These Candy Cane Sugar Cookies are outrageously festive! A soft sugar cookie recipe is loaded with crushed candy canes and topped with creamy buttercream – making them the most festive Christmas Cookie Recipe ever!
Looking for more sugar cookie recipes? Try my Classic Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe if you want to use your cookie cutters and decorate cookies!
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!
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.
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 Sugar 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:
- Creamy Chocolate Frosting
- White Chocolate Buttercream
- Mint Chocolate Chip Frosting – Just don’t use the green food coloring!
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:
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- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
These Candy Cane Sugar Cookies are outrageously festive! A soft sugar cookie recipe is loaded with crushed candy canes and topped with creamy buttercream – making them the most festive Christmas Cookie Recipe ever!
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!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 267
- Sugar: 20.4 g
- Sodium: 132.8 mg
- Fat: 14.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.6 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 30.7 mg
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I made these cookies for Christmas day and everyone loved them!! The candy canes added a nice crunch, but there wasn’t a whole lot of peppermint flavor when I tasted them after coming out of the oven (because, you have to taste at least one, right?) so I added a 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the frosting- that just made it even more incredible!! It’s soft and flaky, which I love! I will say though that you MUST put the cookies on parchment paper or a Silpat. Otherwise…let’s just say there will be a LOT of scrubbing involved!
I was looking for a festive cookie to add to my tray this year and this one caught my eye to try. I LOVE them! The texture is wonderful and almost melts in your mouth. I did not add the peppermint extract as I wanted just the candy cane flavor to come though without a minty taste overpowering the cookie itself. I used crushed candy canes and it was just right for flavor. Also I did not flatten or frost any yet. I may leave some plain and frost half and sprinkle with extra crushed candy cane . And just so you know….this recipe made the cut to my Pinterest “Success” board! Thank you!
Love hearing this and so glad you liked them!!
These were truly delicious but quick question. What is diameter of finished cookie? I halved the recipe and got 35 cookies. You indicate on recipe full batch should yield 36. Are these supposed to be quite large? I would agree with other comment about doubling frosting.
Yes, I do make them large 🙂
Shelly, I’ve made 2 batches of these, and I love them! I noticed my dough was super soft both times. I refrigerated it the second time, but the cookies from both batches are very flat compared to the ones in your pictures and some others’ pictures on your Facebook page. Any tips??? My butter was at room temp. Maybe I’m measuring my flour wrong? Thank you!
Very strange! It is a soft dough, but it does hold shape well and shouldn’t spread too much. It could have to do with a few elements…your flour, sure, the oven temp being a little off (low), insulated baking sheet…
I use a thin baking sheet and spoon and sweep my flour, but if you are having problems, try adding 1/4 cup more flour and see! Since you press the cookies if they happen to stay too tall this will fix that!
Oh my goodness! I made sure the butter wasn’t too soft, spooned and swept the flour, added a little more flour, and they turned out perfect! Thank you! I will try and post a picture. I drizzled them with white chocolate and semisweet chocolate and then sprinkled crushed candy cane. Your candy cane cookies are genius. Love your recipes!
Yay!!
I just made this recipe and the cookies are incredible. It did take a couple batches to get the right cook time down but once I did they all came out perfect. The frosting really adds to making the cookie extra delicious. I think these cookies will be added to the yearly Christmas baking weekend from now on.
So glad you like them!!
I made the Candy Cane Sugar Cookies today. These are FABULOUSLY DELICIOUS!!! I did not add the peppermint extract but added more vanilla extract. I can already tell that I should have doubled the frosting. These are a keeper!
So glad you liked them!
I haven’t made them yet but am getting ready to right now. Someone asked if the butter cream frosting hardens up enough to be put in bags or stacked and that’s my question as well?
It sets, but it never gets completely hard 🙂
These cookies are fantastic! I’ve never had a sugar cookie quite like this. I think the addition of the oil really takes them over the top! The dough was a dream to work with. Not sticky just nice and soft. I did half of the dough with candy canes and did the other half with toffee pieces. Very good! Thanks!!!
Love the toffee idea!!
Since I’ve worn out the welcome of the outrageous Oreos…….??…….. I’d love to make these. Can these be packaged easily in bags? Or is the buttercream too soft?
made this today! very delicious! that hint of peppermint with the crushed candy canes is perfect:) selling them at a bake sale tomorrow!
Awesome! I hope they sell out!
Delicious! Can the dough be frozen?