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Homemade peppermint swirl cookies with red and white spiral dough, topped with crushed candy cane pieces and a light sugar sparkle, resting on a white plate — soft, buttery, and festive for the holidays.

Peppermint Swirl Cookies

5 from 1 vote
Festive red and white Peppermint Swirl Cookies combine buttery vanilla dough with peppermint-infused red dough for a soft, melt-in-your-mouth holiday treat that looks just like candy canes. Easy to make ahead and slice-and-bake whenever guests arrive — these cookies are a showstopper for any Christmas cookie exchange.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Course: cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Vanilla Cookie Dough
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter - softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Peppermint Cookie Dough
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter - softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • red gel food coloring - to desired shade
For Rolling & Finishing
  • flour - for dusting
  • crushed candy canes - for edges
  • coarse sugar - for sprinkling

Equipment

  • 1 Electric mixer (Stand or hand mixer)
  • 1 Rolling pin (For flattening dough evenly)
  • Several sheets Parchment paper (Prevents sticking and helps roll dough)
  • 1 Sharp knife (Non-serrated for clean slicing)
  • 1 roll Plastic wrap (For chilling dough logs)
  • 2 Baking sheets (Line with parchment)
  • 1 Wire rack (For cooling cookies)

Method
 

  1. Prepare both vanilla and peppermint doughs separately. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add egg and extracts, then mix in dry ingredients until soft but not sticky. Tint the peppermint dough red with food coloring.
  2. Roll each dough into 8x6-inch rectangles. Stack red dough over vanilla, press lightly, and roll tightly into a log using parchment to guide the roll. Repeat with remaining dough.
  3. Wrap each dough log tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or freeze up to 3 months. This firms up the dough for easier slicing.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice dough logs into ¼-inch rounds. Rotate log after each slice to keep edges round. Optionally roll edges in crushed candy canes before baking.
  5. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are just set. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Flavor intensifies as cookies cool.

Nutrition

Serving: 28gCalories: 120kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1.5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.8gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 180IUCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.4mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes

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