Peppermint candy cane cookies are the perfect blend of whimsy, deliciousness, and holiday cheer! They’re not overly sweet, plant-based and have hints of vanilla and peppermint.
Did anyone else make these cookies growing up? Let me know in the comments if you did.
I dyed my candy cane cookies red naturally with beet powder, but if that’s not available to you, you can certainly use food colouring. However, if you do want to make these cookies vegan, then you should avoid red dyes that use carmine. If you do opt for beet powder, don’t worry about making the cookies taste like beets - the amount used should not be enough to flavour.
Candy cane cookies are very easy to make, but rolling them into candy cane shapes is a little bit time consuming.
Here’s how I roll out and shape these vegan candy cane cookies:
1. Start with a heaping tablespoon of dough for each colour.
2. Roll each rope to about 3.5 inches long. If you roll the dough ropes out too thin or press too hard when rolling they may bust apart.
3. Lightly press the two ropes together and press them into a cylindrical shape that can be rolled out further. Continue to roll the two ropes into one. Twist and roll the ropes into a candy cane stick that is about 5-6 inches long.
4. Carefully move the candy cane stick over to a non-stick baking tray and shape into a traditional candy cane shape on the tray. Gently press and smooth the candy cane into shape on the tray if it has broken apart. If you are having trouble getting the dough to bend without breaking, you can also bake them straight as candy cane sticks.
Let’s put that into practice - here’s a clip of how I roll out my candy cane cookies:
Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies
A classic Christmas cookie is turned vegan in this recipe! They're festive, not overly sweet, and have delicious hints of peppermint and vanilla.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan Becel margarine *
- ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tablespoon soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon beet powder
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Cream the margarine and sugar together. Once combined, cream in the other wet ingredients.
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In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Once mixed, combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until a dough is formed, but don't over mix.
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Separate the dough into two equal amounts. Take one half of the dough into a separate bowl and break it apart with your hands so there is more surface area to add the beet powder to. Then sprinkle the beet powder over the dough using a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any clumps. Work the beet powder into the dough until it's evenly mixed - trying not to over mix.
How to Roll The Dough:**
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Start with a heaping tablespoon of dough for each colour.
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Roll each rope to about 3.5 inches long.If you roll the dough ropes out too thin or you press too hard when rolling they may bust apart.
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Lightly press the two ropes together and press them into a cylindrical shape that can be rolled out further. Continue to roll the two ropes into one. Twist and roll the ropes into a candy cane stick that is about 5-6 inches long.
-
Carefully move the candy cane stick over to a non-stick baking tray and shape into a traditional candy cane shape on the tray. Gently press and smooth the candy cane into shape on the tray if it has broken apart. If you are having trouble getting the dough to bend without breaking, you can also bake them straight as candy cane sticks.
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Bake for 10 minutes, or until they start to develop a light gold colour. Let cookies cool before eating.
Recipe Notes
*Other vegan margarine may work. I haven't tested though - water content may vary and affect the dough.
**See video above in post for a visual demonstration
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