Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies + Video
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Peppermint Sugar Cookies are perfectly soft with crunchy bits of candy cane in every bite. The dough comes together in just 10 minutes and bakes in the same, plus it yields about 7 dozen treats. Make a batch for cookie swaps and holiday celebrations!
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Get in the holiday spirit by making a batch of candy cane sugar cookies! They are crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and bursting with minty flavor.
They’re also known as peppermint crinkle cookies, thanks to the crinkled and cracked texture created by rolling the dough in powdered sugar before baking.
Even better, each batch makes about 7 dozen cookies — plenty for sharing!
Recipe Video
To see us make this peppermint sugar cookie recipe from start to finish, watch the video in this post!
For more peppermint goodness, try my classic Peppermint Patties, they make for incredible holiday treats!
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.
Ingredient 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. However, 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. - Sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar to make the peppermint sugar cookie dough and powdered sugar to roll it in before baking.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth to the dough and enhances the other flavors. You can replace half with peppermint extract if you want extra minty cookies.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – Use both to keep your peppermint sugar cookies from falling too flat.
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
- Crush candy canes in seconds.
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.
- Make evenly-sized and perfectly round dough balls.
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 peppermint sugar cookie recipe, but feel free to use a larger one if you’d like!
- Don’t bake them too long.
The trick to tender candy cane sugar cookies is to pull them from the oven when they are just slightly underbaked — when the edges are lightly browned but the center is still a little shiny.
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.
Prep Ahead
- Crush candy canes
- Bring butter and eggs to room temp
- Line baking sheets with parchment
- Preheat oven to 350°F
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Baking Sheets lined with Parchment Paper – Used for anything from cookies to roasting, a good baking pan will last for years.
- Stand Mixer or large mixing bowl with Hand Mixer to make the peppermint sugar cookie dough.
- Food Processor or Rolling Pin for crushing the candy canes.
- Cookie Scoops – Great for meatballs, cookies, ice cream, and portioning out leftovers. I’ve had this set for years and use them all the time.
- Cooling Racks – Cool a large batch of treats without taking up a lot of counter space.
Serving Suggestions
I love to snack on these peppermint sugar cookies while sipping a peppermint mocha or a mug of thick, creamy Italian hot chocolate!
Make an extra indulgent treat by sandwiching frosting between two cookies — my classic sugar cookie frosting or this candy cane buttercream would be perfect.
Or for an extra chilly treat, you could scoop out larger dough balls and use the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches.
Storing and Freezing Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
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!
You can also flash freeze them until firm then store in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw peppermint crinkle cookies on the counter until soft.
Peppermint Sugar Cookie FAQ
These will naturally be flatter than other types of cookies, especially after they’ve cooled, but they should still be chewy instead of hard or crispy.
Be sure that your baking powder and baking soda are active and not expired — that’s usually the culprit.
You can also refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes before scooping and baking to ensure they don’t spread too far.
You can, but you won’t achieve that classic crinkle texture like in the photos. Instead, granulated sugar will add a slight crunch to the outside — similar to snickerdoodles.
Float the eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 10-15 minutes, until the shell no longer feels cool. Be sure the water is comfortable to touch — too hot, and it may cook the eggs.
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.
By the time you’re finished doing that, the butter should be nice and soft!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Delicious Christmas Cookie Recipes
Chewy Peppermint Sugar Cookies + Video
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!
Video
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published December 2012, updated and republished November 2024
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MMMMMMM…… I love peppermint. I will definitely give these a try! Thanks for sharing your recipes!
your cookies look perfect! clicked over from FG b/c they look so good 🙂
Oh, girlfriend, these cookies are so simple yet look SO very delicious and festive for the holidays!! I LOVE them!! Thanks for bringing them to the party!!
I made these for a party Friday night and people went absolutely crazy over them, delicious!!!!!!
I am so happy to hear that! Glad everyone loved them. Thank you for coming back and sharing. XO
Would love to make these but was wondering if you used mini candy canes or the large ones?
I use full size candy canes. Enjoy them.
I purchased crushed candy canes. Any idea what the measurement is? 2Tbls to 1 cane?
Just tried these and they have the perfect sugar cookie flavor with a slight hint of peppermint. I used mini candy canes (easy to unwrap by holding a few packages over a bowl and cutting off the ends of the wrappers AND they are thinner and easier to crush). I used a hammer to crush them the first time, but realized the food processor was easier on my forearm! I flattened them slightly before baking, which resulted in much thinner cookies (which is fine they are still chewy in the middle). Next time I'll bake the balls. Great recipe, Donna!
http://abbyslabnotes.blogspot.com
I am so glad you loved them! Have a happy New Year!
I made these last Christmas and again at Easter. They have become a family favorite.
These were a hit with my family for Christmas! The sugar cookie and peppermint taste is so yummy, even on the ones I baked a little too long. While making them I wish they would've spread out more. They stayed fairly small and thick, even the batch that I pressed down slightly. I wanted them to look more like your photo! Any idea why that would be?
These were a hit with my family for Christmas! The sugar cookie and peppermint taste is so yummy, even on the ones I baked a little too long. While making them I wish they would've spread out more. They stayed fairly small and thick, even the batch that I pressed down slightly. I wanted them to look more like your photo! Any idea why that would be?
Was your butter room temperature? Was the dough room temperature? The only things that come to mind would be if the dough was chilled and then baked, it would not spread. I hope that helps!
The dough was room temp. But I did heat the butter because I was pressed for time. Some of it melted. Could that be the issue? I like the taste so much that I want to try another batch — assuming I can still find candy canes.
I am not sure if that could be it. A trick for making room temperature butter when you have no time…
Place stick/s of butter on a microwave safe plate in your microwave. Cook for 7 seconds, turn butter and repeat until you have room temp butter. Works for me all the time.
I have made this recipe many times and have had the same results, perhaps give it another go. Make sure your oven is preheated and your pans and dough are not chilled. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I made these again this year, and they spread and weren't so hard. Thank you! Merry Christmas!
I love these – I was looking for a new simple cookie recipe to add to my Christmas baking and I think this is the one!
How much is the peppermint candies in terms of cups instead of # of candy canes, as I already have crushed candy canes. Would it be about 1/2 c? Thanks!
Can you freeze these after baking?
I found a bag of chocolate covered candy cane pieces that I want to try in these. About how much does 10 crushed candy canes amount to?
I found a bag of chocolate covered candy cane pieces that I want to try in these. About how much does 10 crushed candy canes amount to?
These sound so delish and will make them, but also looking for a good recipe using lemon chips that I picked up in an Amish store. Think this recipe would work and just omit the vanilla and use some lemon extract instead?
Just made these. They taste great, but came out very thin and crispy. This often happens to my chocolate chip cookies also. Any ideas as to why would be appreciated! Merry Christmas.
Can you substitute the butter for Crisco?
Yum! I might try these as written, or omit the candy canes & roll in cinnamon & sugar for a chewy Snickerdoodle!
I made these cookies this past weekend and sent some of them to my son and family. They loved them and so did we! Might be my favorite cookie ever!
I make these every year now, hands down our favorite cookie!
A family favorite on Christmas Eve! Nothing better than peppermint!
Great recipe! Super simple and very yummy. I like to add a Hershey’s candy cane kiss in the center once they are almost completely cool. So festive!
Wow!! These are awesome!! So easy to make. The dough stays firm and together. I used only 1 cup of sugar and they taste great. I was tempted to add some chocolate chips into the dough…..next time!! They did not start to brown up until 13-14 minutes. (Maybe my oven?) I will definitely make these every year for the holidays.
Hi Elizabeth!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn