 seconds to soften it without melting the cream cheese.
Then cream the butter and cream cheese together until nice and creamy in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
Add in the sugar and whip up for 3 minutes creating a light and fluffy texture. I whip on medium to medium high speed.
Add in the egg and vanilla.
Next in a small bowl add the dry ingredients.
Then work the dry ingredients into the wet cookie batter. Mix to combine.
Divide the bowl in two bowls. Then add red food coloring to half the dough. I did 4-5 drops to make a nice red color.
Use a cookie scoop (1 tablespoon size) and scoop balls of the dough on a prepared cookie sheet.
Cover and refrigerate all the cookie dough for 30 minutes to an hour. You need to chill the dough.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Remove the cookie dough balls from therefrigerator a few at a time and roll into straight lines (about thelength of a fork, 7”).
Place a white line and a red line on table. Pinch end and then twist the dough. Then at the top create the hook to create the candy cane.
Place the cookies on the baking sheet. Pinch the top, and add sprinkles if you want. Then bake for 8 minutes or until the cookies are fully baked.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on pan then transfer to cooling rack. Let cool then enjoy.
