The thing I love most about these gluten free candy cane cookies is that they’re sweetened with real candy canes! Oh, and they’re so fun to shape!
And they’re pepperminty through and through. And so festive at the holidays. And who doesn’t love candy canes!? … I guess any one of those attributes would be enough to sell me on making these super cute candy cane cookies — how about you?
There’s also no wrong or right in making them: they can be as big or as small, as thick or as thin as you like. Bake them longer and make them crunchier if you like — just don’t over-bake them or they’ll become very fragile.
Sprinkle more crushed candy canes on top after baking, or not. They’re your gluten free candy cane cookies, after all!
As for crushing the candy canes you’ll need for this recipe, use a food processor or a coffee grinder for best results.
Otherwise, you can always just store up all the day’s frustration and put coarsely broken candy canes in a large zip-top freezer bag and seal, then lay flat on a counter and repeatedly roll (or beat!) a rolling pin over the candy canes until they’re evenly crushed into fine pieces.
The finer the better for crushing the candy canes needed for these cookies so they don’t melt and break the dough apart. Measure out ½ cup of crushed candy for this recipe. Sprinkle any remainder over cookies after they’re baked, if desired.
Make sure the candy canes you’re using do not contain gluten though! It goes without saying that you should always read labels … even on candy canes.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this traditional recipe, made gluten free. It’s a keeper!
I have LOADS more gluten free cookie and holiday cookie recipes here at gfJules.com — just use the search bar at the top of every page!
Be sure to use my gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour for best results (no grit!) and E A S Y cookie making! Here’s a quick video showing how to transform this soft, pliable dough into the iconic candy cane shape:
click photo to watch video. Dough pictured with Watkins natural food coloring.
More Gluten Free Holiday Cookie Recipes:
I’ve also gathered some other delicious gluten-free holiday cookie recipes from food blogger friends for a Virtual Gluten-free Cookie Exchange!
½ cup extra crushed gluten-free candy canes, optional
Instructions
Place butter, confectioners’ sugar and finely crushed candy canes into a large mixing bowl and cream until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
Slowly stir in the gfJules Flour and salt, mixing until completely combined.
Divide dough into equal halves. Place one half into a separate bowl. Add red food coloring to remaining half in the mixing bowl, mixing color into dough until it’s the desired color red.
Wrap each half of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is cold, at least one hour, ideally.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Dust a clean countertop or pastry mat with a small amount of gfJules Flour.
Pinch off approximately two tablespoon-sized pieces of red and white dough and roll them into thin logs of equal length. (Logs should be about 5 inches long and about ¼-inch in diameter. The exact length isn’t important, only that they’re about the same size.) Don't roll in too much flour or they will not roll well; too little flour and they will stick to the surface.
Create pairs of joined red and white logs by pinching their ends together (wet the ends with a touch of water if they are too floured to stick together). Gently “braid” each red and white pair by laying one over the other, repeating until the 2 logs are twisted around each other up their entire length. Pinch ends to seal. See videos for how-to.
Gently place each twisted pair onto prepared baking sheets. Curl the top of each cookie down to form a candy-cane shape.
Place cookies in preheated oven and bake 9 to 10 minutes. Do not let cookies brown.
Remove from oven and sprinkle hot cookies with more crushed candy, if desired. Remove to fully cool on a wire rack before serving.
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You can even make this dough and bake them out as regular round cookies — no need to braid them if you’re in a hurry or craving peppermint cookies at other times of the year (it’s a thing).
My mother has half a dozen things she makes or bakes EVERY year. As for cookies, Thumbprints. And always hard tack candy, which she and my aunt Pat taught me how to make as soon as I was old enough to handle the heat.
I showed this recipe to my kids and they can’t wait to make them! I remember making cookies like this when I was a kid, but for some reason haven’t done the same with my kids. Thanks for the recipe!
My cookie tradition is actually thanksgiving! We make sugar cookies in thanksgiving shapes and the GFJules mix works PERFECTLY to make them not only GF, but also egg free!
My favorite cookie baking memory might just be the year I converted my great grandma’s sugar cookie recipe from her bakery into my very own gf cookie recipe ???? It never ceases to knock the socks off even the staunchest of gluten eaters ????
These candy cane cookies used to be one of my favorite cookies to make before my gluten free days. I used to make these with my kids at Christmas. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
We make cookies and decorate them every year with grandma. Haven’t been successful yet with roll out cookies. Would love to give your flour a try. Thanks 🙂
Making cut out cookies with my son when he was little is one of my best memories. I still make cut out and using gf Jules flour has been easy way to make them gluten free. These candy cane cookies look so good. I’ll be trying out this recipe too!
Jules, on another note, when I make the Cisco pie crust recipe using your flour, it is always tough. What am I doing wrong? I have not tried your recipe.also, I have your bread mix, can it be used to make rolls? Thank you for your reply and your products.
My favorite cookie making experience was when I was six and it was during W.W.2 santa had given me a baking set, so I came home and baked sugar cookies, using a whole pound of butter, which was rationed, and got a whopping 12 cookies. My mom said they were good, nice and buttery. Such fun. That was my first cookie baking experience.
When my children were younger, each Christmas season I had them help me with baking and decorating sugar cookies. Oh, we made a big mess, but it was fun for them.
I used to make amazing Forgotten Cookies (that’s meringues). I made them every Christmas. I had all sorts of flavors. Luckily, they are naturally gluten free!
To be honest, I don’t have that many memories of baking cookies with other people…but I’d love to make some! No guarantee I’ll do it this year, but I do plan to make some sweet breads with my grandmother and maybe I will try to fit in a batch of cookies too.
When I was little, every December my mom would make a big batch of rolled sugar cookies and we would all decorate them together, with sprinkles and icing and chocolate chips. Decorating them was almost more fun than eating them!
My favorite cookie making memory is when my son was 3. He was so excited to help and even to this day he loves to bake cookies with me. He even has a superhero apron
My mother has half a dozen things she makes or bakes EVERY year. As for cookies, Thumbprints. And always hard tack candy, which she and my aunt Pat taught me how to make as soon as I was old enough to handle the heat.
I showed this recipe to my kids and they can’t wait to make them! I remember making cookies like this when I was a kid, but for some reason haven’t done the same with my kids. Thanks for the recipe!
My cookie tradition is actually thanksgiving! We make sugar cookies in thanksgiving shapes and the GFJules mix works PERFECTLY to make them not only GF, but also egg free!
My memory is sweets mostly. We would make suckers with the old metal molds and butter-mints every year with my grandparents!
My favorite cookie baking memory might just be the year I converted my great grandma’s sugar cookie recipe from her bakery into my very own gf cookie recipe ???? It never ceases to knock the socks off even the staunchest of gluten eaters ????
Making my mom’s banana but cake together
These candy cane cookies used to be one of my favorite cookies to make before my gluten free days. I used to make these with my kids at Christmas. I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.
We make cookies and decorate them every year with grandma. Haven’t been successful yet with roll out cookies. Would love to give your flour a try. Thanks 🙂
Oh I know you’ll love it, Jen! It makes cut-out cookie dough a dream to work with!
~jules
Making cut out cookies with my son when he was little is one of my best memories. I still make cut out and using gf Jules flour has been easy way to make them gluten free. These candy cane cookies look so good. I’ll be trying out this recipe too!
Jules, on another note, when I make the Cisco pie crust recipe using your flour, it is always tough. What am I doing wrong? I have not tried your recipe.also, I have your bread mix, can it be used to make rolls? Thank you for your reply and your products.
My favorite cookie making experience was when I was six and it was during W.W.2 santa had given me a baking set, so I came home and baked sugar cookies, using a whole pound of butter, which was rationed, and got a whopping 12 cookies. My mom said they were good, nice and buttery. Such fun. That was my first cookie baking experience.
What a wonderful baking memory, Doris!
I always enjoyed making sugar cookies as a child with my mom.
When my children were younger, each Christmas season I had them help me with baking and decorating sugar cookies. Oh, we made a big mess, but it was fun for them.
I used to make amazing Forgotten Cookies (that’s meringues). I made them every Christmas. I had all sorts of flavors. Luckily, they are naturally gluten free!
To be honest, I don’t have that many memories of baking cookies with other people…but I’d love to make some! No guarantee I’ll do it this year, but I do plan to make some sweet breads with my grandmother and maybe I will try to fit in a batch of cookies too.
When I was little, every December my mom would make a big batch of rolled sugar cookies and we would all decorate them together, with sprinkles and icing and chocolate chips. Decorating them was almost more fun than eating them!
I’ve always loved making my great grandma’s raisin coffee cake– I need to figure out how to make it gfree!
Those cookies look amazing! I think my favorite cookie-making memory is making gingerbread houses with my aunt.
My favorite cookie making experience would be in school at my home economics class. We had so much fun and the little bake offs were well worth it.
My favorite cookie making memory is when my son was 3. He was so excited to help and even to this day he loves to bake cookies with me. He even has a superhero apron