Irresistible Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies: Your Ultimate Holiday Baking Guide
As the holiday season draws near, there’s a certain magic in the air, often accompanied by the delightful aroma of freshly baked cookies. Few flavor combinations capture the spirit of winter festivities quite like chocolate and peppermint. These Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies are more than just a treat; they’re a celebration of holiday cheer, bringing together rich cocoa and cool, refreshing peppermint in every bite. They’re not only incredibly fun to make but also undeniably delicious, making them an instant classic for your festive spread.
At the heart of these festive creations are two perfectly complementary components: my signature soft and chewy chocolate cookies, which provide a deeply satisfying cocoa base, and a delightful peppermint twist on my favorite fluffy buttercream frosting. What truly elevates these sandwich cookies is the stunning visual appeal of the frosting, striped with vibrant red food coloring to mimic a classic candy cane. The result is the ultimate chocolate candy cane dessert – a delightful blend of rich, cool, and sweet flavors presented in an adorable, easy-to-make package that’s sure to impress. Every bite offers a perfect balance of intense chocolate and refreshing peppermint, a truly harmonious pairing that defines holiday indulgence.
One of the most enchanting features of these cookies is the striking red swirl in the peppermint frosting. You might wonder how to achieve such a professional and festive look, but rest assured, it’s surprisingly simple! The secret lies in a clever piping bag technique. Before filling your piping bag with the creamy, white peppermint buttercream, you simply paint thin stripes of gel food coloring along the inside walls of the bag. As you pipe out the frosting, the coloring naturally blends and swirls with the white, creating that iconic candy cane effect – voila! You’ll have a beautiful pile of frosting that looks just like a classic peppermint stick, ready to transform your chocolate cookies into holiday masterpieces.
These beautiful and tasty chocolate peppermint cookies are perfectly suited for a variety of holiday occasions. They’re an absolute showstopper for any holiday party, guaranteed to draw compliments and smiles. They make a fantastic addition to a cookie exchange, setting your contribution apart with their unique design and irresistible flavor. And of course, let’s not forget the most important critic of all – Santa Claus himself! I can personally vouch that Santa absolutely adores these cookies. Leaving a plate of these delightful treats out on Christmas Eve might just guarantee you a spot on the “nice” list!
Ready to infuse your kitchen with the joyous scents of chocolate and peppermint? Let’s gather our ingredients and embark on this festive baking adventure, shall we? You’ll find that making these homemade chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies is a rewarding and enjoyable experience, perfect for creating lasting holiday memories.
Essential Ingredients for Your Festive Cookies
Crafting these delicious chocolate candy cane cookies requires a handful of common baking ingredients, ensuring that the rich flavors of chocolate and the invigorating zest of peppermint truly shine. Using quality ingredients is key to achieving that perfect soft texture and vibrant taste. Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need to create both the delectable chocolate cookies and the dreamy peppermint buttercream:
- Butter (unsalted, at room temperature for both cookies and frosting)
- Large Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (for deep chocolate flavor)
- Baking powder & Baking soda (for lift and chewiness)
- Salt (to balance flavors)
- Heavy cream (for a light and fluffy frosting)
- Vanilla extract (a classic flavor enhancer)
- Peppermint extract (the star of the frosting!)
- Red gel food coloring (essential for the candy cane swirl)
Crafting Your Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies: A Simple Guide
These festive chocolate peppermint cookies come together in a few straightforward steps, making holiday baking enjoyable and stress-free. From preparing the rich chocolate dough to creating the iconic peppermint swirl, each stage is designed for ease and delicious results. Follow these key steps to create your own batch of irresistible chocolate candy cane cookies:
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: This recipe features a standard drop cookie dough, which means no lengthy chilling time is required. You can mix it, scoop it, and bake it almost immediately, making it perfect for last-minute holiday baking. The goal is a soft, pliable dough that bakes into wonderfully chewy chocolate cookies.
- Bake the Cookies to Perfection: Place your perfectly portioned cookie dough onto baking sheets. Bake them until the tops begin to show slight cracks, and the edges are just set. A crucial tip for achieving that signature soft and chewy texture is to slightly underbake them. This ensures the centers remain delightfully moist, preventing dry or crumbly cookies.
- Whip Up the Peppermint Frosting: The creamy, refreshing peppermint buttercream is a highlight of these sandwich cookies. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for the best results. The key to achieving that light and fluffy consistency is to beat the frosting mixture thoroughly and for an extended period, allowing it to incorporate plenty of air.
- Create the Iconic Candy Cane Swirl: This is where the magic happens! To achieve the distinct red-striped candy cane appearance, take a clean paintbrush and gently paint several vertical stripes of red gel food coloring along the inside of your piping bag. Then, carefully scoop the prepared peppermint frosting into the bag. As you pipe, the red stripes will naturally swirl with the white frosting, creating a stunning visual effect that’s both beautiful and festive.
- Assemble Your Sandwich Cookies: Once your chocolate cookies are completely cooled and your peppermint frosting is ready, it’s time for assembly. Take one chocolate cookie, turn it upside down, and generously pipe a swirl of your candy cane-striped frosting onto its flat surface. Then, gently place another chocolate cookie on top, creating a delightful sandwich.
And just like that, your delectable Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies are ready to be enjoyed! Prepare for a burst of holiday flavor in every bite.
Expert Tips for Perfect Holiday Baking
Baking these chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies is a joyous activity, and with a few expert tips, you can ensure your results are picture-perfect and incredibly delicious. From measuring ingredients to perfecting your frosting technique, these pointers will help you achieve holiday baking success:
- Master Flour Measurement: Accurate ingredient measurement is fundamental in baking. Be sure you know how to measure flour correctly. Too much flour can lead to dense, cakey cookies that don’t spread properly, while too little can make them overly thin. For best results, use the spoon-and-level method or a kitchen scale.
- Choose the Right Food Coloring: For that vibrant red swirl, gel food coloring is absolutely essential. Unlike liquid food colorings, gel varieties are concentrated and will adhere beautifully to the inside of your piping bag, creating crisp, defined stripes. You can find high-quality gel food coloring at most specialty food or craft stores, or conveniently purchase it online.
- Alternative Piping Methods: Don’t have a dedicated piping bag and tip on hand? No problem! Creativity is key in the kitchen. You can easily adapt by following this simple tutorial for how to use a sturdy plastic ziplock bag instead. Just snip a corner for your desired piping size.
- Simplify Your Baking with Parchment: To ensure even baking and easy cleanup, I highly recommend using parchment paper. These pre-cut parchment sheets are a game-changer for cookie baking, fitting perfectly into standard baking sheets and preventing sticking.
- Achieve Uniformity with a Cookie Scoop: For beautifully uniform cookies that bake evenly, a cookie scoop is your best friend. It helps you portion out dough consistently, ensuring all your sandwich cookies will be the same size and cook at the same rate.
- Reshape Warm Cookies for Perfection: Sometimes, even with the best efforts, cookies can come out of the oven slightly misshapen. If your cookies aren’t perfectly round, a quick trick is to use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press and reshape them into neat circles immediately after they come out of the oven, while they are still warm and pliable. This small step can make a big difference in their final appearance. Discover more of my tips for baking truly pretty cookies.
- Optimal Storage for Freshness: These delightful chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies will maintain their freshness and flavor when stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about a week. However, for the absolute best taste and texture, I recommend enjoying them within a few days of baking.
- Plan Ahead (Make-Ahead Tips): Both the chocolate cookies and the peppermint frosting can be prepared in advance. Bake the cookies and store them in an airtight container. The frosting can be made a day or two ahead and stored in the refrigerator; just bring it to room temperature and give it a quick whip before piping. This makes holiday entertaining much easier!
More Chocolate Peppermint Desserts to Savor
If you’ve fallen in love with these irresistible chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies and can’t get enough of the classic chocolate peppermint combination, then you’re in for a treat! The festive flavors don’t have to stop here. Explore these other fantastic and equally delicious holiday desserts that perfectly capture the magic of chocolate and peppermint:
- Chocolate Peppermint Bars: A delightful layered dessert, perfect for sharing.
- Peppermint White Chocolate Chip Cookies: A lighter take on the classic, with refreshing peppermint and creamy white chocolate.
- Peppermint Bark Cookies: Crunchy, minty, and utterly addictive, inspired by the beloved holiday candy.
- Peppermint Cookies and Cream Ice Cream: A cool and creamy indulgence, ideal for those who love a frozen treat even in winter.
Shop Essential Tools for This Recipe
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking experience. To help you create these beautiful chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies with ease, here are some recommended items:
This delightful recipe was originally published in December 2015, and it remains a beloved holiday classic in our kitchen.
Chocolate Candy Cane Sandwich Cookies
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (170 grams)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (270 grams)
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (56 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar , sifted (340 grams)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (170 grams)
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- Red gel food coloring
Instructions
To make the cookies:
-
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
-
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until pale and creamy.
-
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each, followed by the vanilla.
-
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture all at once and mix until incorporated.
-
Shape into rounded tablespoons and place on prepared sheet pan. Bake until surface is cracked and edges are dry, about 10 minutes.
-
Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Let cookies cool completely.
To make the frosting:
-
Beat the powdered sugar, butter, salt, heavy cream, and peppermint extract on low speed until it comes together.
-
Increase speed to high and beat for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
-
Use a clean paintbrush to paint the red gel food coloring up the sides of a large piping bag fitted with a plain or star tip, making 4-6 lines total. Fill bag with frosting.
To assemble cookie sandwiches:
-
Pipe frosting onto the bottom of one cooled chocolate cookie and place another chocolate cookie on top.
-
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Disclosure: This recipe was originally created for Go Bold With Butter, a brand I still love and partnership with. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands and campaigns I believe in, which make it easier for me to bring you new and creative content. All opinions are always my own.
We hope this comprehensive guide inspires you to bake a batch of these unforgettable chocolate candy cane sandwich cookies this holiday season. They are truly a delightful combination of rich flavors and festive presentation, guaranteed to bring joy to your home and your loved ones. Happy baking!