Peppermint Sugar Cookies

A stack of 4 Candy Cane Cookies with frosting, and candy cane pieces.

These soft and chewy sugar cookies are so tender and delicious, without chilling the dough, rolling it out, or cutting out the dough. The sugar cookies will be thick and chewy, and ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes.

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cookies, Sugar Cookies

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 30

Servings: cookies

Calories: 241kcal

Ingredients

For Peppermint Sugar Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup crushed candy cane pieces
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
additional granulated sugar for rolling

For Peppermint Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
3.5 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
3-4 TBS heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 dash salt
1/2 cup crushed candy cane pieces.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For Peppermint Sugar Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or silicone liners, and set it aside.
Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and beat them together for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Add in the egg, and yolk, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and stir them into the mixture until combined. 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
Add in the flour, candy cane pieces, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and stir it all together until you have a nice soft cookie dough. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. 3 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup crushed candy cane pieces, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt
Scoop the dough by 1.5 TBS portions and roll them into balls. Roll the balls in a small bowl full of additional granulated sugar. additional granulated sugar for rolling
Place the cookie dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are crinkled and the edges are just lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For Peppermint Frosting:

Add the butter to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer. Beat it for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. 1 cup unsalted butter
Add in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until each cup is mixed in completely. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 3.5 cups powdered sugar
Add in the heavy cream (starting with 3 TBS), and the vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt. Mix on medium speed until everything is well combined. 3-4 TBS heavy cream, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp peppermint extract , 1 dash salt
Mix the frosting for another 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Add a little more powdered sugar, or heavy cream as needed to get the right consistency.
Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies, and sprinkle the tops with additional candy cane pieces.

Notes

Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring the butter and egg to room temperature, to allow them to mix easily into the cookie dough, and to make sure everything incorporates evenly.

Carefully measure the flour – Make sure to spoon and level the flour so you don’t end up with too much flour, altering the texture of the cookies. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then use the flat side of a butter knife to smooth the flour off at the top.

Uniform size - Keep the cookies a uniform size by using a medium cookie scoop, or weighing out the cookie dough. This will ensure the cookies bake evenly.

Do not over bake the cookies - You don’t want to keep baking them until they look super done (they might even look raw in the middle) you want to remove the pan from the oven when the edges start to turn golden brown. The cookies will continue baking as they cool on the pan.

Nutrition