These fun candy cane cookies are made of sugar cookie dough wrapped together like a candy cane then sprinkled with sugar! They’re fun to make, fun to eat, and make fun Christmas gifts or favors!
Add 40-50 drops of red food coloring to one half of the dough and mix until well incorporated and the color you want.
40-50 drops red food coloring
Make cookie dough balls using about 1 tablespoon dough for each ball from both the red and white dough and place on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate dough balls for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350° F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Remove both red and white dough balls from the refrigerator a couple at a time.
Roll each ball into a log about 7" long, then place one red log and one white log side by side and pinch the ends together to connect the logs at the top and bottom.
Hold the top of the joined logs and twist the logs together to create the stripes. After twisting the red and white dough together, bend the top over into a hook to form a candy cane shape.
Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets and sprinkle with sprinkles or sugar then bake for 8 minutes.
coarse decorating sugar or sprinkles
After baking, allow cookies to cool for 15-20 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack. This will help prevent the cookies from breaking. Let cool completely then enjoy!
Notes
Use 1 teaspoon peppermint extract in place of one teaspoon of vanilla for a peppermint flavor.Keep cookie balls in the fridge until ready to roll, work with a few at a time so they stay chilled. If they start to thaw as they sit out, put them back in the fridge and try again.Make sure to chill the dough for 30 to 60 minutes to make it easier to roll the dough into candy canes. I don’t recommend chilling for much longer or if you do, let them thaw slightly before rolling out.Press any cracks out of the candy cane before baking.Get kids or other extra hands to help roll dough and form candy canes! This will make the process faster and is fun for everyone to be involved!Try different types of garnishes on the candy cane cookies like crush candy canes, decorating sugar, and white crystal sprinkles.