These Mint Candy Cane Cookies are so easy and fun to make. Very few ingredients go into them, but they taste and look amazing. Kids say they look like ornaments, and we should decorate a Christmas tree with them.
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen on holidays, I enjoy Christmas baking very much. Making something a little more festive adds a bit more holiday cheer for everyone.
As we all know winter break is soon to start, so keep those kids busy and entertained in the kitchen if they say “Mom, it’s boring,” with baking Mint Candy Cane Cookies. 🙂
I've got a perfect baking project for you and your kids to work on together this holiday season. Kids jump up and down with excitement because they get to make beautiful cookies, at least mine did. And they just know it'll taste better than moms…. because they made the cookies themselves.
Mint Candy Cane Cookies Ingredients
- Unsalted room temperature butter
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Egg yolks
- Peppermint extract (add 2 tsp. if you like them very minty)
- Almond extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Red and green paste color
Mint Candy Cane Cookies Instructions
Into the electric mixer bowl add butter. Beat for a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again for another minute.
Add confectioners’ sugar and start beating on very low (unless you want to stand in a white dust cloud), gradually increase the mixer speed as the sugar combines with butter. Beat it for 2 minutes on high.
Add egg yolks. Beat again for 2 minutes on high. Starting with a low speed and increasing as it gets more incorporated. (This step is a personal preference if you don’t want to be splashed with yellow yolk:)
Add peppermint and almond extract and mix well.
Add salt to the flour.
Mix it with a whisker.
Sift the flour into the butter mixture.
Then stir it on very low for 1 minute or until all flour is well combined.
Place the dough on a big cutting board.
Separate the dough into 3 equal pieces.
Put one piece of the dough back into the bowl of the electric mixer.
Add red color paste on the tip of a teaspoon to the dough and mix it well on low speed.
I placed my second piece of dough into a separate small bowl, and then added green food coloring and mixed it with a hand mixer until its well combined.
Cover each piece with plastic food wrap. Place it in the fridge for an hour.
How to Assemble Mint Candy Cane Cookies
Preheat oven to 375 F. Place just enough dough as much it fits into a teaspoon measurement. Place about 4-5 of the same color at once and put the rest of the dough back into the fridge. (If the dough is too soft it’s hard to roll the logs out).
Roll each color into a log about 5” long. Roll the same color of dough on the same spot. You don’t want the little crumbs of the other color to mix in.
Place 2 logs next to each other tightly, and then place the third log on top of those two. It does not matter what pattern you place them in, because when it gets twisted it looks the same in the end.
Twist the logs. Place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper then shape the cane hook. (Another way is you can twist the logs on the baking sheet, then shape the hook. Whichever is easier for you. I was doing it both ways).
Continue these steps until your baking pan is full.
Mint Candy Cane Cookies Baking Instructions
Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes depends on your oven. The white cookie edges should be barely gold in color.
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes on the pan before removing it to cookies rack.
Cool completely before serving.
Enjoy!
If you make these Mint Candy Cane Cookies, please share a picture with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I’d love to see your creations!
Recipe Card
Mint Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
Mint Candy Cane Cookies Ingredients
- 2 sticks – unsalted room temperature butter
- ¾ cup – power sugar
- 2 large – egg yolks
- 1 tsp. - peppermint extract (add 2 tsp. if you like them very minty)
- 1 tsp. – almond extract
- 2 ¾ cups – all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp. – salt
- Red and green paste color
Instructions
Mint Candy Cane Cookies Instructions
- Into the electric mixer bowl add butter. Beat for a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again for another minute.
- Add confectioners’ sugar and start beating on very low (unless you want to stand in a white dust cloud), gradually increase the mixer speed as the sugar combines with butter. Beat it for 2 minutes on high.
- Add egg yolks. Beat again for 2 minutes on high. Starting with a low speed and increasing as it gets more incorporated. (This step is a personal preference, if you don’t want to be splashed with yellow yolk)
- Add peppermint and almond extract and mix well.
- Add salt to flour. Mix it with whisker. Sift the flour into the butter mixture. Then stir it on very low for 1 minute or until all flour is well combined.
- Place the dough on a big cutting board. Separate the dough into 3 equal pieces.
- Put one piece of the dough back into bowl of the electric mixer. Add red color paste on the tip of a teaspoon to the dough and mix it well on low speed.
- I placed my second piece of dough into a separate small bowl, and then added green food coloring and mixed it with a hand mixer until its well combined.
- Cover each piece with plastic food wrap. Place it in the fridge for an hour.
How to Assemble Mint Candy Cane Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Place just enough dough as much as a teaspoon fits on a cutting board. Measure out 4-5 pieces of the each color at a time to work with and put the rest of the dough back in the fridge. (If the dough is too soft it’s hard to roll logs out).
- Roll each color into a log about 5” long. Roll the same color of dough on the same spot each time. You don’t want the little crumbs of the other color to mix into a different color.
- Place 2 logs next to each other tightly, and then place the third log on top of those two. It does not matter what pattern you place them in, because when it gets twisted it looks the same in the end.
- Twist the logs. Place them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper then shape the cane hook. (Another way is you can twist the logs on the baking sheet, then shape the hook. Whichever is easier for you. I was doing it both ways).
- Continue these steps until your baking pan is full.
Mint Candy Cane Cookies Baking Instructions
- Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes depends on your oven. The white cookie edges should be barely gold in color.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes on the pan before moving to the cookie rack.
- Cool completely before serving.
- Enjoy!
NOTE: My sister shared this recipe with me from a magazine she doesn’t remember the name of it.
Anne says
Are these cookies crunchy or soft?
Valya's Taste of Home says
In between. Not super crunchy or soft.
Alla says
how far in advance can these be made?
valya'stasteofhome.com says
I usually make all my cookies 3-5 day's before Christmas. Thank you Alla 🙂
Ilona's Passion says
Cool idea! I love baking with my children too:)
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Ilona! It is always fun! 🙂
Katya @ Little Broken says
These look great Valya! Super festive and fun. Definitely a great little project for the kiddos.
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Katya! They are really fun to make and kids enjoy baking cookies out of bright colors.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
These are so cute - very festive. I am definitely going to have to try making them.
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thanks Dannii! Let me know how they turn out for you. 🙂
spicedblog says
These look awesome, Valya! I've always got a mini candy cane in my pocket to snack on during the holidays...but now I think I'd rather have one of these cookies in my pocket instead. So festive!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
I prefer cookies over candy too. Thank you David! 🙂
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
Valya, that's a beautiful holiday dessert! I think I prefer your mint candy cookies to regular candy canes! So creative, and such a great tutorial with many helpful photos!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
I am too! I love home baked goods. Thank you Julia!:)
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
These candy cane cookies are beautiful, Valya! My aunt make a similar cookie every Christmas, but doesn't add in the green or mint. I absolutely love these! Pinned!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thanks for pinning Gayle! Mint in the cookies makes them taste like candy a little. 🙂
Lyubomira says
These cookies look so festive Valya! I use the same dough for regular butter cookies, but will have to try and make these candy cane ones! Pinned!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thanks for Pinning Mira! I make sugar cookies out of this dough too. I add vanilla not peppermint and almond extract.
Nataliya says
this is a great idea! I will be making them during school break, they love baking with me! Thank you Valya for the great recipes!
valya'stasteofhome.com says
You are very welcome! You will have a lot of fun baking this cookies with kiddos. Thank you Nataliya! 🙂
Vera says
Very pretty.
valya'stasteofhome.com says
Thank you Vera! They are good too 🙂