Amazing tasting Candy Cane Sugar Cookies! My all-time favorite sugar cookie recipe is perfect for making decorative cut out cookies.
This recipe for Candy Cane Sugar Cookies uses candy canes that are ground very finely into a sugar consistency. The candy cane sugar replaces some of the sugar usually found in sugar cookie recipes. I used pink colored cherry flavored candy canes. They add great flavor and give the cookies a beautiful pink color. Once you try this recipe I’m sure you’ll agree this is the best tasting sugar cookies you’ve ever baked! Decorate with royal icing to create some beautiful edible art. Check out this recipe for Royal Icing for easy step by instructions to decorate cookies with royal icing.
In addition to the amazing flavor, these cookies cut out beautifully with all your favorite Holiday cookie cutters. I love to collect beautiful cookie cutters. Some of my favorites are the copper snowflake ones I have collected over the years. These make perfect gifts or stocking stuffers.
How to make cut out sugar cookies.
Simple ingredients of flour, butter, sugar, egg, salt, and a vanilla bean. Pure vanilla extract can be used instead of vanilla bean. Using a grinder, grind candy canes into fine sugar consistency.
Beat together room temperature butter with regular sugar and candy cane sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla, mix well and then gradually add flour and salt.
Divide dough into 2 or 3 disks. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll cookie dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a well-floured surface. Dust cookie cutters with flour to prevent sticking.
Using a spatula place cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill the dough again. This will prevent cookies from spreading so they keep the nice sharp edges.
Bake in preheated oven 350ºF for 8-10 minutes. Just until the edges start to brown. Cool on the baking sheet for a while, and then move to a cooling rack.
Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup finely ground candy canes I use pink or red cherry flavoured
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 vanilla bean
- 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Mix together flour and salt.
- Using food processor grind candy canes to fine sugar consistency.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and candy cane sugar together until fluffy (about 4-5 minutes)
- Add eggs, egg yolk and vanilla, beat to combine.
- Add flour a bit at a time until all the flour is combined.
- Separate into 2 or 3 even pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Flour work surface, then roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Dust cookie cutters with flour before cutting shapes from dough.
- Transfer to baking sheet. Place baking sheet into refrigerator for 10 minutes to chill the dough again. This will prevent cookies from spreading so they keep the nice sharp edges.
- Bake 350ºF for 8-10 minutes (just until edges start to brown)
- Cool completely. Decorate with royal icing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Enjoy another great candy cane flavored recipe, Candy Cane Fudge
Hadia
Laureen, the candy cookies do sound so scrumptious and presentable!
Laureen King
Thank you Hadia
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I love these cookies!!! They are so beautiful! I really like the idea of putting the candy cane in the dough. Pinned. 🙂
Laureen King
Thank you Rakhee, hope you enjoy them!
Christy Vasquez
My dough isn’t as pink… am I missing something?
Laureen King
Hi Christy, what type of candy canes did you use. I always use the cherry flavoured, or ones with lots of red in them and have always gotten pink. I wonder if different candy canes colour differently. Also did you grind the candy canes really fine? I’ve never added any kind of colouring.
Christy
Hi, thanks for replying ! I used the mint twist crushed peppermint candy for baking . I did grid them very finely although they’re in pieces already . Maybe too fine? I also had issues with the dough getting very sticky and not holding shapes even after I cut them out and put them in the freezer before baking 🙁
Laureen King
Hi Christy, I only ever used candy canes and I grind them almost to a powder. I’m only guessing that maybe the candies are causing the issue. I baked this recipe quite often and never had a problem with the stickiness. I also don’t sift the flour. If you did then maybe not enough flour was used. I wish I could help you more.
Meckalah Carlisle
Can this dough be refrigerated overnight? And can I use peppermint extract instead of candy canes?
Laureen King
Yes the dough can be refrigerated overnight, but no the peppermint extract won’t give you the same kind of taste.
Pat
Hi Laureen I love these cookies! They are so pretty! I would love to make them this holiday season but can not seem to find pink/red cherry candy canes. Do you think pink cherry flavor rock candy ground into powder would work the same???
Laureen King
Hi Pat, I have found the pink cherry flavoured in the small mini sizes, so hopefully soon a better selection will hit the stores. I’m not sure how rock candy would work. I know the candy canes grind into almost like a confectioners sugar consistency. A drop of food colouring could also give the nice pink color, but no flavour.
Kelly
All I can find is the rainbow colored cherry flavor…would this throw off the color?
Laureen King
Kelly, I don’t think you would get the pretty pink color with the rainbow color, but should have the same flavor. If you use a red and white candy cane you should get the color,but most of those are peppermint flavoured, which tastes great as well. I had a hard time when I lived in the US finding them, but no problem finding red and white cherry flavor in Canada.