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It’s so simple to make these delicious Candy Cane Cookies. They make perfect festive treats, and can also be packaged up and given as gifts too!
Christmas cookies are fantastic if you’re doing some festive baking, contributing to a bake sale, or gifting some homemade treats.
The Candy Cane Cookies are easy enough to make if you’re a baking beginner, or if you’re baking with kids during the holiday season.
They’re chocolatey with a hint of peppermint – so delicious!
Why you’ll love this Christmas Cookies recipe
⭐️ Fun to make and pretty
⭐️ Perfect for kids or sharing out
⭐️ Easy and quick for baking days
Top Tips
➡️ If you want to be really exact, use an ice cream scoop to measure out each dollop of mixture. You can weigh each one if you’re that way inclined. They should be about 40g each.
➡️ If you have time, put the cookie dough into the freezer for a couple of hours after shaping the cookies and before baking them. This really helps to give them a better shape.
➡️ You can also freeze the dough ahead of time and bake on the day you need to. The dough will keep for around a month.
Candy Cane Cookies Ingredients Notes
- Butter – Go for unsalted butter if possible
- Caster sugar – Be sure to use caster sugar, not granulated. It melts and reacts differently as the grains are larger
- Sugar – Light brown sugar to give a soft, chewy texture and light caramel flavour
- Eggs – For reference, I always use free range medium eggs in my baking
- Flour – This needs to be plain flour, or all-purpose flour if you’re outside the UK
- Bicarbonate of soda – Make sure yours is in date! It helps to give a little rise to the cookies
- Cocoa – I feel that one non-negotiable to make these cookies amazing is VERY good quality cocoa powder. I use Green & Blacks cocoa, which I love
- Salt – This is optional but I love it to add a little extra something to the chocolate cookies. If you like a little crunch of salt, use flakes. If not, use fine table salt
- Peppermint extract – We only need a teaspoon of this but it gives that unmistakable Christmas flavour
- Dark chocolate – I use Callebaut 54% Dark Chocolate Chips – this chocolate is amazing and makes such a difference to all of my finished makes and bakes. If you buy in bulk, it works out to about the same price as supermarket chocolate too
- Candy canes – You can get these from lots of shops during the Christmas season, or online
How to make Candy Cane Christmas Cookies
- Beat the butter with the sugars, followed by the eggs, flour, cocoa, bicarb, salt, chocolate chunks, peppermint extract and half of the candy canes chopped into pieces until a stiff dough forms.
- Form the dough into balls and freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Bake in a preheated oven according to the recipe below.
Storing
Store these in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge until all have been devoured. They should be good for up to a week.
These are also fine to freeze for another day if you like! Wait until they are fully cooled after baking and pop them into a freezer bag or sealed container for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost thoroughly and enjoy.
More homemade Christmas treats…
Sweet Things
Snowball Chocolate Truffles {Easy Recipe}
Sweet Things
Baileys Fudge {Quick & Easy Recipe}
Sweet Things
Chocolate Orange Rocky Road {No Bake}
Sweet Things
Hot Chocolate Bombs {Easy Recipe}
FAQs
I always have a supply of these handy cellophane gift bags for homemade bakes to hand out. Tie them up with a Christmassy ribbon and they look lovely!
No you don’t NEED one, but if you have one it will make the job a little easier and quicker. But beating the traditional way is also absolutely fine.
This might be because your bicarbonate of soda is well out of date. It does tend to last a while in the cupboard but if it’s years old, it might now be useless.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Christmas Candy Cane Cookies {Easy Recipe}
Ingredients
- 150 g Unsalted butter
- 75 g Caster sugar
- 75 g Light brown sugar
- 1 Egg
- 200 g Plain flour
- 25 g Cocoa
- 0.5 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 0.5 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Peppermint extract
- 85 g Dark chocolate, Cut into small chunks
- 150 g Candy canes, Chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Beat the butter with the sugars, then beat in the eggs, flour, cocoa, bicarb, salt, chocolate chunks, peppermint extract and half of the candy canes (about six) until a stiff dough forms.
- Form the dough equally into balls (you can weigh each one if you're that way inclined – they should be about 40g each).
- Freeze the dough balls for at least 2 hours. This really helps them keep their shape.
- Pre heat your oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
- Bake on a lined baking tray for 10-15 minutes until they are cooked but still squidgy (the exact time with depend on your oven).
- Allow to cool before storing OR serve slightly warm, either from the oven or by popping in the microwave for 10 seconds each before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely superb recipe!! Won the office bake off competition with these beauties. And have just made up a batch of the dough to freeze and then bake on Boxing Day. Absolute Xmas classic
Delicious!
Yum! I was one of the lucky ones that got a parcel of these in the mail, and these cookies were delicious! Thanks Sarah 🙂 They really brightened my day!
Oh wow, they look amazing. I’m going to blame you in advance for the stone or so I am bound to put on over Christmas when I have time to try out some of your gorgeous recipes. xx