Candy cane cookies are a classic Christmas cookie, with red and white ropes of buttery dough twisted together and bent into a hook. They look just like a real candy cane and taste like soft peppermint shortbread.
These are sugar-free, made with almond flour and sweetened with allulose, with no crushed candy at all. Each of the 12 cookies has about 95 calories and only 1g net carbs.
Shaping takes a little patience, but it is a fun job to share with kids on a holiday baking day.
Why You’ll Love These Candy Cane Cookies
- Classic Christmas look. Red and white stripes, shaped like a real candy cane.
- Cool peppermint flavor. Buttery, tender and lightly minty.
- No crushed candy. No added sugar anywhere.
- 1g net carbs per cookie. About 95 calories each.
Ingredient Notes
Flours. One cup of Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour and 2 tablespoons of coconut flour make tender candy cane cookies that hold their twist.
Butter and Neufchâtel. Two tablespoons of softened butter and 2 ounces of block Neufchâtel make the dough soft and rich.
Xanthan gum. Just ⅛ teaspoon helps the low-carb dough bend without cracking. Whisk it well into the dry ingredients.
Peppermint. The recipe calls for a quarter teaspoon of peppermint extract. Most extracts contain alcohol, so use an alcohol-free peppermint flavoring.
Red color. One teaspoon of McCormick red food color tints half of the dough.
Allulose. Granulated allulose sweetens the dough. Allulose is a rare sugar that the FDA allows to be excluded from the total sugars and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts label.
If you want to check the nutrition of staples like almond flour and butter yourself, you can look them up on USDA FoodData Central. The nutrition is estimated from ingredient labels.
How to Make Candy Cane Cookies
You need an 18×13-inch baking sheet, parchment, mixing bowls, a hand mixer and a kitchen scale accurate to 0.1g. Prep takes about 30 minutes, the dough chills for 45 minutes in total, and the cookies bake for 15 to 19 minutes.
Make and color the dough
Step 1. Whisk both flours, the baking powder and the xanthan gum together.
Step 2. Beat the butter, Neufchâtel and allulose until smooth.
Step 3. Mix in the egg and peppermint flavoring.
Step 4. Fold in the dry ingredients and rest for 5 minutes.
Step 5. Divide the dough equally and color one half red.
Step 6. Cover and refrigerate both portions for 30 minutes.
Roll and twist
Step 7. Line the baking sheet and divide each color into 12 pieces.
Step 8. Roll each piece gently into a 5-inch rope on parchment.
Step 9. Pair one red and one plain rope together.
Step 10. Twist gently two or three times, then curve the top into a candy cane hook.
Chill and bake
Step 11. Arrange the candy cane cookies 1 inch apart and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Step 12. Heat the oven to 300°F (149°C).
Step 13. Bake for 15 to 19 minutes, until set with faintly golden bottoms.
Step 14. Cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes before lifting.
Success Tips for Candy Cane Cookies
Weigh the pieces. A scale keeps every rope the same size, so the stripes line up.
Shape gently. Do not stretch the ropes; they are fragile. If one cracks, warm it in your hands and press it together.
Bake low. The low oven keeps the white stripes pale instead of brown.
Let them cool. They firm up on the sheet, so wait before moving them.
Serving Ideas
Hang them on a cookie platter in a row, tuck them into holiday gift boxes or serve them with a mug of sugar-free hot chocolate.
More Sugar-Free Peppermint Treats
For a quick no-bake gift, try my sugar-free peppermint bark. For a showstopper dessert, the sugar-free chocolate peppermint lasagna is always a hit.
And for a cozy drink, make the sugar-free crockpot hot chocolate.
Storage
Refrigerate the candy cane cookies airtight for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Candy Cane Cookies FAQ
Why does my dough crack when I shape it?
It is too cold. Let it soften for a minute and press any cracks together. The xanthan gum helps it bend.
Can I use peppermint extract?
Most extracts are made with alcohol, so use an alcohol-free peppermint flavoring instead.
Can I add crushed candy canes?
Regular candy canes are pure sugar. Leave them out to keep these cookies sugar-free.
How many candy cane cookies does this make?
The recipe makes 12 cookies, about 95 calories and 1g net carbs each.
Is allulose a sugar alcohol?
No, allulose is a rare sugar, not a sugar alcohol.
Cute, minty and fun to make, these candy cane cookies belong on every sugar-free Christmas cookie tray.
Sugar-Free Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Whisk both flours, baking powder, and xanthan together.
- Beat butter, cream cheese, and allulose until smooth.
- Mix in egg and peppermint flavoring.
- Fold in dry ingredients; rest 5 minutes.
- Divide dough equally and color one half red.
- Cover and refrigerate both portions for 30 minutes.
- Line baking sheet and divide each color into 12 pieces.
- Roll each piece gently into a 5-inch rope on parchment.
- Pair one red and one plain rope together.
- Twist gently two or three times, then curve into candy canes.
- Arrange 1 inch apart; refrigerate 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C).
- Bake 15–19 minutes until set with faintly golden bottoms.
- Cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes before lifting.
Notes
- Mix xanthan thoroughly into dry ingredients.
- Shape gently; avoid stretching the fragile ropes.
- If dough cracks, soften briefly and press together.
- Keep pale stripes from browning excessively.
- No crushed candy or added sugar.
- Refrigerate airtight up to 5 days.