Buttery tender cookie bars with bits of candy cane. You’ll love these!

These Candy Cane Cookie Bars are a fun way to use some of the candy canes that you have around the house this year.
I may not celebrate Christmas, but I do love the flavor of these peppermint candies. And taking advantage of those “after the holiday sales” is a great way to save some money and enjoy these.
These cookies will make you crave a walk through the snow and a mug of hot cocoa. They’re a winter wonderland kind of bar. At least here in Alabama, I can dream of snow.
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Candy Cane Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 c butter, unsalted, room temperature
- 2/3 c sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract, or flavoring
- 2 c all-purpose flour, divided
- 1/2 c milk
- 6 standard candy canes, crushed (about 1/3 c)
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. (Or spray with baking spray.) Set it aside for now.
- In your mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until they are pale and fluffy.
- Add in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint extract. Beat again for just a minute.
- Add in half of the flour and mix in well.
- Mix in the milk.
- Add in the rest of the flour and mix well. Be sure to scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Stir in the crushed candy canes. Your dough will be very stiff.
- Spread the mixture evenly into your baking dish.
- HINT: Press the dough down with clean, damp hands. This will allow you to handle the dough without it sticking to you. Alternatively, placing your hand inside a plastic sandwich bag also works.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cookie is done the middle and very lightly golden around the edges.
- Cool completely.
- Sprinkle the top with a dusting of powdered sugar and cut into bars.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
These look so good, and a great use for the leftover candy canes from Christmas!
I can’t wait to try making these
What a great holiday idea! I think my kids will love this.