Candy cane-shaped gingerbread cookies with white chocolate stripes and unmistakable red-and-white crushed peppermint topping.
The hooked tips are the most fragile part of each cane, so leave the cut shapes on the parchment as you remove the scraps.
White chocolate carries the crushed peppermint topping; allow the stripes to set fully before storing.
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Candy Cane Gingerbread Cookies Recipe
Per tray: 10–12 minutes · 3 trays of 12 cookies
Allow 196 minutes: 50 hands-on, 60 chilling, 36 for all baking trays, 20 cooling and 30 resting. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Digital scale, 1 g increments (0.1 g for small spice weights)
- Small saucepan and a large mixing bowl
- Rolling pin with ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness guides
- Two light-colored aluminum baking sheets, about 13 × 18 inches (33 × 46 cm), and parchment
- Wide spatula, wire cooling rack and oven thermometer
- 3 1/2-inch candy-cane cutter
- Microwave-safe bowl and piping bag
Ingredients
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Peppermint topping
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Instructions
Melt & season
- Gently melt butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in sugar, molasses, salt and spices until evenly combined. Let cool until lukewarm before beating in the egg.
Combine
- Whisk flour with baking powder and baking soda, then mix into the wet ingredients until no dry flour remains. Dough will be sticky; do not add more flour.
Firm the dough
- Divide into two flattened rectangles, wrap tightly and refrigerate at least 60 minutes, until cold and firm enough to roll. Chilling firms the butter and lets the flour hydrate.
Shape
- Heat to 350°F (175°C) conventional, or 320°F fan. Roll chilled dough 1/4 inch thick directly on parchment. Cut 3 1/2-inch candy canes and remove the surrounding scraps, leaving each cane on the parchment so it does not need to be lifted. Place on lined pans, 1 inch apart.
Check doneness
- Bake 10–12 minutes until set with slightly darker edges. Inspect narrow hooks early. Cool pans before reusing.
Stripe with white chocolate and peppermint
- Rest 5 minutes on the pan, then cool on a rack about 15 minutes. Melt white chocolate in short microwave bursts, stirring often. Pipe diagonal stripes over the cold cookies and immediately add crushed peppermint candy. Let chocolate set about 30 minutes in a cool room before packing.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Support the hook
Lift the whole cane with a spatula so its narrow top does not stretch or snap.
Top while chocolate is wet
Peppermint fragments adhere to freshly piped chocolate stripes.
Keep candy dry
Humidity makes crushed candy sticky; store airtight once the chocolate sets.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 5 days | Store fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool, dry place. Let icing dry, then separate layers with parchment; follow any icing storage instructions. |
| Refrigeration | Dough: up to 48 hours | Keep dough tightly wrapped. Let it soften just enough to roll while remaining cool. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | Wrap flattened dough portions tightly, then bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and roll while cool. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 2 months at 0°F (−18°C) | For best appearance, freeze undecorated, cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature before icing. |
| Restoring | Before decorating | For crisper edges, warm plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional for 3–5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Do not reheat iced cookies. |
Notes
- The peppermint flavor comes from crushed candy canes, not peppermint extract. Top after baking so the candy stays distinct. Extra chocolate setting time in a warm kitchen is additional.
Nutrition
Estimated nutrition per serving; brands and portion sizes vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I add the peppermint before baking?
No. Add crushed candy to melted white chocolate stripes after the cookies are cool.
Can I use peppermint extract?
This version relies on candy canes; adding extract changes the flavor strength and is not needed.
How do I stop the hooks breaking?
Keep dough cool, roll evenly and support the entire cane with a wide spatula.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Gingerbread Cookies Ideas collection.
