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 favorite cookie making memory was just a couple weeks ago. My daughter and I made gluten-free cookies for the first time and my granddaughter said they were the best cookies ever. Lol. It meant so much to me that she wanted to make them since she is active duty Air Force, works 12 hour days, goes to college, and takes care of her daughter by herself since her husband is deployed.
We always had pizzelles for Christmas and I miss them! I just saw your recipe for them!! Just have to get an iron and your flour and Ill be all set!! Thank you so much!
My favorite memory at this time of the year is when we made Christmas cookies in high school and compiled a recipe book of our cookies that we took home to our families. I still have the recipe book over 40 year later!
My favorite cookie making memory is making my grandma’s choc chip from scratch whenever she came out to visit. Making cookies with her made me realize how special cooking with someone is. Didn’t matter if the edges got a little burned or they were a little doughy…the time spent together was EVERYTHING. I make gf cookies with my daughter now 🙂 we get as messy as she wants.
My favorite cookie making memory was probably the first year I found out I had Celiac. I discovered Jules flour in her book and “created it” myself. Of course it being the first time I screwed it up and the Christmas cookies did not taste as good. I kept working to perfect the recipe and nailed it by the next Christmas cookie baking time! No one could taste a difference!
We enjoy our cookie decorating contest every Christmas! I have had to go gluten free now, so we incorporate G/F flour in many of our recipes
so I can enjoy the contest again!!!! My favorite recipe is Paul Bunyan Sugar Cookies!
My favourite cookie making memories would be making cookies with either my grandmother, mother or my children. There’s nothing like telling stories & spending time together and getting to eat a yummy reward together when all is said & done.
When I was a kid we used to decorate sugar cookies, similar to the way we decorate eggs on Easter and carve pumpkins for Halloween. We carried that tradition over to our kids.
My favorite cookie making memory is making cookies with my granddaughters each year to leave for Santa.
My favorite cookie making memory was just a couple weeks ago. My daughter and I made gluten-free cookies for the first time and my granddaughter said they were the best cookies ever. Lol. It meant so much to me that she wanted to make them since she is active duty Air Force, works 12 hour days, goes to college, and takes care of her daughter by herself since her husband is deployed.
We always had pizzelles for Christmas and I miss them! I just saw your recipe for them!! Just have to get an iron and your flour and Ill be all set!! Thank you so much!
Baking cookies with my kids for Santa.
My favorite memory at this time of the year is when we made Christmas cookies in high school and compiled a recipe book of our cookies that we took home to our families. I still have the recipe book over 40 year later!
I remember making jam thumbprint cookies with my grandma when my thumb was still pretty little to make a big enough indentation.
Oh yeah
My favorite cookie making memory is making my grandma’s choc chip from scratch whenever she came out to visit. Making cookies with her made me realize how special cooking with someone is. Didn’t matter if the edges got a little burned or they were a little doughy…the time spent together was EVERYTHING. I make gf cookies with my daughter now 🙂 we get as messy as she wants.
My dad always helped me bake my own birthday cake; now we make a gluten free version!
My favorite cookie making memory was probably the first year I found out I had Celiac. I discovered Jules flour in her book and “created it” myself. Of course it being the first time I screwed it up and the Christmas cookies did not taste as good. I kept working to perfect the recipe and nailed it by the next Christmas cookie baking time! No one could taste a difference!
We enjoy our cookie decorating contest every Christmas! I have had to go gluten free now, so we incorporate G/F flour in many of our recipes
so I can enjoy the contest again!!!! My favorite recipe is Paul Bunyan Sugar Cookies!
I remember making cut out sugar cookies with my mom for Christmas so we could leave them for Santa!
I love making frosted sugar cookies with my children.
I make cookies every Christmas with my girls. It’s a fun tradition.
My favourite cookie making memories would be making cookies with either my grandmother, mother or my children. There’s nothing like telling stories & spending time together and getting to eat a yummy reward together when all is said & done.
Making Christmas cookies with my little sister, with the Christmas music on and a huge mess, and those cookies were delicious!
I loved baking with my grandma
Making pizzellas with my grandparents each holiday season.
When I was a kid we used to decorate sugar cookies, similar to the way we decorate eggs on Easter and carve pumpkins for Halloween. We carried that tradition over to our kids.