I Swear These White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies Saved My Christmas
Right—so, let me tell you about the year my nephew ‘helped’ break up 20 candy canes just to eat half of them, and we still managed to pull off these White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies anyway. Actually, I think they turned out better for it (don’t tell him I said that). There’s just something about the crunch from the peppermint and those creamy white chocolate bits that feels ridiculously festive. Plus, one time I dropped a whole tray and my dog tried to grab three—he looked so guilty afterward, it was worth the clean up.
I reckon if you’re feeling Grinchy, this is the recipe to snap you out of it. And it’s fun. Or at least, it can be if you don’t mind a dusting of peppermint on your socks.
Why These Cookies Are Basically My Holiday Cheat Code
I make these whenever December feels like it’s smacking me upside the head. My family goes crazy for this recipe because, honestly, it tastes like you spent a lot of time (I didn’t). Every single kid in the house acts like it’s a major event to bash candy canes in a zip bag—though, fair warning, that part gets noisy. Oh, and even my husband, who’s usually a chocolate chip snob, can’t keep his mitts off these little beauties.
Sometimes the dough sticks to my hands and I mutter under my breath, but they’ve never failed me. (Okay, except the year I tried to swap butter for coconut oil. Live and learn.)
Grab These Ingredients—Swaps Totally Welcome
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or, for a chewier vibe, I sometimes sneak in a half cup of bread flour, but honestly, regular flour is fine)
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt (I use Maldon if it’s handy—if not, regular table salt works, promise)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (Grandma would only use Kerrygold, but come on, any brand does the trick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (dark brown gives more depth if you’re into that kind of thing)
- 2 large eggs, room temp, unless you forget and use them cold like me sometimes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I measure with my heart, but you do you)
- 8 oz white chocolate, chopped OR a generous handful of white chocolate chips (Baker’s chocolate melts smoother, but Ghirardelli chips are easier)
- 4-5 regular-size candy canes, crushed (I let the kids go wild with this step; crushed peppermint discs also work if you can’t be bothered)
How To Actually Bake These (With a Little Patience)
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 175°C if you’re across the pond). Line two baking trays with parchment—if you forget, just grease them lightly, it’s not the end of the world.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Or, if you’re like me, just toss them in and mix with a fork—lazy but effective.
3. In a separate, bigger bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. I use my ancient hand mixer, but a good wooden spoon and some elbow grease work too. Beat until sort of fluffy. If a bit sticks to the side, that’s your sneak-taste moment—it’s how you ensure quality.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Don’t panic if it looks a bit curdled; it’ll all come together soon, promise.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients. I go in thirds, but if you dump it all in at once and the mixer throws flour clouds everywhere...well, that’s practically tradition here.
6. Stir in the white chocolate and crushed candy canes. It’ll look messy and lumpy. That’s absolutely right. (A few chunks poking out? That’s how you know it’s homemade.)
7. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls onto your trays. If you want perfect circles, roll them in your palms; if not, heaping spoons work too.
8. Bake 9–11 minutes or until just golden at the edges. If you see a bit of pink streak from the candy canes, no worries—that’s holiday personality.
9. Cool on the sheet for five, then transfer to a rack if you remember. Or do what I do and eat one warm, just to ‘test’ them.
A Few Notes—the "Real Life" Kind
- I always forget to bring my eggs to room temp, so maybe do it if you can, but honestly, they’ll still work fine cold.
- If your candy cane bits melt into little puddles, that’s normal. Actually, I like it because you get crunchy caramelized edges.
- The dough freezes pretty well, but last year I left it in the freezer for two months and it picked up some mystery flavor, so, maybe don’t do that.
Fun Cookie Experiments (and One Fail)
You can try mixing in dark chocolate chips instead of white. My niece says it “tastes more grown-up.” I did once crumble in some pretzels—jury’s still out. Oh! Do not—I repeat, do not try those green-and-red mint chips (from the store) that sort of look like crayon bits. The cookies were a weird color and tasted like toothpaste. Let that be my public service warning.
Tools to Use (And What To Do If You Don’t Have ‘Em)
A hand mixer is nice but, believe it or not, a big spoon does the job if you’re feeling patient (or your mixer wheezes like mine does). If you lack parchment, just use a well-greased baking sheet—stickiness isn’t the end of the world.
How Long Will They Last? ('Til Someone Finds Them, Basically)
Store in an airtight tin or just a zip bag on the counter. Five days is probably your outside limit...though honestly, in my house they never last more than a day. If you want to freeze the dough balls, that works great—just bake straight form frozen, one minute extra.
How I Serve ‘Em (And What You Might Do)
Big plate, center of the table, gone in an hour. I like to sneak one with strong black coffee; my kid insists Santa needs at least four with a glass of oat milk (not regular milk, apparently). On Christmas Eve, we sometimes sprinkle extra candy cane pieces on top right before serving for the ‘wow’ factor.
And hey, for a cute touch, I learned how to stack them in a mason jar with a ribbon by watching this video from Sally’s Baking Addiction—here’s the link if you want to try her packaging ideas.
Stubborn Lessons Learned Along the Way
I once rushed the “let it cool” step because it was late—totally regretted it because the cookies just morphed into one big sticky sheet. Patience, grasshopper. And, I thought using peppermint extract instead of actual candies would shortcut the process (nope, it made the cookies taste like cough drops). Live and learn.
Your Questions (Because People Actually Ask Me These)
Do I really have to use white chocolate?
Nope! You can sub in regular or dark chocolate, or a combo. But the white does play nicely with the peppermint.
My candy canes got all melty—did I mess up?
Not at all! That’s what happens, and honestly the gooey/crunchy bits are the best. Sometimes I tap the edges with a spoon while they're warm to round them up again.
Can I double the recipe?
Yup. I do it every year for a cookie exchange (which, by the way, is worth googling if you haven’t tried; here’s a primer I liked).
Gluten-free option?
I haven’t tried it yet, but my friend Dana swears by King Arthur GF Flour one-to-one swap, says it’s pretty close.
Why are mine puffier than yours?
More flour, maybe? Or oven temp. But they’ll be tasty however they look—promise.
How do I crush the candy canes without them flying everywhere?
Put them in a zip bag and whack with a rolling pin (or wine bottle if you’re desperate). Do it gently, or you’ll end up with pink dust in your hair. Ask me how I know.
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So that’s it—White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies in all their slightly chaotic festive glory. If you run into trouble or have a genius tweak, drop a comment (I’ll probably still be finding peppermint bits behind the toaster in July). Happy baking!
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¾ cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
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1Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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2In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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3In a large bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
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4Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
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5Fold in the white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes.
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6Scoop tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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