Easy Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread Cookies

This delightful twist on classic melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies is equal parts easy, delicious, and pretty. Nothing fussy with these Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread cookies! These little gems are loveliest if you use traditional red, green, and white candy canes. However,  if you cannot find those, you can use white and red candy canes or even substitute peppermint candies.

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The easiest way to crush the candy canes is in a gallon freezer bag and using the blunt end of a meat tenderizer, but if you don’t have one of those, you can use a rolling pin or even a sturdy coffee mug. You want the pieces relatively small, but not powdered!

Where to find traditional red, green, and white candy canes:

Traditional peppermint candy canes with red, green, and white stripes can sometimes be hard to find! I’ve rounded up a few places that sell them online, but check your local stores first as that will probably be the most economical option. If you can’t find them locally, try Target (good price and may be able to pick up locally), Fleet Farm (the best individual price I’ve found, but you’ll have to pay for shipping unless you’ve got enough other things to order), or Amazon (you’ll be buying  108 candy canes, but hey, they can last forever, and they make pretty additions to all your wrapped gifts!). You can even buy a 2 lb bag of already crushed candy canes on Amazon if you’ve got some serious Christmas baking to do!

The key to these cookies is to make sure the dough is nice and fluffy! It will be easiest to get the dough airy if you use a stand mixer, but a hand mixer can do the trick as well. (Here’s a fun fact: I cherish my Kitchen Aid mixer that has chugged along faithfully in my kitchen for many years, ever since a friend gifted it to my husband and me for our wedding over a decade ago! These mixers can certainly be an investment upfront, but it should give you many, many years of dependable use and delicious creations!).

Once your dough is well mixed, gently fold in the crushed candy canes. You can certainly add a little more or less than I call for, but I find that four candy canes is just the right amount to give the cookies pretty pops of color without the peppermint flavor becoming overwhelming for such a delicate cookie.

Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread cookies make a lovely gift for friends and family, but if you plan to give some away, you may want to go ahead and make a double batch right away because they are that good! Serve them with a glass of milk or a steaming mug of tea for a perfect Christmastime treat.

Is your mouth watering yet? Turn on your favorite Christmas tunes, and let’s get baking!

Here’s What You’ll Need to make Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornstarch

Four regular size candy canes, crushed (about ¼  cup)

Heat oven to 375°. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (here are the silicone mats that I use).

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while continuing to whip the dough until the flour mixture is completely incorporated and the dough is fluffy.

Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold in the crushed candy canes into the dough.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared sheets, keeping two inches between each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to one week.

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Candy Cane Whipped Shortbread

These pretty little melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies will be the star of your Christmas cookie platter!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cookies, Candy Canes, Christmas Baking, Easy Cookies

Prep Time 12 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 dozen

Calories 60 kcal

Author Cara

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter softened
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 regular size candy canes, crushed (about ¼ cup)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

   
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, until light and fluffy.
   
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while continuing to whip the dough until the flour mixture is completely incorporated and the dough is fluffy.
   
4. Using a spoon or spatula, gently fold in the crushed candy canes into the dough.
   
5. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared sheets, keeping two inches between each cookie.
   
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a few minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight container for up to one week.
   

7. Enjoy!

   

Recipe Notes

These cookies are prettiest if you use red, green, and white candy canes. However,  if you cannot find those, you can use white and red candy canes or even substitute peppermint candies.

The easiest way to crush the candy canes is in a gallon freezer bag and using the blunt end of a meat tenderizer, but if you don’t have one of those, you can use a rolling pin or even a sturdy coffee mug to crush the candy. You want the pieces relatively small, but not powdered!

 

Are you looking for some more Christmas baking inspiration? Check out these amazing Cranberry Christmas Cookies right here!

Happy baking!

P.S. Do you need a little help with staying organized with your menu planning during the holidays? Grab your free copy of my printable menu planning system!