Gooey Candy Cane Cookies Recipe

Nothing gets you in the spirit like these gooey candy cane cookies! If you’re looking for a fun, festive addition to your dessert table, try this delicious cookie recipe. Although, if your family is like mine – you may want to make an extra batch as these will go quickly. They are that good, but don’t just take my word for it – try the candy cane cookies recipe for yourself!

Gooey Candy Cane Cookies Recipe

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 45 mins

Makes: 2 1/2 doz cookies

Here’s what you need:

• Small & Medium bowl
• Whisk
• Electric mixer w/ mixing bowl
• Rubber & Metal spatula
• Cookie sheets
• Parchment paper
• Mini cookie scoop
• Wire cooling rack

Candy Cane Cookies Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 C flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 8 oz (1 package) cream cheese (soft)
• 1/2 C unsalted butter (soft)
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp peppermint oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (fine-grain)
• 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• Red and pink gel food coloring
• 1 bag small candy canes

Directions:

1. Sift powdered sugar and transfer into a small bowl
2. Crush candy canes then sift crushed candy canes for small pieces and candy cane dust
3. Prep cookies sheets with parchment paper
4. Lower oven rack to the lower 1/3rd of the oven
5. Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Continue to whisk until it is well blended. Set aside.
6. Cream the cream cheese and butter together using the electric mixer. Continue to work with the cream cheese and butter until they are well blended, creamy, and smooth. Slowly add in sugar, vanilla, peppermint oil, and salt. Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined, light, and fluffy. (Scrape the bowl as necessary.)
7. Beat, on medium speed, while adding in the egg and egg yolk. (About 2 minutes) The mixture should be creamy and light. This step develops the base structure of the cookies.
8. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Slowly begin to add in the flour mixture. Mix until all ingredients are just completely incorporated. (The dough will be sticky.)
9. Take out 1/4th of the cookie dough putting it in a small bowl. Add several drops of the red food coloring stirring to blend the color throughout all of the dough. Cover this bowl and the other bowl of cookie dough with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator overnight or at least several hours.
10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
11. Using the mini-cookie scoop measure out the non-tinted dough. With your hands roll each scoop of dough into an equal-sized ball. (This step will ensure that all cookies are the same size)
12. With your thumb push a depression in each ball of dough. Now, repeat this step using your fingers to enlarge the depression in the cookie. This depression will hold a scoop of the tinted dough.
13. Work quickly with the tinted dough while it is still chilled and firm. Using a small measuring teaspoon measure out equal sizes of d the tinted dough and place them in the indented area in the non-tinted dough. With your finger press the tinted dough further into the hole in the cookie.
14. On each cookie, one at a time, squeeze some of the non-tinted dough to the top of the cookie. Smooth this over the tinted dough. (If necessary take a small amount of extra dough and add just a small amount to the top of the cookie. Follow the previous steps to seal the hole in the cookie) Immediately after this process roll the cookie dough into a ball. Roll each completed dough ball in the powdered sugar to coat. Transfer the coated cookie balls to the prepared cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between each. (If you have a problem with rolling the dough into balls after working with 4-6 cookies wash your hands.)
15. Bake on 350 degrees for about 14-16 minutes. (Or until the cookies have become puffed and crackly.) Do not over bake.
16. The cookies will be soft in the center and still light around the edges. If you lift the cookies the bottoms will be only lightly browned.
17. While the cookies are still warm sprinkle small pieces of the peppermint candy on the cookies. Use a toothpick to press the larger pieces of the crushed candy cane into the cracked center of the cookies. Sprinkle each cookie with the powdered sugar and candy cane dust.
18. Move the cookies to a wire rack allowing the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes. Use a metal spatula to do this. Serve at room temp.

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