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Home » Blog » Recipes » Cookies

Candy Cane Twist Cookies

Tyler April Townley — 1 Comment

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Close up of candy cane twist cookies arranged on a plate.
Peppermint flavored candy cane twist cookies

While I’ve never been a huge Christmas person, there have always been a few things that I love about the season. Obviously, I love all the food and the fact that Christmas means lots of cookies. I’m also a big fan of twinkle lights, having any excuse to spend extra time with friends and family, and candy canes. Candy canes are just so darn cute, and I’m here for the combination of red and white.

A red and white candy cane gingerbread house on the left. And a decorated candy cane cookie on the right.
I’m just going to continue to candy cane all the things!

When I was working on my Candy Cane Shortbread Sugar Cookie recipe, it occurred to me that it would obviously be the perfect flavor to make into some shaped candy cane cookies.

How to Make Candy Cane Twist Cookies

Make Dough

Red and white candy cane shortbread sugar cookie dough.
  • Make one batch of red, and one batch of white candy cane shortbread sugar cookie dough and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
  • For the red dough, I just added red food coloring.
  • To get my white dough as white as possible, I used one an egg white, instead of a full egg, and I added about a teaspoon of liquid whitener food coloring.

Step 1:

Red and white cookie dough shaped into logs.
Roll ½ of each batch of dough into a log
  • Cut each batch of dough in half. It’s much easier to only work on half of the cookies at a time so the dough doesn’t get too warm.
  • Knead the dough and roll into log shapes.

Tip!

Keep a damp tea towel or washcloth handy to wipe your hands between working on different colored dough. That way you avoid getting red streaks in your white dough!

Step 2:

Cookie dough cut into smaller equal pieces.
Cut dough logs into smaller equal pieces.
  • Cut each log into equal pieces.

Tip!

I cut each log into 16 pieces, and they made fairly large 5″ candy cane cookies. Cut into smaller pieces if you would like to make smaller candy cane cookies.

Step 3:

Roll!
  • Roll one piece of red and one piece of red dough into 4″ long ropes.
  • Gently press the ropes together.

Tip!

Try to avoid using flour to roll out dough. Flour will prevent the 2 ropes from sticking together. If the ropes won’t stick together, dip your finger in some water and run it along one of the ropes before pressing them together.

Step 4:

Twist!
  • Twist the 2 ropes together.

Step 5:

Roll!
  • Roll out the twisted ropes into one larger rope.
  • You may have to twist the rope it a few times while rolling.
  • At this point it is easier to use a little bit of flour to keep dough from sticking to the surface you’re rolling it out on.

Step 6:

Shape!
  • Shape rope into a candy cane shape.

Step 7:

Bake!
  • Place cookies on parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined cookie sheet.
  • Leave some space between cookies, as these do spread a bit.
  • Return to fridge or freezer until firm to the touch before baking.

Step 8:

Candy cane twist cookies arranged on a round plate.
Enjoy!
  • Bake and enjoy how cute these little guys are!
  • Cookies will stay fresh for up to a week, in an airtight container, at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
  • You can freeze baked cookies for up to a month.
  • Dip or drizzle in chocolate for chocolate candy cane cookies!

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Candy cane twist cookies arranged on a round plate.

Candy Cane Twist Cookies

You will need one batch of red and one batch of white dough to make these candy cane twist cookies.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 16 cookies

Equipment

  • measuring spoons and cups
  • mixing bowls
  • whisk
  • spatula
  • food processor
  • cling wrap
  • stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • cookie cutters
  • silicone baking mats
  • cookie sheets
  • rolling pin
  • large knife

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg (use only egg white for white dough) room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint emulsion or extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • *red food coloring for red dough, liquid whitener for white dough
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • Whisk flour and cornstarch together and set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).
  • Add egg, extracts, and red food coloring* (red for red dough, whitener for white dough) and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
  • Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.
  • Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).
  • Knead dough and cut each batch into 16 equal pieces. Roll one piece of red and one piece of white into ~4" ropes, twist ropes together, roll again, shape into candy cane shape and place on baking sheet.
  • Place shaped cookies back in fridge or freezer until firm to the touch.
  • Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to darken.
  • Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet before handling.

Notes

  • When rolling out dough ropes to form candy cane, try to avoid using flour so that the 2 ropes stick together.
  • The reason for adding 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to your dough is to prevent your cookies from shrinking or spreading during baking.
  • This recipe makes 16 fairly large 5″ candy cane cookies. You can also divide each batch of dough into 32 pieces to make mini candy cane cookies. 
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Rate & comment below!

Categories: Christmas Cookies, Cookies, Recipes

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Tyler April Townley

Hi, I’m Tyler!

A professional pastry chef turned teacher of all things cookie decorating & more. I’ve made thousands of decorated cookies, cakes, & treats for happy clients over the years. Now I’m sharing my knowledge so you too can bake & decorate like a pro.

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  1. Laura Hartley

    December 11, 2022 at 10:27 am

    Tyler, wishing you a very Merry Christmas

    Reply

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Tyler April Townley

Hi, I’m Tyler!

A professional pastry chef turned teacher of all things cookie decorating & more. I’ve made thousands of decorated cookies, cakes, & treats for happy clients over the years. Now I’m sharing my knowledge so you too can bake & decorate like a pro.

Instagram Pinterest Facebook Twitter YouTube
About · Blog · Shop · Subscribe

Subscribe for Updates

Never miss a recipe or new online!

You can also follow on Instagram & Facebook!

Learn to Decorate Today!

  • Online Cookie Decorating Masterclass
    Online Cookie Decorating Masterclass
  • Products included in my Cookie Decorating Starter Kit
    Cookie Decorating Supply Starter Kit

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