With a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth interior, creamy white-chocolate coating, and a crunch of crushed candy canes, these Candy Cane Tea Cake Cookies are everything you want in a festive peppermint cookie. They’re elegant enough for Christmas cookie trays and swaps, but easy enough to make on a cozy afternoon at home.
Inspired by my classic Almond Tea Cake Cookies, this peppermint-spiked Christmas version adds holiday magic to every bite. Pair one with hot cocoa and you’ve got the coziest winter treat.
Why You’ll Love These Candy Cane Cookies
- Crowd-pleasing peppermint Christmas cookie
- Soft, buttery tea cake texture with crunchy peppermint topping
- Bakery-style look with simple ingredients
- Perfect for cookie exchanges, gifting, and Christmas parties
- Easy to customize for flavor swaps and decorations
What Is a Tea Cake Cookie?
A tea cake cookie is known for its soft, slightly crumbly texture and delicate sweetness—somewhere between a cookie and a mini cake. Tea cakes are meant to be enjoyed with warm drinks, making them ideal for holiday baking season.
Tea Cake Varieties Around the World
- English Tea Cakes – Yeasted buns with dried fruit
- Scottish Tea Cakes – Biscuit-like cakes, sometimes iced
- Swedish Tea Cakes – Spiced buns similar to cinnamon rolls
- Russian Tea Cakes / Mexican Wedding Cookies – Buttery shortbread-style cookies
- Chinese Tea Cakes – Mooncakes with sweet fillings
This peppermint version leans closer to the American tea cake style: soft, tender, and lightly sweet.
Yield + Batch Size
This recipe makes:
- About 4 dozen small cookies or
- 2 dozen large cookies
✅ Tip: You can easily halve the recipe for smaller batches.
Ingredients for Candy Cane Tea Cake Cookies
Dough Ingredients
- Butter – Creates that classic melt-in-your-mouth texture
- Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps the cookies bake evenly
- Eggs – Provide structure and moisture
- All-Purpose Flour – The backbone of tender tea cake cookies
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda – Light lift and softness
- Milk – Activates baking soda and adds moisture
- Cornstarch – Keeps the crumb soft and delicate
Topping
- Crushed Candy Canes – Adds crunch + peppermint flavor
- White Melting Chocolate + Coconut Oil – Makes coating smooth and glossy
How to Make Candy Cane Tea Cake Cookies
Step 1: Cream Butter & Sugar
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add Eggs
Mix eggs in until completely blended.
Step 3: Mix Dry Ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and cornstarch.
Step 4: Dissolve Baking Soda
Stir baking soda into the milk.
Step 5: Combine
Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture into the wet ingredients.
Step 6: Scoop & Bake
Scoop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake at 350°F for 15–18 minutes until bottoms are barely golden.
Step 7: Cool
Cool completely before dipping.
Step 8: Dip in White Chocolate
Melt chocolate and oil in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
Step 9: Add Candy Canes
Sprinkle crushed candy canes before the chocolate hardens.
Pro Tips for Perfect Tea Cake Cookies
- ✅ Use room temperature butter for the fluffiest texture
- ✅ Slightly underbake to keep the centers soft
- ✅ Don’t rush dipping—cool cookies fully for clean coating
- ✅ Freeze crushed candy canes briefly before topping to reduce color bleeding
Make-Ahead & Storage Tips
- Store at room temp in an airtight container for up to 3 days
- Freeze undipped cookies for up to 2 months
- Layer with parchment to prevent sticking
- For gifting: package with wax paper and airtight containers
Flavor Variations
Try these festive upgrades:
Chocolate Peppermint
Dip in dark chocolate instead of white.
Almond Candy Cane
Add ½ tsp almond extract to dough.
Orange Peppermint
Add ½ tsp orange extract for a bright citrus contrast.
Snowball Style
Skip dipping and roll baked cookies in powdered sugar.
Perfect for Cookie Trays & Gifting
These cookies are ideal if you’re building a Christmas cookie box. Pair them with:
- Gingerbread cookies
- Fudge or bark
- Chocolate crinkle cookies
- Sugar cookies
- Shortbread
They stand out for texture, color, and flavor.
More Tea Cake Cookie Recipes
Maple cinnamon tea cake cookies
Peanut butter chocolate tea cake cookies
Candy Cane Tea Cake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup crushed candy canes
- 6 squares white melting chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, cream butter, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes)
- Add eggs and beat well
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and cornstarch
- Dissolve the baking soda in the milk
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk, beating well after each addition
- Depending on the size you’d like use a medium to large cookie scoop, placing the cookie dough on a large well-greased cookie sheet or with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Remove when they are lightly browned on the bottom and feel a bit undercooked in the middle.
- Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes
- In a microwave safe bowl, add melting chocolate and coconut oil and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
- Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate until fully coated and place on parchment paper
- Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top
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