These Candy Cane Sugar Cookies are outrageously festive! A soft sugar cookie dough is loaded with crushed candy canes and topped with creamy buttercream making them the most festive Christmas Cookie Recipe ever!
Make sure to try my Classic Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe if you want to use your cookie cutters and decorate cookies!
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies Are An Easy Christmas Cookie Recipe!
I am completely obsessed with anything that’s creamy-buttery-peppermint. A few years ago I made Buttermint Cookies and they are solidly one of my most favorite Christmas Cookies of all time.
These Candy Cane Sugar Cookies are now a close second! I LOVE sugar cookies so much, and I knew loading them with crushed candy canes would create a peppermint sugar cookie recipe that would be delicious! Of course topping them with buttercream frosting is a must…diet starts in January, right?
Plus, they’re just super pretty, and will look gorgeous on your holiday cookie platter!
How To Make Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
This is a super simple cookie recipe, which makes this recipe even more of a keeper! I actually used the base recipe for my Pressed Sugar Cookies, which is a tried and true cookie that I have adapted many times with great success! If you haven’t tried my original recipe (or if you aren’t a peppermint fan) DEFINITELY give them a try!
- Using a combination of oil and butter gives these cookies the soft, yet crisp at the edges texture.
- Use a glass to gently press the cookies down as soon as they come out of the oven. This creates a flat circle to frost, while also giving the cookies the distinct crackly edges, and the dense, chewy texture!
- Crush the candy canes into small pieces when you add them to the dough, you don’t want large chunks of candy cane in the dough. It will be too crunchy.
Do You Use Peppermint Extract In These Sugar Cookies?
I don’t…I like the flavor of the peppermint from the candy canes only, but if you are looking for more peppermint flavor you can absolutely use extract as well. Make sure you’re using PEPPERMINT not just mint, or you’ll end up with cookie dough that tastes like toothpaste!
AND start with a just little extract, I’d recommend 1/4 teaspoon to begin with, and add from there!
What Kind Of Frosting Do You Use On These Cookies?
I like to use my Perfect Buttercream Recipe, but you could really get creative with this one! Here are some ideas of other frosting that would pair with these cookies:
Can You Use Pre-Crushed Candy Canes?
Yes! So much easier than unwrapping all the candy cane for sure! I’ve done it both ways, and actually find the pre-crushed (LIKE THESE) to work a little bit better because they are all very uniform in size. When I crush my own I get a more varied size and a lot of candy cane dust. BUT either way works!
NOTE: The cookies in the pictures here were made with candy canes I crushed myself.
Looking For More Peppermint Treats? Try These:
Description:
These sweet, melty sugar cookies are loaded with crushed candy canes!
Ingredients:
Cookies
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- optional – 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4½ cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups finely crushed candy canes (about 18)
Frosting
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter, oil and both sugars until smooth on medium speed. Beat in the eggs, vanilla (and peppermint extract if using), baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in flour, mixing until combined. Stir in the crushed candy canes until evenly incorporated.
- Using a medium (2 tablespoons) cookie scoop drop the dough onto the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges just start to golden.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven use the back of a glass cup and press the cookies down carefully.
- Allow cookies to cool for 3 minutes on baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
Frosting
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter on medium speed until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once incorporated, add the vanilla, and milk into the bowl and turn the mixer up to medium. Mix for 2 minutes until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spread 1 tablespoon(ish) of the frosting on each cookie.
Notes:
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days. The optional addition of peppermint extract in the cookies is up to you and how pepperminty you want your cookies to be! I like the subtle peppermint flavor from just the candy canes, but it’s truly a personal preference. You can also add 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract into the frosting if you really want to amp up the pepper mint flavor. I prefer the vanilla frosting on top of the candy cane cookie, but it’s up to you!
Keywords:: cookies, peppermint cookies, sugar cookies, candy cane cookies, candy cane, buttercream
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