This chewy sugar cookie recipe creates soft, crinkle cookies with crunchy bits of candy cane. Make a batch for your holiday celebration!
Get in the holiday spirit by making a batch of peppermint cookies with candy canes! They are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and bursting with minty flavor.
If you aren’t a fan of peppermint, try my Death by Chocolate Cookies instead. They’re made with four different types of chocolate chips and are perfectly rich and gooey.
Caramel Butterscotch Cookies are a lighter option that’s still bursting with plenty of sweet flavor.
Or, make these Peanut Blossom Cookies with just four ingredients! They’re a holiday staple and incredibly easy to make too.
Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe Ingredients
Notes and Substitutions- Candy Canes - Feel free to substitute another type of peppermint candy, or even another flavor!
Whatever you use, you’ll need just under a cup of crushed candies. The size of the candy canes really doesn’t matter either. Although, using miniature canes allows you to place whole ones on top of each cookie if you’d like.
- Butter - Most baking recipes call for unsalted butter so you have more control over the salt content. If salted butter is all you have on hand, just omit the additional salt.
- Eggs - Be sure to pull these out of the refrigerator, along with the butter, at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe. Room temperature ingredients result in fluffier cookies. Plus, the eggs will be easier to incorporate.
Need to soften your butter quickly?
Some people like to use a microwave to soften butter, but that can cause it to melt, which will lead to greasy cookies.
Instead, rinse a tall glass with very hot tap water for a minute or two. Then, place the unwrapped butter underneath the warm glass while you measure out the other ingredients for the recipe.
By the time you’re finished doing that, the butter should be nice and soft!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Tip for Easier Scooping
While there’s nothing wrong with using a spoon, cookie scoops keep your fingers clean and guarantee perfectly round treats.
I like to use a small scoop for this recipe, but feel free to use a larger one if you’d like!
- Don’t bake them too long.
The trick to tender cookies is to pull them from the oven when they are just slightly underbaked.
This is because the heat from the baking sheets will continue to bake the centers. After they have been on the pan for a minute or two, then you can transfer them to wire racks to finish cooling.
- How to Crush Hard Candies
A less messy way to crush candy canes is to unwrap them and toss them in a blender or food processor. Pulse them until they are the size you want.
This is also a great way to make “candy cane sugar” to sprinkle into hot cocoa or coffee! Just continue to pulse until they are almost ground into a powder form.
What You Will Need To Make Crinkle Cookies
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer for making the dough
- Jelly Roll Pans (baking sheets with sides) - Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
- Parchment Paper - Prevents your peppermint cookies from sticking and makes clean up a breeze!
- 1 Tablespoon Scooper - Makes scooping faster and easier!
- Cooling Racks - I like these because you can cool a lot of treats without taking up a lot of counter space.
FAQ - Common Recipe Questions
Do these need to be refrigerated?
Refrigeration is not necessary! Cookies with candy canes will stay fresh at room temperature for up to a week. Just keep them in a sealed container or storage bag.
This means you can make them ahead of time to have on hand for holiday treats. Or, package them up to send to loved ones!
Enjoy!
With love from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Peppermint Cookies Recipe Video
To see us make the recipe from start to finish, watch the video at the top of this page.
Yield: Makes 7 Dozen 1 Tablespoon Cookies
Chewy Sugar Crinkle Cookies with Candy Canes
This chewy sugar cookie recipe creates soft, crinkle cookies with crunchy bits of candy cane. Make a batch for your holiday celebration!
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 M
Ingredients
- 10 candy canes, unwrapped
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350°F. Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Double bag 2 resealable 1 gallon plastic bags. Place candy canes inside and seal. Crush candy canes with a rolling pin until pieces are smaller than a pea. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or an electric mixer combine sugar and butter, cream until light and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until combined. Scrape sides down as needed. Add salt, powder, soda and flour. Mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl as necessary. Add crushed candy canes (powder and all).
- Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Scoop 1 tablespoon portions of dough and roll into a ball. Roll in powdered sugar until coated. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. I made 12 per sheet, but you could easily fit 18.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe developed by Donna Elick forThe Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2012 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2012 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.
Originally published December 2012, updated and republished December 2020
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