Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies are tender, buttery shortbread thumbprint cookies studded with crushed peppermint candy and filled with mint white chocolate ganache. Perfect shortbread cookie recipe for your Christmas cookie tray.
For more Christmas cookie recipes, be sure to try No Spread Sugar Cookies and this glossy Sugar Cookie Icing.
We are so in love with these Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies! They're a fun, festive cookie for the Christmas season and will surely be on my cookie trays this year.
The buttery shortbread cookie is soft and slightly crumbly, the white chocolate ganache filling is smooth and creamy, and the crushed mint candies give it a little crunch and festive holiday flavor.
Delicious with a warm cup of peppermint cocoa or a cold glass of milk.
🍬Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Unsalted butter, room temperature. Room temperature butter is cool to the touch and leaves just an indent when pressed. You can also use salted butter and omit the salt.
- Powdered sugar. No need to sift the powdered sugar, you're going to whip it for a good long time, which will take care of any lumps.
- Egg yolks. Egg yolk adds richness and moisture to the dough.
- Peppermint candies. Crushed peppermint candy canes or starlight mints add festive peppermint flavor to the cookies. You can also sprinkle some on top of the filling.
- Granulated sugar. Rolling the cookie balls in granulated sugar adds a little sparkle and sweetness since these shortbread thumbprints aren't overly sweet.
- White chocolate. You can use white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate bar for the white chocolate ganache filling. Or try dark chocolate (yum!).
- Peppermint extract. The addition of peppermint extract boosts the mint flavor of the crushed candy.
- Red gel food coloring. One small drop of red gel food coloring tints the white chocolate pink. Too much can seize the chocolate. For a more intense hue, use oil-based food coloring, which works well with melted white chocolate.
🥣Instructions
Step 1: In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks for 2 minutes. Mix in the crushed mints until combined.
Step 2: Sift in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Form the cookie dough into a flattened ball, cover with plastic, and chill for 30-60 minutes.
Step 3: Scoop cookie dough into 1-tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Roll balls of dough in sugar and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
Step 4: Use your thumb or the handle of a utensil to press indents into each dough ball.
Step 5: Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies just barely start to turn golden brown. Gently press the centers back down to create a well. Cool baked cookies on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Melt white chocolate, heavy cream, and peppermint extract in a small bowl in the microwave for 15 seconds or until smooth and creamy. If desired, stir in one drop of red food coloring to tint it pink.
Step 7: Carefully spoon melted chocolate filling into the well of each cookie.
Step 8: If desired, top with more crushed peppermint candy while the filling is still wet. The filling will be set, and the cookies will be stackable in about one hour.
👉Top Tip: Freeze the peppermint candies before crushing them. Freezing makes them brittle, and they crush much more quickly.
☑️Tips
- If the cookie dough balls crack while indenting them, use your fingers to smooth the dough back together.
- If you need more white chocolate ganache filling, melt ¼ cup white chocolate with one tablespoon of heavy cream and a few drops of peppermint extract. Refrigerate or freeze any leftovers and dip pretzels in it or stir it into hot cocoa.
🎁Storage
- Store candy cane cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Store unbaked shortbread cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
📅Make Ahead
- Freeze baked peppermint shortbread cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze shortbread dough or unbaked cookie dough balls (not rolled in sugar) in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then roll in sugar and bake as directed.
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📖 Recipe
Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Candy Cane Shortbread
- 1 cup butter, room temperature 2 sticks
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup crushed peppermint candies, such as starlight mints (about 18) or candy canes
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, for rolling
Mint White Chocolate Filling
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- red gel food coloring, optional
- 5 crushed peppermint candies, optional
Instructions
Make the Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, whip butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium-high until fluffy and light yellow, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolks and mix for 2 more minutes. Mix in crushed peppermint candy.
- Sift in the flour and salt and mix on low until just combined. Do not overmix. Form the dough into a flattened ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1 tablespoon portions and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking pan.
- Use the handle of a utensil or your thumb to press an indent about halfway down into the center of each dough ball. If the dough cracks while making the indents, smooth it back together with your fingers.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are a very light golden brown. After baking, the centers will puff up again. Gently press the centers back down to create a well. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool the rest of the way. When the cookies have completely cooled, make the white chocolate peppermint filling.
Make the Mint White Chocolate Filling
- Add the white chocolate chips, heavy cream, and peppermint extract to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 15 seconds and stir until creamy. If more time is needed, heat in 5-second increments. Optional, tint the white chocolate pink by stirring in a tiny drop of red gel food coloring.
- Use a small spoon to pour about ½ teaspoon of the white chocolate filling into the well of each cookie. If the white chocolate hardens while you're doing this, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds.
- Optional, add crushed peppermint candies on top while the filling is still wet. The filling will take about an hour to set completely.
Joan says
These cookies are GREAT! I used Andes Peppermint Chips instead of candy canes.
Cara says
How wonderful, I'm so glad you enjoyed them :). The addition of Andes sounds scrumptious!